Senior Director of Advancement, College of Architecture and Design

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc (UTFI) invites applications and nominations to fill the position of Senior Director of Advancement for the College of Architecture and Design. Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor, the Senior Director of Advancement is responsible for serving as the chief advancement officer for the College, with complete oversight of the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of the College’s annual, major and principal gift prospects and donors. The Senior Director of Advancement will partner with the Dean and Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement to advance the College’s mission by conceptualizing and implementing fundraising strategies to increase financial support from alumni, friends, corporate partners, and private foundations while establishing a sustainable fundraising model for the unit. The purpose of this position is meeting and exceeding individual and unit fundraising goals as well as managing and mentoring a team of advancement professionals to ensure their individual and collective success in building a comprehensive advancement program.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

Major Gift Fundraising: Responsible for identifying, cultivating, and soliciting annual and major gift prospects for the College of Architecture and Design. Partnership with College’s Dean, faculty, and staff to execute meaningful engagement opportunities for current and prospective donors. Execute a fundraising plan to secure current and future philanthropic investments. Lastly, implement a sophisticated stewardship program to properly acknowledge current and future donors for their investment in the College of Architecture and Design.  

Leadership and Management: Responsible for leading the College of Architecture and Design’s advancement office to ensure each team member meets or exceeds their annual metrics and the College’s advancement expectations. This includes meeting regularly to evaluate the team’s progress toward assigned goals, provide timely coaching, and advocate on the team’s behalf. The Senior Director will serve on the Associate Vice Chancellor’s unit leadership council.  

Other Duties and Responsibilities: Strategize with the Dean of the College of Architecture and Design to create, develop, and manage an advisory board that supports the College’s mission. This includes collaborating with the Dean to select board members, develop meeting agendas, and engage board members throughout the year. Partner with the College’s staff to build a strategy for development events and participate in staffing those events. Administrative responsibilities include but are not limited to partnering with the Dean and the college’s Director of Finance and Administration to determine an annual budget for advancement travel, operations, and entertainment, as well as advise the dean on matters related to external relations, and performing other duties as assigned.  

Required Education and Experience 

The candidate who fills the Senior Director of Advancement position is required to have: 

• Bachelor’s Degree 

• 7+ years of experience in a position related to development, fundraising, sales, marketing, or other relatable non- profit experience
• 2+ years of management experience to include volunteers and/or students 

A valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record is required due to travel responsibilities of the position. UTFI reserves the right to consider all appropriate circumstances.  In general, any significant driving offense less than 12 months old will eliminate the application from consideration for the position. 

Note - Candidates holding a graduate degree must have at least 5 years of experience. 

Preferred Education and Experience 

In addition to meeting the required qualifications, the preferred candidate will have: 

• Master’s Degree  

• Awareness of the fundamental elements of architecture and design 

• Ability to eloquently articulate the case for philanthropic support or possess transferable experiences 

• Experience staffing a dean or executive leader 

• Experience managing a volunteer board, working on events and/or stewardship 

Application Process: Applications must include a completed candidate profile, cover letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references.  References will not be contacted without explicit permission of the candidate.  

When determining minimum qualifications, only information entered into the candidate profile can be considered. Please ensure your candidate profile is completed in its entirety as it relates to qualifying education/work experience.  

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