Regional Director of Development, Southern California - University of Oregon

Another Source's client, University of Oregon, is recruiting a Director of Development, Regional Philanthropy for Southern California to join their University Advancement team. This position is based in Eugene or Portland, Oregon, with an expectation of working in the office two days per week. A remote arrangement based in Southern California can be considered. Relocation assistance is available to Oregon.

About the Role

As the Director of Development, Regional Philanthropy for Southern California, you will serve as a frontline major gift fundraiser responsible for building meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, and friends throughout the California and Hawaii region. Reporting to the Senior Director of Regional Philanthropy, you'll manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and develop strategies that inspire philanthropic investments supporting the University of Oregon's highest priorities.

This highly collaborative position partners closely with development colleagues across schools, colleges, central advancement, annual philanthropy, principal gifts, and advancement analytics to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors capable of making transformational gifts. Success in this role is measured by meaningful donor engagement, portfolio growth, and philanthropic support that advances the university's mission.

Market/region focus: Southern California, with tier 1 market being Los Angeles. The 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles create a unique opportunity to connect alumni and supporters to Oregon's Olympic legacy and shape the university's engagement in this critical market.

Responsibilities

Major Gift Fundraising (80%)

• Manage an active portfolio of major gift prospects through all phases of identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Personally solicit major and planned gifts while supporting donor strategies led by university leadership and development colleagues.
• Build thoughtful cultivation and stewardship plans that strengthen long-term donor relationships.
• Identify and qualify new major gift prospects throughout the California and Hawaii region.
• Travel extensively throughout the assigned territory to meet with donors and prospects.
• Partner with development colleagues across schools, colleges, and central advancement to coordinate fundraising strategies and maximize donor engagement.
• Build productive relationships with faculty, administrators, alumni volunteers, and university leadership.
• Collaborate with Annual Philanthropy, Gift Planning, Principal Gifts, Prospect Development, and Advancement Analytics to strengthen fundraising outcomes and maintain accurate donor records.

Planning, Strategy & Collaboration (20%)

• Partner with advancement leadership to establish fundraising goals and regional strategies.
• Help develop and manage regional budgets and fundraising initiatives.
• Collaborate with university and alumni association partners to maximize donor engagement opportunities.
• Recognize and steward gifts in partnership with donor relations colleagues.
• Participate in development meetings, strategic planning, and regional initiatives.
• Maintain sound fiscal oversight while ensuring compliance with university policies.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and service-oriented culture with colleagues, alumni, volunteers, and donors.
• Support additional advancement initiatives as needed.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Three years of professional fundraising experience, or five years of combined experience in fundraising or a closely related field such as corporate sales.
• Ability to travel.

Skills

Professional Competencies

• Working with donors and prospects: Extensive experience in prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation with a demonstrated ability to build relationships with donors and prospects, including those who are hard-to-engage or not well connected to the university. Ability to maximize gift potentials for outright and estate gifts, educate new donors and prospects about major gift philanthropy, and leverage volunteerism towards giving.
• Portfolio management and systems: Ability to identify top prospects and strategies for a portfolio, including organizing by potential, connections, and timelines to optimize activity and portfolio makeup; prioritize prospects and regions while fully engaging with a robust portfolio; and provide constructive feedback on prospect management systems and structures.
• Professionalism and citizenship: Ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships with faculty, staff, and others as appropriate and contribute ideas in interactions and discussions with management, peers, and campus partners. This includes actively collaborating and sharing credit with colleagues as well as communicating in a positive and proactive manner with fellow development officers, leadership, and Prospect Development, and Development Analytics staff.
• Institutional navigation and industry knowledge: Ability to represent the university’s history, mission, demographics, faculty, current programs, departments, and culture, and persuasively articulate how the UO distinguishes itself from peer institutions. Competence in connecting mission and objectives across departments into donor strategies, and extensive knowledge of best practices, trends, current strategies, and other information relevant to philanthropy in higher education major gifts.
• Pipeline strategy and development: Ability to navigate and lead broader pipeline discussions for a program, including segmented strategy for different donor audiences, strategic alignment to maximize the impact of annual philanthropy and alumni association towards the unit’s development goals, and collaboration for shared prospects across campus.
• Strategic planning: Ability to communicate and articulate how individual initiatives and programmatic direction fit into overall advancement strategy; as well as use 12-month and multi-year projections and strategic planning tools to reach goals and anticipate trends, gaps, and priorities.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion: Ability to promote and enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ability to interact, communicate, and work effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education development and understanding of the nature of a professional school and research university.
• Experience working effectively with volunteer boards.

Benefits

The University of Oregon offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive health and retirement plans.
• Generous paid time off.
• Professional development opportunities.
• Access to the resources of a world-class university.

Additional highlights include a hybrid work arrangement with flexibility for exceptional remote candidates based in Southern California, and relocation assistance available.

Pay

The anticipated hiring range for this position is $90,000–$94,000 annually.