Executive Director of Development, Corporate and Foundation Relations

About the role

The University Advancement Corporate and Foundation Relations Team is seeking an Executive Director to lead a foundation-forward advancement strategy focused on transformational private foundation partnerships.

This role will devote the majority of its effort—approximately 80%—to identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major national and regional private foundations capable of making significant philanthropic investments in UNT’s institutional priorities, research enterprise, academic programs, and student success initiatives.

Responsibilities

• Fundraising Management: Works with advancement and development colleagues, faculty, deans, unit directors, volunteers, administration, and staff to identify, cultivate, and solicit major private foundations as the primary focus of the role, while also pursuing select corporate and corporate foundation opportunities aligned with UNT’s strategic priorities.
• Research and Proposal Development: Conducts prospect research and maintains in-depth knowledge of UNT priorities, faculty strengths, research initiatives, and foundation funding interests to identify high-value alignment opportunities.
• Management of Stewardship and Donor Relationships: Provides comprehensive, foundation-specific stewardship, including tailored impact reports, grant deliverable tracking, and other measures of accountability that demonstrate outcomes and build long-term trust with foundation partners.
• Collaboration and Communication: Works closely with internal and external partners to advance foundation-first fundraising strategies and pursue select corporate opportunities where there is clear alignment with UNT priorities.

Requirements

• Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in related field and eight years of increasingly responsible leadership and/or management experience or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Preferred Qualifications: An ideal candidate will possess the following additional qualifications: a record of proactive identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of a significant corporate and foundation-focused portfolio, experience advancing complex philanthropic opportunities within a public university or higher education advancement environment, working knowledge and experience collaborating with faculty in a Tier One research institution, and demonstrated success securing major foundation grants or gifts.

Qualifications

• Knowledge, Skills And Abilities: Understand key global and local issues effecting higher education. Strong knowledge of tax law changes. Strong marketing, public relations, and fundraising experience with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures. Experience in effectively planning, analyzing, and coordinating activities. Ability to work effectively in a team and with many constituencies. Experience in developing, implementing and monitoring strategic plans. Demonstrated success in executing fundraising activities, identifying prospects, developing strong relationships, cultivating support and stewarding gifts. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Ability to maintain confidentiality of donor information.

Skills

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of donor information.

Benefits

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