Executive Director of Development, Neurosciences

UCSF•San Francisco, CA

1d•$270,000 - $300,000

About The Position

The University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is seeking an Executive Director of Development, Neurosciences. This role will direct a frontline fundraising team and partner with department chairs, institute directors, clinical leaders, and researchers to secure major and principal philanthropic gifts for the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences. As a senior development strategist, this position will shape the future of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry by translating clinical priorities and scientific research into donor opportunities. The role involves driving philanthropic strategy across the Weill Institute, which includes Neurology, Neurological Surgery, and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences departments, as well as research centers. The Executive Director will serve as a strategic partner to academic leadership, translating complex scientific visions into philanthropic narratives. The position offers direct access to visionary academic leadership, opportunities to secure high-impact gifts that accelerate clinical breakthroughs and fund research, and senior strategic and team leadership responsibilities. The role is situated within an unrivaled collaborative environment at one of the nation's premier academic development organizations.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training
8+ years of related experience
7+ years of supervisory, management experience
Excellent knowledge of all aspects of fundraising, donor and public relations including advanced knowledge of applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, etc.
Excellent knowledge of the campus, its achievements, vision, mission, goals, objectives, applicable policies, infrastructure and current issues of concern and knowledge of issues of concern for higher education, generally
Excellent knowledge of leadership / management concepts, procedures, techniques and best practices
Excellent leadership / management skills to select, train, mentor, evaluate and motivate staff
Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communications skills, including excellent political acumen skills, to build and maintain effective working relationships within all organizational levels and with outside constituencies
Excellent skills in meeting predetermined goals and objectives, including securing gifts and meeting fundraising goals
Excellent strategic planning, critical thinking, analytical, problem-solving, persuasion / negotiation skills and marketing skills

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree
A genuine fascination with brain health, clinical innovation, and biomedical research, paired with the ability to translate complex medical concepts into inspiring donor opportunities.
Demonstrated expertise navigating complex organizations, aligning diverse stakeholder interests, and managing multiple high-priority initiatives simultaneously.
High emotional intelligence, a team-first mindset, and a commitment to growing talent, celebrating collective wins, and fostering a supportive, high-performing environment.

Responsibilities

Manages a moderately complex fundraising program, comprised of the full range of development programs and includes responsibility for other external relations functions, such as events, volunteer coordination and management, donor relations and stewardship, and other marketing related activities.
Direct and partner with a dedicated development team to design, build, and secure major philanthropic opportunities across program priorities.
Serve as a key resource, advocate, and spokesperson across designated areas, partnering closely with multiple Department Chairs, Institute Directors, and school faculty to align diverse academic priorities into compelling fundraising initiatives.
Assume ultimate responsibility for all fundraising involving assigned program priorities, working in conjunction with multiple Chairs, Directors, and key faculty to identify goals and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies.
Foster meaningful relationships with prospects and donors to align their interests with institutional needs.
Partner across departments to cultivate and solicit prospects interested in supporting interdisciplinary, multi-departmental programs.
Maintain in-depth knowledge of priorities, faculty, and initiatives across multiple departments and units.
Partner with Advancement Communications on strategic marketing, stewardship, and donor communications.
Manages a staff comprised of several professionals and related administrative support staff.
Direct and lead a team of development officers and support staff who manage distinct areas of fundraising effort, knitting together complex strategies to secure visionary gifts across multiple department lines.
Plan, oversee, and evaluate the work of the unit staff, including four direct/indirect team members.
Selects, trains, mentors, guides, and directs staff, and as required, takes corrective action.
Direct and mentor the development team, establishing unified goals and driving collaborative, team-based frontline fundraising.
Recruits, trains, mentors, and develops staff while monitoring performance standards against industry best practices.
Partner with staff to coach them on designing and securing complex gift opportunities in coordination with multiple clinical and research leaders.
Working through staff, conceives, creates, develops, implements, evaluates and manages development programs and strategies to meet predetermined goals and objectives, ensuring predetermined goals are met.
Establish an annual business plan for the unit with measurable operational and dollar goals.
Collaborate with development staff and executive leadership (Assistant Vice Chancellors, Associate Vice Chancellor, and Vice Chancellor) to ensure institutional targets are achieved.
Apply expert knowledge of fundraising and donor engagement to structure complex gifts involving multiple research units, Department Chairs, and clinical leaders.
Support comprehensive capital campaigns, institutional milestones, or emergency funding initiatives as directed by advancement leadership.
Conducts and participates in short- and long-range strategic planning.
Serve as a senior development strategist on the UDAR team and participate in leadership bodies including Frontline Leaders and Executive Team.
Participate in high-level fundraising strategy meetings with UDAR leadership, Deans, and Department Chairs.
Collaborate with development staff and executive leadership to align fundraising strategies with institutional priorities and long-range goals.
Oversee and manage the identification, cultivation and solicitation of donors and donor prospects.
Responsible for the full range of development functions focused on the identification, cultivation, solicitation, proposal writing, and stewardship of individual prospects and donors, corporations, and foundations rated at $100,000 and higher, with an emphasis on gift potentials of $1 million or more.
Demonstrate exceptional collaboration with peer UDAR teams including Prospect Development, Gift and Endowment Planning, Corporate and Foundation Relations, External Relations, Board Relations, and other frontline fundraising teams.
Core Objective: Maintain flexibility to support broader institutional advancement priorities, special projects, and team-wide campaigns.
Special Campaigns & Institutional Initiatives: Support comprehensive capital campaigns, institutional milestones, or emergency funding initiatives as directed by advancement leadership.
Departmental & Team Support: Participate in team planning, staff mentoring, and cross-departmental working groups to enhance advancement processes, templates, and collaborative workflows.