Strategic Gift & Estate Planning Leader

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 270,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Texas at Austin seeks a Senior Executive Director of Gift and Estate Planning to lead the strategic direction and execution of planned giving programs. You will guide executive-level engagement with donors, advisors, and college leadership while driving the vision, strategy, and performance of the team responsible for securing major charitable gifts.

With responsibility for a $200M annual planned giving pipeline, you will manage a 12-person leadership team, work with UT System

Qualifications

• Ten years of experience in gift planning, major gifts, or complex charitable giving, including higher education or large nonprofit setting.
• Proven success soliciting and closing six- and seven-figure gifts.
• Experience supervising fundraising professionals.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Gift and Estate Planning team with 12 direct reports and drive about $200,000,000 in planned gifts annually.
• Manage the Gift Planning Advisory Board and coordinate volunteer advisors to increase gifts of business interests.
• Direct the estate realization process in partnership with UT System leadership and standardize processes for the broader Texas Development community.
• Strategically deploy the team’s footprint across colleges, schools, and units to deliver university-wide support and unify prospect identification and pipeline development.
• Set direction for discovery and solicitation strategies, providing executive analysis on closing planned gifts.
• Lead education and training initiatives for development colleagues and shape strategies for special events and marketing of planned giving.
• Drive long-range goals for the entire Gift Planning team and collaborate with Prospect Research, Marketing and Communications, and Stewardship to maintain a donor pipeline.
• Maintain donor engagement documentation to sharpen strategy and performance.
• Lead solicitations personally and with volunteers, partnering with faculty and university staff for proposals development.
• Model excellence and build a portfolio of prospective donors, aiming to close a minimum of $10M in planned gifts.

Skills

CRM/fundraising databases

Donor relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Job description

The University of Texas at Austin seeks a Senior Executive Director of Gift and Estate Planning to lead the strategic direction and execution of planned giving programs. You will guide executive-level engagement with donors, advisors, and college leadership while driving the vision, strategy, and performance of the team responsible for securing major charitable gifts.

With responsibility for a $200M annual planned giving pipeline, you will manage a 12-person leadership team, work with UT System