Senior Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Texas seeks a senior stewardship lead to oversee a select portfolio of major donors and shape strategic stewardship plans aligned with university priorities. You will partner with fundraising colleagues to develop annual and multi-year initiatives, and manage complex donor reporting and acknowledgments.

The role requires 7+ years in donor engagement or advancement, experience with multi-region programs, and strong project management.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary stewardship lead for a select portfolio of top-tier donors and provide strategic oversight for stewardship plans.
• Collaborate with major gifts colleagues to identify stewardship opportunities and develop annual and multi-year plans reflecting donor intent and university priorities.
• Coordinate responses to complex stewardship matters including donor reporting, acknowledgments, and gift commitments.
• Oversee programmatic stewardship initiatives such as scholarship reporting, onboarding and retention, giving society engagement, and milestone communications.

Skills

Donor engagement

Volunteer management

Advancement events

Project management

Strategic planning

Cross-functional collaboration

Higher education advancement

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience

Job description

* Serve as the primary stewardship lead for a select portfolio of top-tier donors, while providing strategic oversight for individual stewardship, plans, priority donor strategies and programmatic initiatives tied to significant gift commitments.* Provide strategic oversight for programmatic stewardship initiatives, including scholarship and beneficiary reporting, donor onboarding and retention, giving society engagement, milestone communications and recurring impact reporting.* Partner with transformational, leadership, major, principal and annual giving colleagues to identify stewardship opportunities and develop annual and multi-year plans that reflect donor intent, giving history, relationship goals and university priorities.* Coordinate responses to complex stewardship matters related to fund administration, beneficiaries, gift acknowledgements, reporting requirements and donor commitments.* Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience.* 7+ years of progressive experience in donor engagement, volunteer management, or advancement events.* Experience designing and executing engagement strategies for boards, councils, or giving societies.* Experience managing complex event portfolios across multiple locations (campus, regional, international).* Strong project management and cross-functional partnership skills.* Proven ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives, meet deadlines, and maintain accuracy and service quality.* Experience in higher education advancement or a comparable large, complex institution.* Experience engaging senior volunteer leadership or presidential-level boards.* Prior supervisory experience, including leading and developing team members.* Experience with international or multi-region engagement programs.* Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and diplomatically with institutional colleagues and external partners on sensitive and complex matters, while exercising sound judgment and discretion.**Start Here, Change the World**At The University of Texas at Austin, tradition meets innovation in the heart of a city that frequents lists of the best places to live and work. Named by Forbes as one of America's Best Large Employers for the sixth year in a row in 2025, UT offers both a dynamic work environment and a gateway to vibrant local culture. Whether you're at the forefront of the student experience, conducting world-changing research or supporting the engine that drives Texas' flagship university, working at UT means making a lasting impact on our city, our state and our world.Our more than 20,000 faculty and staff empower 55,000+ students to challenge ideas, pursue passions and shape their futures. Joining UT, you'll become part of a community dedicated to making a meaningful impact on campus and throughout the world.Please see our .**Comments and Inquiries:**Email comments to [e-mail]. For questions or concerns regarding equal opportunity only, contact .Additional information for applicants can be found on the Human Resources web page:. For more job information, call the Human Resource Service Center at [phone], or toll-free at [phone].