Senior Director of Development, Athletics

The UConn Foundation is hiring a Senior Director of Development for Athletics, a front-line major gifts seat on the team raising for UConn Athletics. This is a portfolio role with real numbers attached. You manage prospects and donors with capacity to give $500,000 and above, and the annual target is $4 million or more in philanthropic support. The work sits inside Because of UConn: The Campaign for UConn Nation, a $1.5 billion comprehensive campaign spanning every school, college, campus and UConn Health. Athletics is one of its four pillars. Day to day the role runs the full cycle: identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship, working alongside the rest of the Athletics Development team, University and Foundation colleagues, and coaches and athletics leadership. There is a donor-relations and events component as well, including the prospect management and priority point systems that govern donor seating and event access, which is particular to athletics fundraising and does not transfer automatically from other sectors. The Foundation asks for a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience and seven or more years as a major gift fundraiser, with athletics experience preferred and prior management experience preferred. They want someone comfortable in a CRM, Blackbaud specifically, and someone who can hold donor confidence and represent the University to boards, faculty and prospects. Practical notes worth knowing before you apply: the role travels regularly, requires reliable personal transportation and a valid driver's license, and the Foundation requires employees to carry at least $300,000 in automobile or umbrella liability coverage at their own expense, with $500,000 preferred. The hours can exceed forty in a week. Salary is $125,000 to $135,000, set against qualifications, experience and internal equity. Benefits begin on day one: medical, dental and vision, an annual employer contribution to a health savings account on the high-deductible plans, and a generous 403(b) contribution. The schedule is hybrid, with thirteen paid holidays, five weeks of paid time off a year and separate sick time. Tuition reimbursement is available after one year. The UConn Foundation is an independent nonprofit that connects alumni, donors and friends with the University of Connecticut, supporting students, faculty, patients and communities across UConn and UConn Health. It is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.