Associate Vice President/Chief Development Officer

About the role

The Associate Vice President/Chief Development Officer (AVP/CDO) will serve as an integral member of the Advancement senior executive leadership team and be responsible for designing, executing, and continuously optimizing the organization’s comprehensive fundraising strategy. This role will provide strategic oversight of all philanthropic initiatives, including major gifts, corporate and foundation relations, gift planning and principal gifts and serve as the senior leader for all aspects of the multi-year fundraising campaign. The AVP/CDO will ensure alignment between fundraising priorities and institutional goals, drive revenue growth, strengthen donor engagement, and foster a high-performing advancement culture that supports long-term, sustainable success.

Responsibilities

• Portfolio Management
• Development Leadership
• Campaign Initiatives

Qualifications

• Master's degree in an appropriate area of specialization and eight years of appropriate experience; or a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate area of specialization and ten years of appropriate experience with demonstrated success soliciting gifts at $1 million and above in an institution of higher education.

Preferred

• An inspiring and inclusive leadership style, with the ability to cultivate trust, transparency and collaboration, and prioritize the professional success of staff with the goal to build a high-performing team that consistently exceeds goals;
• The capacity to shape and advance strategic vision within a high-performing organization, with the ambition and creativity to help define what a modern advancement enterprise can achieve;
• Experience working in a comprehensive or research-intensive university, with a deep understanding of academic culture, shared governance, and unit-based fundraising models operating within a decentralized/centralized advancement framework;
• Executive-level strategic and operational leadership experience with the ability to lead at scale within matrixed, dual-reporting environments;
• Demonstrated success in high-level fundraising with high-potential donors at the major and principal gift level and in complex, multi-stakeholder solicitations;
• An ability to effectively engage senior leadership, boards, deans, faculty, donors, volunteers and external stakeholders and influence decision-making while maintaining fiduciary responsibility and institutional integrity;
• A high-level of technological, analytical, and operational fluency, including proficiency with enterprise productivity platforms and demonstrated experience leveraging CRM and donor management systems, reporting tools and dashboards to ensure compliance, data governance, performance monitoring and informed decision-making.
• Experience successfully designing and implementing constituency and volunteer engagement strategies that advance institutional priorities while adhering to established governance and stewardship standards;
• A clear ability to articulate strategy, policy and complex institutional priorities in written and verbal contexts;
• Compliance and governance acumen, including experience operating within institutional, state, federal and donor-related regulations;
• A demonstrated understanding of gift acceptance policies, naming policies, ethical fundraising standards, data privacy and risk management principles;
• A commitment to the mission of the University of Florida – to enable its students to lead and influence the next generation and beyond for economic, cultural and societal benefit.

Benefits

The University of Florida offers a comprehensive package of benefits, including medical, dental, and vision insurance, multiple retirement plan options, tuition assistance, and generous paid time off.

Pay

The salary range for this position is $325,000 to $375,000 annually.

Schedule

N/A