Executive Director of University Advancement

Regis University; Denver (CO); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition benefit for employees and deps

Paid Mission leave

Gift of Time

Flexible work arrangements

Job summary

Regis University is seeking an Executive Director of Advancement to lead the university’s philanthropic initiatives with a strong focus on frontline fundraising and data-driven operations. You will partner with the President and SLT to cultivate high-level donor relationships and design transformative funding opportunities.

The role requires 8–10+ years in higher education fundraising, a Bachelor’s degree, and a track record of six- and seven-figure gifts, with up to 40% travel and a hybrid work

Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of progressively responsible fundraising experience in higher education or a complex nonprofit environment.
• Leadership experience managing multi-disciplinary teams with metrics and accountability.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Frontline fundraising & Presidential partnership: manage a portfolio of high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Direct principal & major gift cultivation, with six- to seven-figure investments.
• Serve as primary advisor to the President and SLT for fundraising activities and staff high-impact donor visits.
• Translate philanthropic vision into a prioritized strategy and executable annual action plans.
• Oversee technology roadmap for advancement including data analytics, CRM, and operations.
• Lead Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving to support the major gifts pipeline.
• Monitor and improve fundraising productivity with clear metrics and reporting.

Skills

Fundraising leadership

Portfolio management

Stakeholder engagement

Board governance

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

Working at Regis University

As Regis employees, we embrace our Jesuit Catholic values of respect, inclusion and equity, and welcome employees, faculty and students from all faiths and cultures. Together, we perform our duties in alignment with the mission of the University and seek dedicated individuals to contribute to and strengthen that mission and our service to students. Why Work at Regis?

Job Summary:

Reporting directly to the President, the Executive Director of Advancement serves as a proactive, externally focused leader, chief strategist, and operational engine for the university’s philanthropic initiatives. Rooted in the Jesuit traditions of Cura Personalis (care for the whole person) and Magis (striving for the greater good), this role bridges mission-driven values with high-performance fundraising execution.

The Executive Director sets the overarching philanthropic vision for the division, translating it into a prioritized strategy and a rigorous performance management process focused on driving continuous fundraising productivity.

Dedicating more than 50% of their time to frontline fundraising, this leader manages a portfolio of principal and major gift prospects. Operating in lockstep partnership with the University President, Senior Leadership Team (SLT), and key campus departments, they cultivate high-level donor relationships, design transformative funding opportunities, and secure Board approved annual philanthropic revenue necessary to advance the university’s strategic plan. Simultaneously, they oversee a modern, data-driven advancement ecosystem comprised of frontline fundraisers, service operations, and an integrated engagement and pipeline team.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Frontline Fundraising & Presidential Partnership

• Proactive External Leadership: Majority of time externally focused, identifying, qualifying, and building relationships with new and existing high-value partners.

• Direct Principal & Major Gift Cultivation: Personally manage a dynamic portfolio of 40–50 high-net-worth individuals, corporations, and foundations capable of making six- and seven-figure investments.

• Executive Strategic Partnership: Serve as the primary advisor and strategic partner to the President and SLT for their fundraising activities. Staff the President on high-impact donor visits, draft strategic briefing materials, and orchestrate high-level cultivation events. access/endowment, faculty research, campus ministry, and social justice initiatives) into compelling, values-aligned funding opportunities.

Strategy Execution, Team Leadership & Performance Management

• Vision Translation: Set the philanthropic vision for the division and translate it into a highly prioritized strategy and executable annual action plans.

• Performance Management & Productivity: Implement and manage a rigorous performance evaluation process focused on continuous fundraising productivity, accountability, and professional growth.

• Frontline Team Direction: Lead, mentor, and evaluate a team of major gift officers, establishing clear, transparent metrics for donor visits, proposals submitted, and raised dollars.

Data-Driven Operations & Technology Roadmap

• Technology Roadmap for Impact: Ensure the division’s technology, database, and software systems have a clear, aligned roadmap explicitly designed to measure and maximize philanthropic impact.

• Service Operations Oversight: Guide the Advancement Operations team to build a modern infrastructure leveraging data analytics, predictive modeling, and CRM technologies to identify new donor pools and accurately track campaign progress.

• Process Rigor: Ensure data integrity, timely gift processing, robust donor stewardship, and compliance with institutional and federal financial regulations.

Engagement & Pipeline Development

• Integrated Pipeline Strategy: Oversee the Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving teams to ensure data, programming, and events directly feed the major gifts pipeline.

• Lifecycle Stewardship: Transition alumni, parents, and friends from broad engagement to targeted, leadership-level financial support.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Financial Target: Ensure attainment of the annual goals, with separate targets for operating/unrestricted current use funding, restructured funding, and planning giving/estate commitments.

• Operating Support Growth Targets: Increase flexible/current use operating support current baseline toward annual target through budgeting process. Management process to monitor this growth area.

• Fundraising Productivity: Measurable, year-over-year growth in team-wide gift closure rates, proposal volume, donor retention, and major gift pipeline conversion.

• Personal Fundraising: Execution of 50+ donor moves/meetings annually, that produce documented proposals, closed commitments, and qualified pipeline aligned to priorities.

• Presidential Leverage: Percentage of presidential donor interactions that successfully move through pipeline stages.

• Pipeline Conversion: Rate at which annual and leadership annual donors transition into major gift portfolios.

• Data & Tech Adoption: Successful execution of the technology roadmap milestones and team-wide utilization of the CRM for tracking pipeline stages.

• Finance Alignment: Accurate and timely coordination with Financial Affairs on gift agreements, restricted fund utilization, gift classification, and fund-raising reporting.

Qualifications & Competencies

Experience & Education

• Background: 8–10+ years of progressively responsible fundraising experience in higher education or a complex non-profit environment, with a proven record of closing six- and seven-figure gifts.

• Leadership: Minimum of 4 years managing multi-disciplinary teams (spanning frontline fundraising, operations, and engagement) with a focus on metrics and accountability.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Advanced degree preferred.

Core Competencies

• Strategic-to-Tactical Translation: Exceptional ability to conceptualize a high-level vision and break it down into explicit, prioritized, and trackable action plans.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Demonstrated ability to collaborate deeply with key campus departments (e.g., Athletics, Academic Deans, Student Affairs, and Finance) to align fundraising goals with institutional needs.

• Mission Alignment: Deep appreciation for, and ability to fluently articulate, the tenets of Jesuit education, social justice, and institutional values.

• Technical & Analytical Acumen: Experience overseeing a clear technology roadmap that translates software capabilities into measurable fundraising impact.

Working Conditions:

Working conditions are normal for an office environment. This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule. Up to 40% travel is required.

Regis University offers a broad range of benefits that includes:

• Comprehensive group health insurance, including medical, dental, vision, disability and life insurance.

• A generous tuition benefit for employees, spouses and dependents

• Paid Mission leave to allow our employees to engage in acts of service or to have time for personal reflection.

• The “Gift of Time” when Regis closes between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

• Options for flexible work arrangements based on position.

You can learn more about our benefits by clicking the links below.

26-27 Employee Benefits Summary or

https://www.regis.edu/_documents/about/offices-and-services/human-resources/regis-university-employee-benefits-guide.pdf

Pay Rate:

$150,000 - $180,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications