The University of Chicago seeks an experienced and strategic advancement professional to serve as the inaugural Executive Director, Regional Advancement, West. This individual will lead a bold relaunch of UChicago’s West Coast advancement efforts, re-establishing presence, strengthening engagement, and driving philanthropic momentum.
What You'll Do
- Serve as the chief fundraiser and engagement officer for the West Coast, leading a coordinated University-wide strategy to grow philanthropic investment.
- Manage a personal portfolio of 30–40 prospects capable of six-, seven-, and eight-figure gifts, generating $5M+ in new gift commitments and conducting 50+ visits annually.
- Build and strengthen relationships with donors, alumni, families, volunteers, and key institutional leaders across cities such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, and San Diego.
- Coordinate closely with University Advancement and campus colleagues to deliver donor-centric experiences and elevate the University’s visibility.
- Lead regional discovery efforts and provide ongoing insights to shape institutional strategy and uncover new opportunities.
- Oversee and track progress toward annual and campaign-specific fundraising goals for the region.
- Serve as the lead liaison to campus and unit partners, ensuring strong alignment between regional and central initiatives.
- Foster collaboration across alumni relations and fundraising teams to execute integrated engagement strategies.
- Guide the development of cultivation and solicitation strategies and manage communication with prospects.
- Manage the team’s regional budget and long-term planning efforts.
- Recruit, lead, and mentor a high-performing, geographically distributed team focused on ambitious fundraising results.
- Provide coaching and oversight to ensure healthy portfolios and a robust donor pipeline.
- Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning, actively encouraging staff development.
- Champion diversity, equity, and inclusion across all aspects of team management and engagement strategy.
- Serve as a visible, accessible, and trusted leader across the University’s regional advancement enterprise.
What We're Looking For
- A college or university degree in a related field.
- Knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Nice to Have
- Bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree.
- Minimum ten years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales, or a similar field.
- Minimum of seven years of experience soliciting and closing major gifts.
- Expertise in principal gifts, with experience in both PRM and SRM roles, and familiarity with shared credit fundraising models.
- Demonstrated experience leading or overseeing a regional fundraising program.
- At least four years of management experience, including staff supervision.
- Minimum of four years of program management and oversight.
- Minimum of two years of experience developing and monitoring budgets.
- Proven track record of successfully working with volunteers, faculty, senior administrators, and other key stakeholders.
- Skilled in managing distributed teams and supporting staff working remotely.
- Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University and its technology tools.
Technical Stack
- Microsoft Office Suite
- The University's donor relationship management system
Team & Environment
You will manage a team of three, with plans to expand to four. This role is part of the Regional Advancement team, which is organized into four regional teams (Central, West, East, and Global), and you will report to the Associate Vice President for University Advancement.
Benefits & Compensation
- Compensation: $205,000.00
- Health, retirement, and paid time off benefits
Work Mode
This is a remote role based in California.
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law.
