Associate Athletic Director for Development

Lewis University; Romeoville (IL); On-site; USD 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

Lewis University in Romeoville, IL, seeks an Associate Athletic Director for Development to lead athletic fundraising, overseeing annual giving, major gifts, and corporate partnerships. The role reports to the AVP of Athletics with a dotted-line to University Advancement and focuses on strengthening donor engagement and advancing the department's strategic priorities.

You will build a balanced donor portfolio, direct the Flyer Club, collaborate with coaches on fundraising events, and ensure

Qualifications

• At least 3 years of successful fundraising or sponsorship experience.
• Demonstrated ability to cultivate and solicit major gifts.
• Strong interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with donor management systems such as Salesforce/Raiser's Edge.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends and travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Lead athletic development efforts and provide strategic leadership for fundraising.
• Develop and manage donor portfolios across alumni, corporate partners, and communities.
• Oversee Flyer Club and donor stewardship initiatives.
• Cultivate and negotiate high‑value corporate partnerships.
• Collaborate with coaches to plan donor engagement events.
• Maintain donor records and ensure compliance with policies.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Communication

Relationship building

Leadership

Tools

Salesforce

Raiser's Edge

Donor management database

Job description

Associate Athletic Director for Development

Position Title Associate Athletic Director for Development

Position Status Full-Time

Base Pay $80,070

Lewis University, an NCAA Division II institution located 35 miles southwest of Chicago and a proud member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference ( GLVC ), invites applications for the position of Assistant/Associate Athletic Director for Development. The Lewis Flyers are a nationally recognized athletics program, consistently finishing among the Learfield Directors’ Cup Top 20 and consecutive winner of the past three GLVC Commissioner’s Cup.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Athletics with a dotted-line relationship to the Executive Director of University Advancement, the Assistant/Associate Athletic Director for Development serves on the department’s senior leadership team and provides strategic leadership for athletic fundraising, the Flyer Club, major gifts, and high-level corporate partnerships. The position is responsible for generating philanthropic support and select external revenue, strengthening relationships with donors and corporate partners, and advancing the department’s strategic priorities while enhancing the student-athlete experience.

Responsible to model the University Mission through dedicated job performance, service excellence to constituencies, respectful collaboration and active support of the University’s Mission and Catholic and Lasallian higher education.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the department’s athletic development efforts in collaboration with University Advancement, overseeing annual giving, leadership giving, major gifts, capital campaigns, donor stewardship, planned giving, and the strategic direction of the Flyer Club.
• Develop and manage a balanced portfolio of alumni, parents, corporate partners, and community stakeholders by identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding annual, leadership, major, and planned gift prospects while leading annual fundraising initiatives, including Giving Day, crowdfunding, alumni appeals, and digital campaigns.
• Direct the growth and success of the Flyer Club through membership development, donor engagement, stewardship, communications, member benefits, and volunteer leadership.
• Cultivate, solicit, negotiate, and manage high‑value corporate partnerships that generate significant revenue for Lewis Athletics while collaborating with external operations staff on partnership activation and fulfillment.
• Collaborate with coaches and administrators to develop fundraising strategies and execute donor engagement events, including the annual golf outing, alumni events, Hall of Fame, and donor stewardship activities.
• Serve as a sport supervisor for assigned programs, supporting coaches in achieving competitive, academic, and developmental goals for student-athletes.
• Support community and donor engagement initiatives that strengthen relationships with alumni, supporters, and corporate partners.
• Maintain accurate donor records, manage gift reporting, and ensure all activities comply with university, NCAA , and conference policies.
• Represent Lewis Athletics at university, alumni, community, and donor events to strengthen philanthropic and corporate relationships.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least 3 years of successful fundraising, development, or sponsorship experience, preferably in a collegiate athletics or non-profit environment.
• Demonstrated experience in cultivating and soliciting major gifts.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships with donors, alumni, and corporate partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with donor management systems (i.e., salesforce, raisers edge, donor management database, etc.) and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends and travel as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in intercollegiate athletics.
• Knowledge of NCAA compliance rules and athletic department operations.
• Three to five years of experience in personally soliciting individuals for philanthropic support at the leadership annual giving level ($2,500+).
• Experience negotiating and managing corporate sponsorship contracts.
• Experience developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies.
• Familiarity with planned giving and campaign fundraising.
• Experience working with Raisers Edge, RENXT or Fundraiser Performance Management (Reeher).
• Demonstrated success managing a donor portfolio and meeting annual fundraising goals.

Work Hours

Full-Time 37.5 hours per week.

Required Documents

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Transcripts

Optional Documents

• Other Documents
• Portfolio

Location

MAIN CAMPUS

One University Parkway

Romeoville, IL 60446-2200

[phone]

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