Department

BSD DEV - Principal Gifts

About the Department

Medicine and Biological Sciences Development’s mission is to inspire and facilitate philanthropy at the University of Chicago Medicine by building relationships with those who share its goals of advancing excellence in research, education, community, and patient care. We accomplish this mission through expertise, integrity, creativity, and collaboration.

Job Summary

This role uses specialized knowledge to plan, prepare, and disseminate information designed to keep the public informed of the University's perspectives, programs, and accomplishments. Devises strategy relating to marketing, press relations, creative editorial and design services, and internal communications.

Responsibilities

• Instrumental in developing and executing sophisticated communication strategies that inspire transformational giving and amplify groundbreaking initiatives across the University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences Division.
• Leads the conception, development, and implementation of comprehensive, multi-channel donor communication plans. These plans will enhance principal and transformational giving at MBSD, creating compelling campaign messaging and promoting innovative, fundable opportunities that advance the University of Chicago's mission in medicine and biological sciences. This includes developing customized donor communications for major philanthropists, focusing on securing principal gifts ($5M+) aligned with the University’s highest priorities.
• Serves as the lead strategist for MBSD's campaign communications planning, collaborating closely with the Senior Director and Campaign Manager, University development colleagues, and external consultants.
• Forges robust collaborative relationships with institutional leadership across University of Chicago Medicine (UCM), the Biological Sciences Division (BSD), and the Pritzker School of Medicine, as well as distinguished faculty.
• Demonstrates exceptional ability to understand and accurately portray complex medical and highly technical scientific information.
• Identifies and articulates nuanced gift opportunities, serving as a fundamental resource for MBSD fundraisers.
• Assumes comprehensive responsibility for strategic communication materials, including but not limited to high-stakes proposals, detailed briefs, critical correspondence, cultivation visit/meeting materials, comprehensive stewardship reports, impactful PowerPoint presentations, and the conceptualization of bespoke stewardship meetings.
• Drives collaborative initiatives and acts as the primary integrator for campaign messaging with key MBSD teams.
• This position also includes direct management responsibility for 1-3 individuals supporting the principal gift program.
• Acts as a strategist or project lead to plan, develop and disseminate information designed to keep the public informed of the organization's programs, accomplishments, or point of view.
• Solves complex and unique problems related to the writing, preparation, and/or delivery of information from or about the unit.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Experience:

• 5-7 years of relevant work experience in development communications or a related field, such as public relations, sales, marketing, or a not-for-profit organization.
• Previous demonstrated successes as a writer and/or editor.
• Background in a university setting, academic medical center, or a similarly complex institution.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the business tools that support the office’s fundraising functions, including the University's Donor Relationship Management System (Salesforce); Microsoft suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint); fundraising research tools (e.g., Rel-Sci; WealthX) and file-sharing platforms (e.g., Box and SharePoint).
• Experience with, or strong interest in, applying new technologies, such as AI, to improve efficiency and quality of work.

Preferred Competencies

• Demonstrated mastery of research, writing, and editing skills. This includes the ability to distill highly intricate scientific and medical information into clear, persuasive, and emotionally resonant narratives that inspire philanthropic action, specifically tailored to the unique mission of the University of Chicago Medicine and Biological Sciences.
• Extensive and demonstrable experience in developing and managing comprehensive communication plans for multi-million dollar fundraising campaigns, including the creation of compelling campaign documents and other collateral materials, such as one-pagers, interim reports, presentations, etc., for top-tier donors.
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving acumen, with a proven capacity to proactively identify and articulate significant gift opportunities and develop multidisciplinary giving approaches that align with the strategic priorities of MBSD.
• A superior ability to influence and collaborate effectively with senior leadership, distinguished faculty, development officers, and a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders at all levels of an organization, particularly within a large, complex university and medical center setting.
• Prior experience in supervising, mentoring, and coaching staff, fostering professional growth and guiding team members within a dynamic and high-stakes environment.
• A profound understanding of donor motivations and a fervent commitment to maximizing philanthropic impact, particularly within the context of transformational gifts that advance medical research, patient care, and education.
• Exceptional proficiency in managing multiple, concurrent, and complex projects simultaneously, consistently delivering high-quality outputs while adhering to stringent deadlines. This includes ensuring editorial quality, brand consistency, and timely delivery across all communications within the MBSD office.
• Financial acumen to build out complex budgets that scale appropriately and ability to understand and interpret quantitative documents.
• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact, both in regards to donor information and sensitive information in the office.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

Job Family

Communications

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$100,000.00 - $140,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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