Major Gifts Officer - Athletics

United States

Job Description

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:
Reporting to the Associate Athletic Director of Development/Major Gifts, this position will plan, organize, and manage the development of complex major gift support for athletic fundraising priorities. Specific responsibilities include the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donor prospects capable of gifts at the $100K to $4.9M level. This position will work directly with the Development team in preparing solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship strategies. It will also be responsible for developing and executing the fundraising strategy for a specific athletic campaign priority or in conjunction with the Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development, under the direction of the Vice President and Director of Athletics.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

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Major Gifts Officer - Athletics

United States

Job Description

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:
Reporting to the Associate Athletic Director of Development/Major Gifts, this position will plan, organize, and manage the development of complex major gift support for athletic fundraising priorities. Specific responsibilities include the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donor prospects capable of gifts at the $100K to $4.9M level. This position will work directly with the Development team in preparing solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship strategies. It will also be responsible for developing and executing the fundraising strategy for a specific athletic campaign priority or in conjunction with the Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development, under the direction of the Vice President and Director of Athletics.

Ideal Candidate Statement:
The ideal candidate is an entrepreneurial self-starter with a demonstrated track record of securing major gift commitments. They should possess the knowledge base from athletic departments to effectively partner with other divisional and university stakeholders to garner philanthropic resources on behalf of Rice University.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 3+ years of related experience

Substitutions:

• No substitutions for education or experience allowed

Skills:

• Ability to develop and initiate new strategies
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage projects simultaneously
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office suite
• Excellent data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules
• Adept at problem-solving, creating contingency plans, and handling issues when necessary
• Excellent client service orientation and attention to detail
• Ability to lead and motivate others
• Strategic skills to craft and implement fundraising and/or project plans
• Strong attention to detail and ability to quickly understand and remember details about alumni/donors and projects to which they are assigned

Preferences:

• 6+ years of the experience specified above and fundraising experience with an institution of higher education
• Working knowledge of CRMs
• Certified Fund-Raising Executive (CFRE) certification

Essential Functions:

• Develops and manages a portfolio of major gift prospects through the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors, with an emphasis on $100K+ gifts
• Identifies fundraising priorities and devises plans and strategies to accomplish goals
• Works collaboratively with coaches, athletic staff, and development colleagues in support of fundraising initiatives
• Collaborates on development-related communications and events
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions:

• Travel is required for this position
• Occasional evening and weekend work in support of special projects and events
• Works with and supervises the efforts of volunteers involved in fundraising initiatives
• Ability to work long periods of time in front of a computer

Rice University HR | Benefits:  https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values:  Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.

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Job Info

• Job Identification 5338
  
• Job Category Staff - Development
  
• Posting Date 12/02/2025, 05:53 PM
  
• Degree Level Bachelor's Degree
  
• Job Schedule Full time
  

• Locations Tudor Fieldhouse 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, US

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Tudor Fieldhouse 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77005, US

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