The posting
Advancement & Partnerships:
Join our dynamic and growing Advancement & Partnerships team as we work together to power partnerships and transform lives through philanthropy.
Together, we can unleash the potential of people and ideas to positively change the world. Your efforts on our team will help us to build the University for the Future.
The Opportunity:
The Director of Development for the College of Sciences (COS) is responsible for securing major gifts of $25,000+ by cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding alumni, parents, friends, and community partners. This position plays a pivotal role in advancing the college’s priorities and UCF's mission by building meaningful relationships with current and prospective donors.
The Director will independently manage a portfolio of major gift donors, develop and implement fundraising strategies, and partner with the Dean, faculty, and leadership to drive philanthropic growth for COS initiatives.
Responsibilities:
- Manage a portfolio of major gift prospects/donors, with a focus on individuals, through discovery, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Design and implement fundraising strategies that support the needs and priorities of COS and UCF.
- Conduct face-to-face visits and develop donor-centered proposals to secure major gifts.
- Collaborate with the Dean and division leadership to expand the fundraising pipeline and strengthen engagement of advisory board members.
- Ensure effective use of prospect management tools, research, contact reports, and our CRM database.
- Acknowledge and recognize gifts in ways that are meaningful to donors and aligned with UCF’s strategic plan, vision, and values.
- Maintain best practices in office systems, records, acknowledgments, and stewardship activities.
- Perform related duties as required to advance the college's fundraising success.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor's or Master's degree and 6+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219(6).
Preferred Qualifications:
- Demonstrated experience identifying, cultivating, and closing major gifts of $25,000 or more from individual donors.
- Experience as a frontline fundraiser, gift officer, nonprofit development professional, or similar relationship-driven revenue generation role.
- Experience in higher education advancement, nonprofit fundraising, healthcare philanthropy, alumni engagement, or a related fundraising environment.
- Experience building and managing donor, prospect, client, or partner relationships through a portfolio-based engagement cycle.
- Experience developing donor-centered proposals, gift agreements, or persuasive fundraising materials.
- Proficiency with Blackbaud, Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, or comparable fundraising, donor management, or CRM platforms.
- Ability to travel in and out of state for meetings and events as needed.
The most successful candidates may possess the following qualities:
- Strong communication, active listening, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage a variety of donor and partner audiences.
- Demonstrated initiative, resilience, and self-motivation in a goal-oriented fundraising or revenue-generating environment.
- Strategic thinker with excellent organizational skills, able to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
- Familiarity with or interest in UCF, College of Sciences, STEM-related fields, or university advancement.
Special Instructions to the Applicants:
- The anticipated salary for a well-qualified candidate is between $85,000-$100,000.
- Advancement and Partnerships values the unique contributions that each team member brings to our division. The final determination of a successful candidate's starting salary will vary based on several factors, including education and relevant experience. The anticipated pay scale indicated for this position generally applies to candidates who meet the minimum requirements and several of the preferred qualifications outlined above. All offers are contingent on successful background and reference screens.
- All applicants must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, and the university cannot accommodate H‑1B transfers or employment-based visa processing for individuals currently sponsored by another employer.
- Classification Title: Development Director I
This role requires the successful candidate to work on-site at UCF as their primary work location. On-site presence is an essential function of this role.
Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?
As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you’ll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You’ll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 12 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you’ll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills, and you’ll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.
Working at UCF has its perks! UCF offers:
- Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program
- Paid time off, including annual and sick time off and paid holidays
- Retirement savings options
- Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions
- Education assistance
- And more…For more benefits information, view the UCF Employee Benefits Guide.
Dive into our Total Rewards Calculator to discover the diverse selection available to you, giving you a glimpse into the benefits that together shape your comprehensive rewards package at UCF.
Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF’s expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.
Department
Advancement and Partnerships
Work Schedule
UCF business hours are Monday - Friday; 8:00 AM- 5:00 PM
Type of Appointment
Regular
Expected Salary
$75,809.00 to Negotiable
Job Posting End Date
11-09-2026-12-00-AM
The University of Central Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.
As a Florida public university, the University of Central Florida makes all application materials and selection procedures available to the public upon request.
UCF is proud to be a smoke-free campus and an E-Verify employer.
For general application or posting questions, please email [email protected].
If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please email [email protected].
