Executive Director of Advancement Services

Immediately

Salary commensurate with experience

40 hours weekly

External Affairs, Communications and Advancement Services

A resume and letter of interest is required to apply. Candidates under final consideration will also be required to submit professional references, college degree information, and employment history to an online third-party vendor.

For more than 140 years, The University of Texas System has improved the lives of Texans - and people all over the world - through education, health care, and research. The System consists of nine academic institutions, four health institutions, and The University of Texas System Administration. The institutions of the UT System employ more than 160,000 faculty, health care professionals, researchers, support staff, and student workers.

The UT System Administration is primarily based in Austin, Texas. It supports the missions of the System's thirteen institutions by providing financial, legal, planning, purchasing, government relations, communications, development, and other central services. Serving a growing state, the UT System Administration strives to provide a welcoming, supportive work environment that embraces different perspectives - not only because it enables the organization to be stronger, creative, and thoughtful, but because it is the right thing to do. To that end, UT System Administration embraces state laws on military and former foster children employment preferences.

Provide strategic and administrative support to help each of the 13 UT institutions achieve their philanthropic goals, and provide leadership over a variety of centralized gift and endowment administration activities as required by state and federal law or Board of Regents' policy. Administer training and education programs for UT Systemwide advancement professionals through the UT System Advancement Academy. Lead a team of UT System Administration advancement service professionals and provide oversight for the day-to-day operations of the Office of Gift Administration, Compliance and Advancement Services.

• Direct the planning, organizing, and implementation of advancement services activities supporting the goals of UT institutions and UT System Administration.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the UT System to support critical operational areas, including, but not limited to, gifts of non-cash and hard-to-value assets, gift acceptance, endowment administration and compliance, namings, gift processing, gift acknowledgements, stewardship, planned giving, estates and trusts, and reporting and records management.
• Possess a thorough understanding of UT System's policies and procedures; ensuring that Regents' Rules and UT System policies are adhered to and updated, as appropriate.
• Provide exceptional customer service in responding to inquiries and special requests from UT institutions, donors, and their advisors on gift terms and strategies, while offering expert counsel and guidance on philanthropic activities such as namings and the establishment and management of endowments to ensure donor intent is honored and all agreements comply with policy and law.
• Provide leadership for staff, including hiring, supervising, appraising, and training employees.
• Identify skills training and professional development opportunities for staff.
• Foster a culture of agility, responsiveness, and continuous improvement in the ever-evolving world of philanthropy by encouraging greater efficiency, accuracy, and productivity across all areas of advancement services provided to UT institutions, and by developing best-practice models to guide future operations.
• Provide strong strategic support for Advancement Academy education and training for campuses, chief development officer meetings, internship program in philanthropy and System-wide working groups, including endowment compliance, gift acceptance and planned giving.
• Review and approve monthly reconciliations and expenditures.
• Assist the Vice Chancellor in preparation of the Advancement Services budget, as appropriate. Make budget recommendations to the Vice Chancellor.
• Draft and implement strategic plan for department.
• Manage special projects as assigned by the Vice Chancellor.
• Serve as an administrative liaison for the Vice Chancellor.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Knowledge of charitable giving policies procedures and regulations as pertains to the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and IRS rules and regulations around charitable contributions.
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and creatively, work well under deadlines, and manage details of several concurrent projects with close attention to detail.
• Working knowledge of planned giving methods and tools.
• Excellent verbal, written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Resourceful, creative thinker with superior problem-solving skills.
• High professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information.
• Proficiency with Word, Excel and Blackbaud's Raiser's Edge are very helpful.

• Bachelor's degree plus 10 years of increasingly responsible experience in advancement services, fundraising or comparable field, preferably in higher education
• Proven leadership and supervisory experience
• Proven organizational and project management skills in a fast-paced environment

• Team oriented, self-motivated, and results driven
• Exceptional interpersonal skills with proven ability to collaborate effectively with leadership, faculty and staff

• May work around standard office conditions
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Requires occasional evening or weekend hours
• Hybrid work environment (remote & office)

The standard retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. However, the incumbent of this position may elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. Participation in either TRS or ORP is mandatory.

A background check will be conducted on applicants under final consideration. The background check may include any or all of the following: criminal history check, prior employment verification, education verification, professional references check, and motor vehicle records check. Background checks are conducted by third-party vendors. Upon request from the third-party vendor, candidates under final consideration must provide the required information for the background checks to be completed.

The University of Texas System Administration is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all qualified applicants and employees in all terms and conditions of employment. U. T. System will provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified persons and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, pregnancy, religion, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or state laws.

For information on accommodations for individuals with disabilities, please contact the Office of Talent and Innovation at oti@utsystem.edu.