Associate Director Of Gift Planning, Alumni Engagement and Development (AED)

Duke University; Durham (NC); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

Duke University in Durham, NC seeks an Associate Director of Gift Planning, Alumni Engagement and Development. This hybrid role reports to the Assistant VP of Gift Planning and focuses on deferred and complex gifts, collaborating with attorneys, accountants, and financial advisors to assist donors.

The position involves cross-campus collaboration, stewardship events, and ongoing education for staff and boards, with travel required locally, regionally, and nationally.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; JD/CFP/CPA or advanced degree preferred.
• Seven years of related fundraising or alumni affairs experience.
• Ability to develop and coordinate charitable gift plans.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a portfolio of gift planning prospects and donors.
• Collaborate with campus partners to promote planned gift strategies.
• Plan stewardship events and produce gift planning publications.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Donor cultivation

Public speaking

Relationship building

Communication skills

Negotiation

Travel readiness

Multitasking

Education

Bachelor's degree

JD / CFP / CPA or advanced degree

Job description

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Associate Director Of Gift Planning, Alumni Engagement and Development (AED)

Work Arrangement: Hybrid (On-Site and Remote mix)

Requisition Number: 276100

Regular or Temporary: Regular

Location: Durham, NC, US, 27710

Date: Oct 14, 2026

Be You.

Work closely with alumni and friends of Duke University to explore creative and tax-efficient ways to support Duke while accomplishing their other financial and personal goals. Advise development officers within Duke Alumni Engagement & Development and in the university’s schools, units and programs on matters concerning deferred and complex gifts by prospects and donors. Collaborate with colleagues and volunteers on initiatives designed to promote gift planning. The Associate Director of Gift Planning will report to the Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning.

Be Bold.

As a strategic fundraising professional and gift planning expert, you'll work across Duke's schools, units, and programs to identify opportunities, develop innovative charitable solutions, and inspire philanthropic investment.

What You'll Do

Engagement with Duke Alumni/Parents/Friends

• Develop and maintain a portfolio of gift planning prospects and donors, serving as a philanthropic planning advisor to help them explore current and deferred gifts to benefit the university. Work with attorneys, accountants and financial advisors to help them assist their clients in considering complex charitable giving strategies. Draft and review related documents, illustrations, proposals, endowment agreements and other materials as needed by prospects, donors and their professional advisors with a focus on clarity and attention to detail.

Collaboration with Campus Partners

• Collaborate with colleagues including peers in Duke’s individual schools, colleges and programs (including a portfolio of assigned school and unit "internal clients"). Develop an understanding of their programs, funding priorities and the broad scope of their activities and provide excellent customer service. Pro-actively assist these colleagues in identifying gift planning prospects and promoting planned gift strategies. Provide development assistance including: gift planning expertise, endowment and gift agreement advice, and educational presentations for staff members, boards and prospects. Promote innovation in their approach to gift planning fundraising. In addition, partner with annual fund colleagues on comprehensive reunion efforts.

Team Strategy and Projects

• Assist with planning and conducting stewardship events and producing gift planning publications. Help insure compliance with applicable regulations and university policies. Serve as a team-oriented colleague to all other members of the Gift Planning Office, providing ideas and support and pro-actively seeking ways to accomplish the overall goals of the Office.
• Candidates should possess the personal skills and professional expertise necessary to work with individual charitable gift prospects and donors, development and alumni engagement colleagues, attorneys, accountants, trust officers and other tax, insurance and financial professionals. This position requires travel locally, regionally and nationally, and participation in occasional evening and weekend activities.

What You'll Bring

Required Qualifications

Education/Training - Work requires communications, analytical and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelors degree program.

Prefer JD, Certified Financial Planner, CPA or advanced degree in business, finance, or related field.

Experience - Work requires seven years experience in the legal or accounting field, alumni affairs, public relations, fund raising, sales and promotions, marketing or related field in order to acquire skills necessary to develop and coordinate charitable gift plans to promote planned gifts to University by alumni, faculty and friends.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

Skills

• Ability to think strategically about identifying prospects, engaging donors, and collaborative partnerships with colleagues.
• Experience conducting high-quality donor visits to engage, solicit, and steward prospects, building long-term relationships.
• Strong customer service orientation, experience and follow through, for prospects, donors, and colleagues.
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple fundraising activities simultaneously.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, particularly regarding complex topics.
• Strong public speaking skills; experience in delivering presentations to internal and external audiences.
• High level of creativity, initiative, and motivation.
• Excellent logical, negotiation, and analytical skills.
• Ability and willingness to travel.
• Flexibility: The ability to adapt to and work effectively within a variety of situations, and with various individuals or groups. Flexibility entails understanding and appreciating different and opposing perspectives on an issue, adapting one's approach as the requirements of a situation change, and changing or easily accepting changes in one's own organization or job requirements.
• Planning, prioritizing and multitasking: The ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work; effectively manages multiple tasks or projects simultaneously.
• Continuous learning: Show a commitment to continuous learning and improvement of self, others, and Duke practices.
• Collaborating with others: The willingness and ability to work with others to achieve shared success. It includes formal and informal collaborative efforts within one's work group and across the organization.
• Encourages drive and productivity: Establishes good interpersonal relationships by helping people feel valued, appreciated, and included in discussions (enhances self-esteem, empathizes, involves, discloses, supports). Involves others in solutions with a goal of improving processes so that they can solve future problems independently. Focuses on desired results.
• Promotes innovation and creativity: Improves organizational performance through the application of original thinking to existing and emerging methods, processes, products and services. Identifies issues and takes a proactive approach to dealing with them. Seeks ways to provide added value. Formulates distinctive strategies emphasizing high levels of creative thinking. Can demonstrate recognition and development of new ideas and market opportunities. Employs sound judgment in determining how innovations will be deployed to add value to the organization.
• Models integrity and ethics: Acts in an honest and trustworthy manner based on personal accountability and a moral conviction to do the right thing. Behaves in an honest, fair, and ethical manner. Shows consistency in words and actions. Models high standards of ethics. Earns the trust, respect, and confidence through consistent honesty, forthrightness and professionalism in all interactions.
• Expressing ideas orally and in writing: The ability to communicate ideas, thoughts, and facts orally and in writing. Speaking using correct grammar, appropriate body language, proper tone and inflection, recognizing non-verbal cues, and respecting the audience to effectively communicate ideas. Using proper spelling, sentence and document structure, accepted document formatting, and special literary techniques to communicate a message in writing

Choose Duke.

At Duke, you'll join a community united by a shared commitment to excellence, innovation, and meaningful impact. You'll work alongside talented colleagues who are passionate about advancing education, research, health care, and service to society.

Whether you're helping a donor establish a lasting legacy, partnering with colleagues across campus, or developing innovative philanthropic strategies, your work will help shape Duke's future for generations to come.

Here, your expertise is valued, your growth is supported, and your contributions make a difference.

Anticipated Pay Range: Duke University provides an annual base salary range for this position as USD $79,724.00 to USD $159,445.00. Duke University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position; candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills; internal peer equity; as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.

Your total compensation goesbeyond the dollars on your paycheck. Duke provides comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs, generous retirement benefits, and a wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs to eligible team members. Learn more at: https://hr.duke.edu/benefits/

Equal Opportunity Employer: Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender,gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy- related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built oncollaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas- an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Duke aspires to create a community built oncollaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas- an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and reasonable accommodation(s) can be requested with Duke Access and Accommodations Services (email: [e-mail]; phone: [phone]).

Nearest Major Market: Durham
Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh

Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.