Chief Development Officer/ Executive Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement

Chief Development Officer/

Executive Associate Vice Chancellor for
Advancement

University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc.
 

 

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc (UTFI) invites
applications and nominations to fill the position
of Chief Development Officer (CDO) for
the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s Advancement division. The
Chief Development Officer is charged with leading all major giving,
annual giving, and gift planning staff/teams on the UTK campus in
the division of Advancement. 

Reporting to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Advancement, the CDO
serves on the executive leadership team and is asked to contribute
to the short-term and long-term direction of the Advancement
division.  The CDO will be responsible for all gift
officers following UTFI & UTK policies and procedures in
pursuit of meeting all annual fundraising goals at all levels
(UTFI, UTK & College/Unit). The CDO will work closely with the
Assistant Vice Chancellor of Principal Gifts and Campaigns to
create a culture and system for success in all fundraising work on
our campus.

The CDO will manage a team of 5 Associate/Assistant Vice
Chancellors and will work with this team to build and maintain
dynamic relationships with academic leadership within every
college/unit, to successfully advance UTK’s mission and raised
funds in support of the Chancellor’s Strategic
Priorities. 

In addition to a significant leadership responsibility, the CDO
will manage a limited portfolio of high-level
prospects.  This position will work collaboratively with
the Senior Vice Chancellor and the Assistant Vice Chancellor of
Principal Gifts to cultivate a relationship with the highest-level
donors of the institution.  This includes identification,
qualification, cultivation, and stewardship activities related to
effectively managing principal gift prospects.

Additionally, as a leader in the division, this position will
help drive strategy for reaching campaign goals outlined by
leadership of the division, university, and foundation.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Direct Leadership: Oversight of all gift
  officers within the UTK division of advancement.
• Major Gift Fundraising: The CDO will
  manage a limited portfolio of high-level UTK prospects, to include
  identification, qualification, cultivation, and stewardship
  activities.
• Collaboration: Partnership within and
  across UTFI and UTK Advancement to create a systematic process for
  the research, qualification & development functions to grow in
  quantity and production while modernizing our efforts to maximize
  efficiencies.
• Division Leadership: Serve the division
  on the Senior Vice Chancellor’s executive leadership
  team.  Work with this group to build out the tools,
  resources and initiatives that will lead the division to be a
  destination advancement operation that is recognized
  nationally.

For more information about the role, we invite you to review our
detailed prospectus. 

 

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree
• A compelling track record leading philanthropic efforts,
  specifically in major gifts, for a large and complex organization
  with demonstrated advancement career progression.
• 2+ years of supervisory experience
• Experience in stewardship of major gift donors; superior
  interpersonal and communication skills; demonstrated analytical and
  creative problem-solving skills; computer literacy, including
  proficiency in word processing, spreadsheet and presentation
  applications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree
• Extensive experience in major gift fundraising, annual gift
  fundraising, and gift planning
• Experience in managing teams of fundraisers in higher
  education

_________

Application Process: Priority will be
given to applications received on or before March 13,
2024 via our Taleo application system. 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.

NOTE – 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. 

Target Start Date: June 1, 2024

Benefits: Recognized as a Top Employer in
by Knoxville Top Workplaces in 2022 and 2023,
the Foundation’s greatest asset is our team. Foundation employees
are eligible for a comprehensive suite of benefits that
includes:

• Generous paid leave,
  accruing up to 24 days of vacation and 12 days of sick leave
  annually, plus 14 paid holidays and administrative closing
  days
• Flexible work arrangements, offering a hybrid schedule to most
  team members
• Education benefits for
  employees and their dependents at UT System campuses
• Retirement and
  deferred compensation plans, including 401(k), 403(b),
  etc.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans
• Employee discounts to
  attractions, services, and goods

_________

The Foundation: The University of
Tennessee Foundation, Inc. is an interdependent nonprofit
corporation whose mission is to raise financial, public and
political support for the University of Tennessee System. With 260+
employees supporting seven campuses and institutes, the Foundation
works state-wide to enhance and support the educational and
economic development goals of the UT System. 

The UT System: The University of Tennessee
System is comprised of campuses at Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski,
Martin and the Health Science Center at Memphis; the Institute of
Agriculture; and the Institute for Public Service. 

The University of Tennessee,
Knoxville: UTK is the state’s flagship land-grant
university. Designated as an R1 university, we house 11 academic
colleges that offer 900+ programs of study. With an enrollment of
36,000 students, our undergraduate and graduate programs are
repeatedly ranked among top national programs. Under the leadership
of Chancellor Donde Plowman, the university has set new records in
student retention, alumni giving, state support, and research
expenditures.

UTK Advancement: At the University of
Tennessee, Knoxville, the Foundation provides engagement
opportunities for alumni through networking and community events
and works hand-in-hand with the campus on their priorities to
improve undergraduate and graduate education. Our advancement team
aspires to be a key driver in UTK’s vision of being a top public
research university and producing at the level of a top SEC
fundraising program. UTK had a record number of donors in fiscal
year 2023, with more than 67,320 alumni, supporters, and friends
raising more than $264 million in contributions.

Knoxville and the Region: The city of
Knoxville is a hidden gem with a beautiful and walkable downtown, a
diverse music scene, active neighborhoods, unique restaurants, and
a robust offering of outdoor and cultural activities. UTK is
located within easy driving distance to Asheville, Nashville,
Atlanta, and the Great Smoky Mountains; and a day’s drive to
Memphis, Chicago and Washington D.C. Knoxville and the surrounding
counties have a statistical area population of over 850,000 people.
The Knoxville region houses many leading corporations, including
Bush Brothers & Company, Warner Bros. Discovery, Tennessee
Valley Authority, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

_________

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. is an
EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer. All
qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for
employment without regard to race, color, national origin,
religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation,
gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic
information, veteran status, and parental status, or any other
characteristic protected by federal or state law. 

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. will not
discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or
applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or
disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or
applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation
information of other employees or applicants as a part of their
essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees
or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to
compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response
to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an
investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an
investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the
University of Tennessee Foundation’s legal duty to furnish
information.