Associate Director of Development, Engineering

The Associate Director of Development for the College of Engineering builds relationships with the university's various constituents and identifies, cultivates, and solicits prospects to help build the pipeline of major gift prospects to advance the university's mission and goals. This position collaborates with the development team to develop and implement programs with a focus on identifying and soliciting key prospects for donor acquisition and upgrades of existing donors, both locally and regionally. This position requires frequent time outside the office for donor visits and travel within the Tampa Bay area and across the country. The Associate Director of Development works closely with all members of the University Advancement team to reach the defined goals for the department and individual colleges. This position reports to the Director of Development for the College of Engineering.

Fundraising 

• Identify, cultivate, and solicit prospects to close major gifts for top funding priorities.  Fundraising dollar, visit and proposal goals will be determined through conversations with leadership and based on the prospect pool and unit potential. 
• Maintain a significant prospect portfolio and strategically manage relationships through face-to-face and virtual visits to bring major solicitations to closure.
• Continuously update the prospect management database with information related to donor strategies, contacts, and results.
• Ensure delivery of appropriate stewardship initiatives, partnering with donor relations as needed.
• Engage with and support volunteer leadership and advisory boards across the College of Engineering. 

Collaboration 

• Serve as an active member of the College of Engineering Advancement Team bringing creativity and innovation to the team’s fundraising initiatives. 
• Intentionally build and invest in developing strong relationships with the College of Engineering leaders and faculty to promote a culture of philanthropy. 
• Identify and facilitate opportunities for university leaders and colleagues to support the cultivation and solicitation of prospective donors.  
• Develop strong relationships with Advancement leadership, staff and departments to leverage the tools and resources available to ensure prospects and donors have a meaningful experience with USF.  
• Collaborate with gift officers in other units and on regional campuses, as appropriate. 

Professional Development 

• Constantly seek an up-to-date understanding of initiatives and programs (product knowledge) at the College of Engineering and the University of South Florida.  
• Stay abreast of industry trends to integrate best practices into daily work.
• Collaborate with leaders and colleagues at USF to create an environment that fosters continuous learning.

Perform related duties as required or deemed appropriate to the accomplishment of the responsibilities and functions related to this position.

This position requires a Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of experience related to development. Regular travel and occasional night and weekend work is required. Experience directly related to development/fundraising in higher education is preferred.

FLSB1310 Equivalency:
4 years of directly relevant experience may be substituted for bachelor's degree.
6 years of directly relevant experience may be substituted for master's degree.

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Contact the USF ADA Lead (hr-ADA-Request@usf.edu) to coordinate your accommodation request.

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF 

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university s