External Relations at the University of Virginia (UVA) is seeking highly qualified candidates for the role of Associate or Senior Associate Director of Development – UVA Parents Program. The University of Virginia has a strong and reputable advancement community, boasting effective, results-oriented, and resourceful professionals. Our community includes a robust central advancement organization, 12 University schools, and more than 25 University-related programs. We offer a wide variety of career opportunities, as well as an outstanding environment for professional growth and development.

Position Summary

The Associate or Senior Associate Director will be responsible for managing a portfolio of current and prospective major-gift level donors ($100K+). The successful candidate will develop a comprehensive qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategy for the portfolio and any assigned liaison relationships. This position reports to the Managing Director for Student and Family Philanthropy and will focus on fundraising efforts to support programs and priorities enrich student life across Grounds.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising plan to include special events, communications, annual campaigns, and major gift strategies.

• Travel nationally to identify, cultivate, and solicit prospects.

• Collaborate with other fundraisers in the department and across the University in overall relationship building of alumni, parents, and friends to ensure a coordinated approach for prospects and donors and to develop and implement cultivation and solicitation plans.

• Manage special projects, meetings, and lead team activities, on behalf of the Managing Director, as appropriate.

• Provide training and mentoring to other members of the team.

• In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

• Other duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate possesses excellent interpersonal skills, emphasizing collaboration, teamwork, and a solution-oriented mindset, with exceptional oral and written communication abilities to convey information clearly across diverse audiences. They demonstrate a strong customer service orientation, ensuring client satisfaction, and are proficient in administrative procedures with a solid understanding of office operations. With exceptional organizational skills, keen attention to detail, and efficiency, they engage professionally with donors, volunteers, and stakeholders, maintaining confidentiality and discretion with sensitive information. Their strong critical thinking skills enable effective problem-solving, and they adeptly prioritize tasks while adapting to shifting responsibilities.

The portfolio assigned to the Senior Associate Director will be more robust than that of the Associate Director and will include leadership of select programmatic initiatives. Likewise, the Senior Associate Director will be expected to make a greater contribution to the team’s goals, meet more demanding KPIs, and will be afforded greater independence in both strategic and operational decision-making.

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree

• Experience: three years of related experience for the Associate Director level; five years of related experience for the Senior Associate Director level.

• A valid driver’s license and the ability to travel nationally

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience: more three years of demonstrated success in fundraising for the Associate Director level; more than five years of demonstrated success in fundraising for the Senior Associate Director level

• Exceptional communication skills, a high degree of personal integrity, and the ability to keep the big picture in focus while attending to the small details.

• Demonstrated success in cultivating high-level relationships

• Experience using data to evaluate and plan

• A track record of closing six-figure gifts in higher-education development.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Salary Range

• The anticipated hiring range is $70,000 - $77,000 for the Associate Director or $85,000 - $95,000 for the Senior Associate Director, commensurate with education and experience.

Position Type & Work Location

• This is an exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits.

• This is a restricted position, which is dependent on funding and is contingent upon funding availability.

• UVA External Relations offers a flexible and hybrid workplace. All team members must have access to and maintain a secure home office environment with high-speed internet service and work collaboratively with others using a variety of technologies and tools. This hybrid position can be worked periodically remotely, although frequent in-person work in our office building, on UVA Grounds, or at event venues is required. The ideal candidate will live within driving distance of Charlottesville, Virginia.

About UVA and the Community

To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA.

Application Timeline

Application review will begin after January 20, 2026.

Additional Requirements

• Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.

• This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

How to Apply

Please apply online, by searching for requisition number R0079767. Complete an application with the following documents:

• Resume

• Cover Letter

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Reference Check Process

Reference checks will be completed by UVA’s third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required.

Contact

• For additional information about the position, please contact April Sibiski, at nbu2ag@virginia.edu.

• For questions about the application process, please contact Jon Freeman, jf2sw@virginia.edu.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.