Executive Director of Development, Major and Principal Gifts

University of Texas at Austin•Austin, TX

15d•$177,545•Onsite

About The Position

Dell Medical School is seeking an Executive Director for Development, Major and Principal Gifts. The Executive Director of Development leads a comprehensive, results‑driven philanthropy program that advances patient care, research, and education supporting the strategic priorities of the healthcare enterprise. Reporting to the Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Development Officer, this role partners closely with executive leaders, communications, finance, legal, and advisory boards. The Executive Director will also collaborate with the Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Development Officer at UT Medicine on fundraising strategy and department operations. This position leads a growing team of principal and major gift officers and personally manages a principal gift portfolio of 60–80 prospects, with expectations of 15–18 solicitations annually and $10M–$15M committed per fiscal year. The Executive Director helps develop outreach and cultivation strategies for UT Dell Medicine leadership and supports UT Austin’s healthcare vision.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business, nonprofit management, communications, public administration, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
Minimum 10 years of relevant fundraising experience (including principal gifts) with 3 years in progressive leadership managing teams or programs; healthcare or large complex nonprofit experience preferred.
Track record of fundraising results including gifts of $1M+.
Experience with digital/CRM capabilities.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree (e.g., MBA, MPA, MPH, or related).
5 years leading comprehensive programs in a multi‑entity health system or academic medical environment.
Demonstrated ability to leverage CRM Systems, analytics, and digital tools to inform fundraising strategy, strengthen donor engagement, improve portfolio performance, and drive measurable fundraising outcomes.
Experience developing or expanding grateful patient fundraising programs, including physician engagement, patient referral strategies, and the integration of philanthropy into clinical environments is strongly preferred.
CFRE (Certified Fund-Raising Executive)

Responsibilities

Leads Principal and Major Gift fundraising strategy and annual goal achievement
Responsible for achieving a $10M - $15M million annual fundraising goal from individual donors and grateful patients, ensuring at least 30% of annual funding awards derive from new sources.
Develops and executes strategy and annual operating plan/goal setting with measurable KPIs.
Creates cases for support for existing programs and emerging institutional priorities.
Benchmarks performance and adjusts portfolio mix to meet growth targets.
Leads philanthropic strategy and culture
Develops and executes multi‑year strategies aligned to healthcare enterprise fundraising priorities.
Instills a culture of relationship focused philanthropy across the organization; aligns messages for clinicians, staff, and volunteers.
In partnership with the SAVP / CDO stablishes gift policies, KPIs, and dashboards for portfolio performance and ROI.
On behalf of UT Dell Medicine, participates in proposal preparation, strategy development, and stewardship as required for donors in the overall campus healthcare portfolio.
Work collaboratively, proactively, and in a professional, service-oriented manner with all University development officers.
Serve on the leadership team within the department.
Manages principal and major gift portfolios
Build and carry an active portfolio of 60–80 prospective donors.
Engage in qualification, strategy, relationship building, and closing of principal gifts at $1,000,000+.
Maintain appropriate electronic documentation on a timely basis, including proposal tracking, contact reports, donor strategies, and forecasting in CRM.
Develop timely reports, letters, proposals, or gift agreements following a contact.
Within 36 months of start date, consistently produce $10,000,000 to $15,000,000+ per year.
Oversees team leadership and performance
Supervises and mentors a growing team of principal, major, and annual gift officers.
Sets goals and accountability for portfolios, visits, dollars raised, and pipeline management to achieve annual and campaign goals aligned with UT Medicine philanthropic priorities.
Builds teamwork, respect, and professional development pathways.
Troubleshoots roadblocks for the team
Effectively work with clinical, faculty and academic leaders, leading and managing a team of gift officers.
Serves as key collaborator with Texas Development gift officers in advancing medicine prospects.
Directs prospect research, analytics, and operations
Collaborates with philanthropy operations on donor services, acknowledgments, and database governance.
Leverages CRM, including analytics and digital tools, to enhance fundraising team’s performance.
Other duties as identified by department
Supports executive recruitment of board members with strong donor networks.
Advice on naming opportunities and gift acceptance exceptions requiring senior approval.