Major Gifts Officer

The University of Austin (UATX); Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Austin is seeking a Major Gifts Officer to advance its ambitious fundraising efforts in Austin, Texas. You will cultivate and manage a portfolio of mission-aligned donors, executing sophisticated moves management to secure 5-plus-figure gifts.

This role reports to the Senior Director of Development, is full-time in Austin, TX, and requires approximately 30% travel. A dynamic fundraiser who thrives on relationships and collaboration will shape a growing institution at a pivotal

Qualifications

• 3+ years of fundraising experience with demonstrated success closing major gifts in education, nonprofit, startup, or mission-driven environments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to engage thoughtfully across disciplines, ideas, and perspectives.
• Strong interpersonal agility and emotional intelligence; adapt communication to diverse donors, trustees, founders, faculty, and prospects.
• Strategic, confident fundraiser who moves prospects toward solicitation with clarity and persistence.
• Proven ability to synthesize complex priorities and communicate them effectively to external audiences.
• Experience using data, research, and analytics to prioritize prospects, manage portfolios, and drive outcomes.
• Commitment to the mission and vision of University of Austin and advancing innovative higher education.

Responsibilities

• Implement major gift methodology to build a portfolio and set strategies, with frequent donor meetings and travel.
• Conduct ~100 visits per year, ~25 solicitations (50% of which >$100k), and close $2–4M per year.
• Match donor interests with institutional priorities to pursue unrestricted funding for UATX.
• Plan and execute donor events (dinners and receptions) in key cities and with key constituency groups.
• Coordinate with other UATX teams on donor messaging, online fundraising, and program alignment.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Fundraising

Donor cultivation

Major gifts strategy

Relationship building

Communication

Tools

CRM (Salesforce)

Data analysis

Donor research techniques

Job description

About the University of Austin

The University of Austin (UATX) is a private, in-person university founded in 2021 to offer a new model of higher education. Its mission is to prepare thoughtful and ethical innovators, builders, leaders, public servants, and citizens through open inquiry and civil discourse.

UATX combines a Great Books core curriculum with rigorous study in mathematics, science, technology, and entrepreneurship. The university admits students on merit and provides full-tuition financial aid through donor support, allowing it to operate without federal funding. Its commitment to intellectual rigor, academic freedom, and the pursuit of truth shapes its work across the university.

Job Summary

The Major Gifts Officer advances one of the most ambitious fundraising efforts in higher education to support a new university in Austin, Texas.

You will cultivate and manage a portfolio of mission-aligned current and prospective donors, executing sophisticated moves management strategies to secure 5-plus-figure gifts.

This role is ideal for a dynamic fundraiser who thrives on building relationships, advancing major gift opportunities, is an adept collaborator, and wants to shape a growing institution at a pivotal moment. A candidate should demonstrably pursue excellence in their work and possess a desire to build a best-in-class fundraising program and portfolio at the nation’s most innovative new university.

The Major Gifts Officer will report to the Senior Director of Development. This is a full-time role based in Austin, TX and requires approximately 30% travel.

Responsibilities

• Implement major gift methodology to build a portfolio of major donor supporters and prospects both in a regional strategy and within the state of Texas, setting fundraising strategies for each, and executing on each. This will require frequent donor meetings via phone, Zoom, and face to face, with frequent travel.
• Conduct 100 visits a year, 25 solicitations per year (50% of those >$100k), and close $2-4M per year consistently outside of transformational gifts. Also perform prospect research, portfolio management and stewardship as appropriate to maintain a steady and well-tended portfolio.
• Match donor interests with institutional priorities to pursue unrestricted funding for UATX to continue to deliver our model of no tuition, no government funding and merit-based admissions.
• Plan and execute donor events (dinners and receptions) in key cities and with key constituency groups.
• Work with other UATX team members to coordinate UATX programs, donor messaging materials, online fundraising, and more.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in fundraising, with demonstrated success cultivating, soliciting, and closing major gifts in higher education, nonprofit, startup, or mission-driven environments.
• Exceptional intellectual and social curiosity, with the ability to engage thoughtfully across disciplines, ideas, and perspectives.
• Strong interpersonal agility and emotional intelligence; able to adapt communication style, tone, and approach to a wide range of donors, trustees, founders, faculty, and prospects.
• Skilled relationship builder who asks insightful questions, listens deeply, and uncovers donor motivations and philanthropic interests.
• Strategic and confident fundraiser who can move prospects toward solicitation with clarity, transparency, and persistence.
• Proven ability to synthesize complex institutional priorities and communicate them in compelling, accessible language for external audiences.
• High level of comfort engaging sophisticated, entrepreneurial, and intellectually independent donors.
• Experience using data, research, and analytics to prioritize prospects, manage portfolios, and drive fundraising outcomes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including donor correspondence, proposals, briefing materials, and presentations.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across leadership, academic, and development teams while maintaining strong independent execution.
• Commitment to the mission and vision of University of Austin and enthusiasm for advancing innovative higher education.