Senior Director of Parent and Family Engagement and Philanthropy

Apply now Job no:531022
Work type:Officer of Administration
Location:Eugene, OR, Portland, OR
Categories:Administrative/Professional, Communications/Public Relations/Marketing, Development

Department: University Advancement
Appointment Type and Duration: Regular, Ongoing
Salary: $110,000 - $130,000 per year
Compensation Band: OS-OA10-Fiscal Year 2022-2023
FTE: 1.0

February 8, 2023; position open until filled

Please submit the following with your online application:
• A cover letter in which you clearly describe how your knowledge, skills, and abilities prepare you for the job responsibilities and requirements outlined in the job announcement.
• A resume of your educational and professional work experience.

Please Note: We may contact applicants who meet the minimum requirements in the job posting to request additional information for the next stage of review.

University Advancement (UA) supports the University of Oregon’s (UO) mission of providing exceptional teaching, discovery, and service by strategically positioning the university to create awareness, build long-term relationships, and secure resources that increase understanding and further its aims. The division consists of approximately 200 employees primarily working out of Eugene, with offices in Portland and Bend. We are committed to fostering equity and inclusion in a welcoming, safe, and respectful environment that recognizes the value of all members of our community.

The Office of Development as part of University Advancement has a mission to maximize philanthropic impact at the University of Oregon. We do this by identifying, connecting, and engaging alumni and friends around the globe with their passions to advance the vision and priorities of the university.

The Senior Director of Parent and Family Engagement and Philanthropy is responsible for creating an environment in which UO parents and families are inspired to support the UO philanthropically. The senior director should have comprehensive experience in, and an understanding of, gift solicitation and of how to strengthen family/university relationships. The senior director partners and collaborates across development to cultivate parent donors and prospects and works with campus partners including the Office of Enrollment Management, the Division of Student Life, University Communications, and other units to connect these supporters and advocates to university philanthropic opportunities, other ways to engage in the life of the UO and its programs and to facilitate a coordinated approach to the UO’s relationships with parents.

This position serves as a frontline constituent engagement and philanthropic strategist in the UO’s relationships with parents and family members, predominantly those who have the capacity to give at the major gift level and above ($100,000+). The senior director is responsible for managing an active portfolio of top parent donors and leads new outreach to UO parents and family members with this philanthropic capacity, and builds new networks of volunteers and supporters who are interested in supporting one or more of the UO's many areas of work. The senior director works as part of Development to promote university fundraising priorities and image to parents and families of the university and contributes to donor pipeline strategies and development.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Central Development Programs (AVP), the senior director serves as the chief strategist for parent philanthropy initiatives campus-wide and is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive plan that increases philanthropic support from UO’s parent community.

The director provides strategic direction and oversight of the parent philanthropy and engagement program designed to create engagement opportunities for high-philanthropic capacity parents of current UO students by sharing the vision of the UO and encouraging them to support the UO with their philanthropy.

This position is field-oriented, requiring frequent travel and direct contact with donors and donor prospects. Traveling within Oregon and cities in other states up to 50% of the time is an essential expectation of this position.

• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of skills and experience.
• Seven years of experience building relationships and working with parents of university students, volunteers, or high-level external constituents in a nonprofit environment, or equivalent.

• Ability to work independently and establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with faculty, staff, and others as appropriate.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Demonstrated ability to engage and work with volunteers and develop strategies to achieve operating goals.
• Ability to make a persuasive verbal and written case for becoming involved in the life of the university.
• Strong sense of discretion and ability to represent the university with external constituents including high-level donors, and the ability to maintain a high level of professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Ability to work independently and establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with faculty, staff, and others as appropriate.
• Ability and willingness to quickly learn the university history, mission, demographics, faculty, current programs, departments, etc., as well as the university culture to be able to articulate persuasively how the UO distinguishes itself from peer institutions.
• Strong sense of parent and family and donor-driven customer service.
• Extensive sophistication in prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation with a demonstrated ability to build relationships with donors and prospects, including those who are hard to engage or not well connected to the university.
• Ability to interact, communicate, and work effectively with individuals, recognizing and respecting each person's many and varied identities.
• Commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to travel.

• Experience in higher education.
• Five years of experience cultivating and soliciting donors (frontline major gift fundraising).
• Familiarity with the University of Oregon.

FLSA Exempt: Yes

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background inquiry.

University of Oregon students and employees are required to be vaccinated against COVID-19. For additional information see: https://hr.uoregon.edu/uo-covid-19-vaccination-requirement-employee-process .

The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit http://hr.uoregon.edu/careers/about-benefits .

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the ADA. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply, and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please contact us at [email protected] or 541-346-5112.

UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, marital status, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, Office of Civil Rights Compliance, or to the Office for Civil Rights. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed on the statement of non-discrimination .

In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online at https://clery.uoregon.edu/annual-campus-security-and-fire-safety-report .