Director of Development

UCF Advancement; Orlando (FL); On-site; USD 85,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Central Florida (College of Business) seeks a Director of Development to secure major gifts of $25,000+ by cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors. You will independently manage a portfolio, develop strategies, and partner with the Dean and leadership to drive growth for COB initiatives.

The role involves travel as needed and requires a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree with 6+ years in advancement or related fields. On-site work at the Orlando campus is required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree required or equivalent combination.
• 6+ years of relevant experience in advancement or philanthropy.
• Experience in higher education fundraising preferred.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects/donors (>$25k).
• Design and implement fundraising strategies for COB/UCF initiatives.
• Collaborate with Dean and leadership to grow the fundraising pipeline.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor relations

Portfolio management

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree

Tools

Blackbaud

Salesforce

Raiser’s Edge

Job description

# University of Central Florida## Director of DevelopmentApply: Orlando, FL (Main Campus): Full time: Posted Today: End Date: November 27, 2026 (14 days left to apply): R114629**Advancement & Partnerships:**Join our dynamic and growing Advancement & Partnerships team as we work together to power partnerships and transform lives through philanthropy.Together, we can unleash the potential of people and ideas to positively change the world. Your efforts on our team will help us to build the University for the Future.**The Opportunity**:The Director of Development for the College of Business (COB) is responsible for securing major gifts of $25,000+ by cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding alumni, parents, friends, and community partners. This position plays a pivotal role in advancing the college’s priorities and UCF's mission by building meaningful relationships with current and prospective donors.The Director will independently manage a portfolio of major gift donors, develop and implement fundraising strategies, and partner with the Dean, faculty, and leadership to drive philanthropic growth for COB initiatives.**Responsibilities:*** Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects/donors, with a focus on individuals, through discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.* Design and implement fundraising strategies that support the needs and priorities of COB and UCF.* Conduct face-to-face visits and develop donor-centered proposals to secure major gifts.* Collaborate with the Dean and division leadership to expand the fundraising pipeline and strengthen engagement of advisory board members.* Ensure effective use of prospect management tools, research, contact reports, and our CRM database.* Acknowledge and recognize gifts in ways that are meaningful to donors and aligned with UCF’s strategic plan, vision, and values.* Maintain best practices in office systems, records, acknowledgments, and stewardship activities.* Perform related duties as required to advance the college's fundraising success.**Minimum Qualifications**: Bachelor's or Master's degree and 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6).**Preferred Qualifications**:* Demonstrated experience identifying, cultivating, and closing major gifts of $25,000 or more from individual donors.* Experience as a frontline fundraiser, gift officer, nonprofit development professional, or similar relationship-driven revenue generation role.* Experience in higher education advancement, nonprofit fundraising, healthcare philanthropy, alumni engagement, or a related fundraising environment.* Experience building and managing donor, prospect, client, or partner relationships through a portfolio-based engagement cycle.* Experience developing donor-centered proposals, gift agreements, or persuasive fundraising materials.* Proficiency with Blackbaud, Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge or comparable fundraising, donor management, or CRM platforms.* Deep leadership experience.* Ability to travel in and out of state for meetings and events as needed.The most successful candidates may possess the following qualities:* Strong communication, active listening, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage a variety of donor and partner audiences.* Demonstrated initiative, resilience, and self-motivation in a goal-oriented fundraising or revenue-generating environment.* Strategic thinker with excellent organizational skills, able to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.* Familiarity with or interest in UCF, College of Business, business related fields, or university advancement.**Special Instructions to the Applicants:*** The anticipated salary for a well-qualified candidate is between $85,000-$100,000.* Advancement and Partnerships values the unique contributions that each team member brings to our division. The final determination of a successful candidate's starting salary will vary based on several factors, including education and relevant experience. The anticipated pay scale indicated for this position generally applies to candidates who meet the minimum requirements and several of the preferred qualifications outlined above. All offers are contingent on successful background and reference screens.* All applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, and the university cannot accommodate H‐1B transfers or employment-based visa processing for individuals currently sponsored by another employer.* This role requires the successful candidate to work on-site at UCF as their primary work location. On-site presence is an essential function of this role.