Assistant Athletics Director for Development

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Welcome to Furman University's Career Site!

• IMPORTANT :​ Load all documents in the My Experience area under Resume/CV. This may include your resume/C.V., cover letter, unofficial transcript, teaching philosophy, etc. Please wait for all documents to finish uploading before clicking Next.
• If the process times out you will lose your progress, so please ensure you have all necessary documents available before starting.
• The drop-down lists only display so many options: please type into a drop-down list to search for your option. For example: in Field of Study, you may need to enter your field name. If you have no field, type "None."
• If you have previously applied, make sure your information is current as you can transfer it to another application.
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• Prior to submitting your application, verify all information for accuracy and ensure you have uploaded all appropriate documents. Once submitted, you will not be able to edit your application other than to change your contact information.

If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact the Office of Human Resources via email at recruitment@furman.eduor by calling 864-294-3103.

Job Title:

Assistant Athletics Director for Development

Job Family:

Management

Full-Time/Part-Time:

Full time

Compensation Grade:

8S

Pay Type:

Salary

Department:

Athletics Development

Job Summary:

Under the direction of the Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director/Development & Alumni Relations, this position is responsible for driving significant philanthropic dollars to advance the strategic priorities of Furman Athletics through major gifts fundraising, with emphasis on endowment, capital projects, and restricted giving/special initiatives for all 19 varsity athletics programs. The Assistant AD for Development will be expected to manage a major gifts portfolio, solicit six- and seven-figure gifts, and spend most of their time doing front-line fundraising work. In addition, this position will provide leadership on behalf of Furman Athletics and collaborate with University Development partners on the major gift and leadership (annual) giving teams to drive urgency and advance Athletics priorities through collaborative front-line fundraising, prospect management, and project management. The Assistant AD for Development will work with the Executive Senior Associate AD/Development & Alumni Relations and Director of Athletics Development to consult on strategies to drive major gifts, annual gifts, and engagement through appeals, events, and other methods. This position plays a critical role in maintaining alignment with University Development and the priorities outlined in the Clearly Furman campaign and as set forth by the Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics.

Job Description:

Responsibilities :

• Successfully advances the philanthropic mission of Furman Athletics by pursuing donations that advance the key priorities of the department

• Manages a donor portfolio of major gift prospects, with focus on those who can make commitments of $100,000 or more;

• Solicits and closes 6- and 7-figure gifts;

• Is responsible for the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of each donor in their portfolio;

• Travels for donor meetings to cultivate relationships and solicit gifts;

• Travels to away games as requested to support Furman Athletics Fund efforts and/or advance relationships with donors;

• Serves as project manager for certain sport-specific initiates, developing prospect pipelines, working with Athletics leadership and coaches, crafting compelling cases for support, and methodically pursing goals through collaborative donor engagement and the closing of gifts.

• Acts as a liaison between Athletics and the University Development office to collaborate and drive major gifts to advance Athletics’ top strategic fundraising priorities, working closely with the following units: Major Gift Officers, and Leadership (Annual) Gift Officers. The Athletics Development personnel are essential members of the University Development team.

• Aggressively seeks new Furman Athletics Fund members, specifically donors to the Paladin Scholarship Fund, each year who can contribute at a $25,000+ annual level.

• Provides leadership on behalf of Furman Athletics and collaborates with gift officers on prospect management and strategy to facilitate major gifts to advance Athletics priorities in the areas of Athletics annual giving (unrestricted and restricted), endowment, and capital projects.

• Assists with development and execution of prospecting and identification initiatives that seek to engage alumni, season ticket holders, premium seat holders, parents, and other parties interested in advancing the mission of Furman Athletics;

• Plans and implements fundraising events for purposes of stewardship, cultivation, and solicitation.

• Attends all home football and men’s basketball games to engage with donors and assist with the execution of the donor experience (parking, hospitality) as needed.

• Works with gift officers to assist with strategies related to prospect management and advancing relationships with donors to Athletics.

• Prepares regular reports and in-depth analysis for the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Sr. Associate AD/Executive Director of Athletics Development, Athletics Business Office, and Vice President of Development which reflect the commitments, receipts, and projections for Athletics giving.

• Collaborates with the Executive Senior Associate AD/Development & Alumni Relations to manage the Furman Athletics Fund budget.

• Coordinates the meetings and activities of the volunteer boards and committees for the Furman Athletics Fund.

• Provides guidance to coaches regarding major fundraising strategies for their programs.

• Works closely with the Executive Senior Associate AD/Development & Alumni Relations to ensure the efforts of Athletics and University Development are closely aligned and collaborative.

• Conducts industry research and maintains a professional network to keep pace with current trends, policies, and best practices for athletics development.

• Pursues professional development to keep pace with demands for services and information; including maintaining up to date information about the department and university.

• Completes performance review process with supervisor/employees to understand job performance expectations and how they fit into the department and university goals.

• Performs all other duties as assigned.

Relationships :

Daily contact with members of own work unit, immediate supervisor, and other departments to plan, coordinate, problem solve, present information and make suggestions related to mutual goals.

Frequent contact with coaches and teams to plan, coordinate, problem solve, present information and make suggestions related to mutual goals.

Frequent contact with the general public, alumni, Furman Athletics Fund donors, parents, and corporations to influence, motivate or persuade parties to obtain desired results.

Responsibility for Final Decisions :

Reviews work to ensure compliance with procedures and deadlines.

Tasks involve interpretation of data and/or procedures to address problems or situations that are not clearly defined. Work involves non-routine/diverse work not defined by procedures.

Errors may be detected within the department or section in which they occur, but may affect the work of others within the unit to trace errors and make corrections.

Work is performed independently except where the interpretation of law, policy, rule, complex procedure or request for exception is required.

Education/Skill Requirements :

Bachelor’s Degree with 5 - 7 years of experience in related field.

Experience fundraising in a higher education setting.

Experience working in college athletics.

Excellent communication and organizational skills required.

Major gift fundraising experience required.

Experience soliciting 7-figure gifts is preferred.

Experience regularly closing 6-figure gifts is required.

Experience closing a high frequency of 5-figure gifts is required.

Experience planning events preferred.

Must have ability to handle confidential data.

Work Conditions:

Work is performed under usual office or athletic facility conditions requiring basic safety precautions.

Work is required on select nights and weekends, including all home football and men’s basketball games.

Education Requirements:

Bachelors (Required)

Certification Requirements:

Job Posting End Date (if date is blank, posting is open ended):

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