Senior Director of Development- Advancement- UICOM

Senior Director of Development- Advancement- UICOM

Hiring Department: College of Medicine

Location: Chicago, IL USA

Requisition ID: 1036670

Posting Close Date: 10/24/2025

Salary: The budgeted salary rate for the position is $150,000-180,000

About the University of Illinois Chicago

UIC is among the nation's preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complement of health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent "Best Colleges" rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. UIC has over 300,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.
This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

Position Summary
The University of Illinois College of Medicine seeks a strategic, collaborative, and entrepreneurial fundraising candidate for a Senior Director of Development.

Reporting to the College of Medicine's Chief Advancement Officer (CAO), the Senior Director will be a hands-on partner for the College of Medicine, bringing entrepreneurial drive and ambition to a growing fundraising operation that supports the clinical, educational, and research ambitions of the College of Medicine, UI Health, and UIC more broadly. They will be responsible for planning, directing, and implementing activities and programs to identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward major and planned gifts from individual donors and prospects at the six-figure level and above. They will serve as primary liaison with department heads and other key faculty to identify fundraising priorities and initiatives and to develop a strategy for soliciting funds.

The successful candidate will bring at least 8 years of experience, preferably in an academic medical Advancement setting, with a clear track record of fundraising success. This individual must be collaborative by nature, keen to engage individuals across a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines, and committed to the mission and goals of the College of Medicine.
Bachelor's degree required. Travel will be required to key regions for donor meetings and University business.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of 75-100 donors and prospects by qualifying, researching, cultivating, and soliciting gifts of six figures or more. Complete a minimum of 100 substantive actions with prospective donors.
• Own and play a role in achieving the COM annual fundraising goal.
• Help devise and implement an annual advancement plan that includes solicitation of principal gifts ($1 million+) and major gifts.
• Leverage existing leadership, donors, and opportunities to rapidly build new donor bases in support of institutional priorities. Use creative, strategic approaches to acquire new donors and engage prospects beyond those in current portfolios.
• Prepare professional presentations and funding proposals for donors as required.
• Serve as advancement subject matter expert for Department Heads, Dean, and faculty in developing and implementing strategies to solicit gifts.
• Coordinate high-level donor meetings with Executive Dean of the College of Medicine, CAO, and with faculty/senior leadership as needed for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of priority donors.
• Serve as the strategic lead for all assigned donors and prospective donor engagement activities.
• Work with the Executive Dean, CAO, and Senior Director of Alumni Relations to cultivate and identify alumni for college, university, and community awards and recognition.
• Work with Chicago COM data and operations teams to track fundraising to date and keep the CAO updated on progress. Develop and present in-depth research, metrics, and reports on prospect pool, benchmarks, success, and growth.
• Keep TED (Tracking and Engagement Database) updated with development actions.
• Work with the Stewardship team to oversee the delivery of timely acknowledgment letters, endowment impact reports, and other stewardship activities for high-level donors.
• Develop annual stewardship plans for donors and oversee execution.
• Collaborate with Chicago COM Alumni Relations and Special Events teams to enhance interactions with prospects and donors and increase potential gifts.
• Cultivate strong working relationships with academic, clinical, and administrative leadership across the organization; ensure that the College of Medicine Advancement team is seen as a collaborative, proactive, and trustworthy partner capable of professionally addressing opportunities and concerns.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Perform other related duties and participate in special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• A minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible fundraising experience; an expert in major gifts with experience contributing at the strategic level.
• A track record of success personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding gifts of six figures and above.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with the intellectual depth necessary to understand and translate medical, technical, and research information for all internal and external audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• A deep appreciation for the history, achievements, and aspirations of the College of Medicine and the ability to effectively articulate its mission, relevance, and uniqueness to a diverse audience.
• Entrepreneurial and strategic thinker; naturally curious and able to recognize connections and opportunities.
• Ability to envision fundable opportunities within a project and articulate them in a compelling way to distinct audiences; experience identifying value propositions and tailoring them to new audiences to expand our donor and prospect base.
• Demonstrated success in identifying new prospects and leveraging leadership, donors, and opportunities to build new donor bases in support of institutional priorities.
• Experience developing and working with high-level boards, inspiring giving and leveraging board members to achieve philanthropic goals.
• Success in building trust with and gaining confidence from leadership and faculty by thoughtfully and nimbly managing up. Ability to anticipate questions and needs of leadership and proactively problem solve.
• Sharp eye for operational efficiency and optimal use of time and resources. Impeccable attention to detail with superb follow through.
• Exceptional diplomacy, discretion, and judgment.
• A keen understanding of the role that diversity and intercultural understanding play in achieving excellence.
• Knowledge of HIPAA and its requirements for development activities; discretion with donor and prospect information.
• 20% - Travel required for donor and alumni visits and local and regional events and meetings.

To apply for this position, please include a cover letter and resume.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation


To apply, visit https://uic.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/16979?c=uic







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