Executive Assistant for Development

University of Vermont Foundation & Alumni Association; Burlington (VT); On-site; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Life insurance

Robust PTO

403(b) plan with immediate vesting

Tuition remission

Job summary

University of Vermont Foundation & Alumni Association seeks an Executive Assistant to provide high-level administrative support to the Vice President & Chief Development Officer. You will organize calendars, draft donor-facing documents, and coordinate travel and meetings to drive fundraising initiatives.

Strong CRM skills and discreet handling of sensitive information are essential. The role includes reporting to the VP & CDO, collaborating with Foundation and University leadership, and

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree required; Bachelor’s preferred.
• 3-5+ years of executive assistant/administrative coordination experience in higher education or nonprofit setting.
• Experience supporting senior leaders and managing complex schedules.

Responsibilities

• Manage calendar; coordinate travel logistics; coordinate and manage meeting preparation tasks for VP & CDO engagements.
• Draft, review, and edit correspondence and documentation for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Serve as liaison to President/CEO support staff for major gift cultivation and stewardship.
• Coordinate VP & CDO’s participation in travel and strategy meetings with Foundation CEO and University President.
• Utilize CRM to generate reports, input proposals, and maintain contact reports.
• Leverage CRM for data-informed fundraising planning and portfolio analysis.
• Build relationships across Foundation, University, and Medical Center to support Executive operations.
• Support Development Committee liaison work and recruitment of Foundation Board and FLC members.
• Administer major and principal gifts program; prepare fundraising reports.
• Assist AVP of Donor Relations with event logistics and stewardship plans.
• Schedule President’s travel and prepare itineraries and briefings.
• Coordinate with campus leadership to involve key University leaders in fundraising efforts.
• Support development strategy campaigns and feasibility studies.

Skills

Highly organized

Analytical

Effective communicator

Collaborative

Strategic

Discreet

DEI awareness

Technologically proficient

Professional presence

Education

Associate’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce)

Spreadsheets

Word processing

Job description

The Executive Assistant provides executive-level administrative support to the Vice President & Chief Development Officer (VP & CDO) to ensure key development priorities and initiatives run successfully and are based on data-informed fundraising strategies. This staff member helps organize and manage both external and behind-the-scenes activities that lead to fundraising success -from preparing materials and coordinating meetings (often working directly with prospects and donors), to tracking engagement with donors and producing data-driven reports. This work includes supporting Foundation Development Team AVPs - including anticipating the needs of their work - as they engage philanthropic partners and achieve fundraising results that benefit the University of Vermont.

Reports to:

Vice President & Chief Development Officer

Expected Salary Range:

$65,000 - 75,000, plus, the UVM Foundation’s progressive benefits package, which includes:

• a comprehensive health plan
• dental, vision, and life insurance
• a robust paid time off package
• a 403(b) plan with immediate vesting and contributions
• tuition remission

Effective Date:

November 1, 2026, or a negotiated date agreed upon by both parties

FTE:

Full-Time

Job-Type/Hours:

On-site. This position also has essential functions that will require occasional work outside of standard business days and hours.

Essential Functions

50% Executive support for the Vice President and Chief Development Officer (CDO)

• Manage calendar; coordinate travel logistics; coordinate and manage meeting preparation tasks for all VP & CDO engagements;
• Draft, review, and edit correspondence, and other cultivation, solicitation and stewardship documentation;
• Serve as liaison to the Foundation President & CEO and University President’s support staff for major and principal gift cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship;
• Coordinate VP & CDO’s participation in travel and strategy meetings with the Foundation CEO and University President;
• Utilize the Customer Relationship Management database (CRM) to support VP & CDO fundraising activity. This includes: generating reports; entering and updating proposals; and entering contact reports.
• Leverage CRM to provide critical information to the VP & CDO, to ensure the Development Team’s business plan is based on data-informed fundraising strategies. This could include: portfolio analysis, donor engagement tracking, pipeline movement, and stewardship compliance.
• Build and maintain relationships with key staff across the Foundation, University, and Medical Center to support smooth and effective executive operations.
• Support VP & CDO’s role as liaison with the Foundation Development Committee and assist Development Team in their work to recommend and recruit new Foundation Board & Foundation Leadership Council (FLC) members.

40% Development Program

• Manage administrative functions of the major and principal gifts program.
• Prepare major and principal giving reports for the Development Team.
• Support AVP of Donor Relations and Stewardship and team on event logistics and individualized stewardship plans for principal gift donors.
• Support Development Team’s work to schedule UVM President’s travel and logistics, including preparation and submission of travel itineraries and briefings.
• Serve as liaison to campus leadership support staff to ensure appropriate involvement of University leaders - including the President, Provost, Deans, Trustees, Directors, and faculty - in major and principal gift fundraising.
• Support Development Team’s work with Foundation Board and FLC members to cultivate, solicit, and steward major and principal gift prospects and donors.
• Support strategic development projects and initiatives, including campaign planning and readiness, and development and implementation of a feasibility study.

10% Executive Support for Development Team AVPs

• Provide administrative and programmatic support to Development Team AVPs as needed.

A qualified candidate for this role will be:

• Highly organized and attentive to detail, able to manage multiple priorities for senior leaders with accuracy and efficiency.
• Analytical and forward-thinking, able to interpret information, anticipate needs, and support data-informed decision-making.
• An effective communicator, able to draft, edit, and convey information clearly and professionally in both written and verbal forms.
• Collaborative and team-oriented, able to build productive relationships and contribute positively to shared goals.
• Strategic and proactive, able to exercise sound judgment, prioritize tasks, and take initiative in a dynamic environment.
• Discreet and professionally grounded, able to maintain confidentiality and interact effectively with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion; able to apply these principles meaningfully in daily work and strategic processes.
• Technologically proficient, with strong capabilities in word processing, editing, and proofreading, as well as working with spreadsheets and database management.
• Professional in presence and demeanor, able to represent the Foundation effectively in all forms of interaction.

Preferred Skills & Abilities

In addition, the ideal candidate for this role will be:

• Ability to achieve a high level of expertise in the use of the CRM, applying these skills to provide high level analytical and data-driven support of the Development Team’s annual business plans.
• Ability to work effectively within complex or matrixed organizational structures, able to coordinate across departments and adapt to varied stakeholder needs.
• Effective in supporting volunteer leadership, able to communicate clearly, prepare materials, and facilitate their engagement.
• Knowledgeable about development and fundraising practices, with an understanding of how major and principal gift programs operate and how administrative support contributes to fundraising success.
• Skilled at managing information flow, ensuring accuracy, clarity, and timeliness in materials, reports, and communications that support high-level development work.
• Associate’s degree and 3-5 years of experience providing executive-level assistance or administrative coordination; or an equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the responsibilities of the role.
• Experience supporting senior leaders in a professional setting, with responsibility for managing complex schedules, communications, and workflows.

Preferred Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree and 5 or more years of experience in higher education, nonprofit advancement, or another complex organizational environment.
• Experience supporting major or principal gift fundraising, including work within comprehensive campaigns or large-scale development initiatives.
• Experience working directly with volunteer leadership - such as board members, committee members, or advisory councils - in support of cultivation, solicitation, or stewardship activities.
• Experience using development databases or CRM systems (e.g., Advance, Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, or similar platforms).
• Demonstrated success coordinating across multiple departments or stakeholder groups in a multifaceted organization.