Job Description

Chief Development Officer, College of Pharmacy

The University of Texas at Austin provides competitive compensation plans plus a comprehensive benefits package that includes: insurance and Teachers Retirement System (TRS) retirement benefits; paid vacation, sick and holiday time off; access to employee professional development and wellness services; the opportunity to qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) federal program; flexible work arrangements and more.

The College of Pharmacy at The University of Texas at Austin welcomes and respects all individuals and communities by valuing and consciously maintaining awareness of perspectives and experiences.

The Chief Development Officer will design and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy that leverages the college's considerable resources, including distinguished faculty, dedicated alumni, and a growing university development program. The ideal candidate will be a skilled fundraiser and collaborative colleague who can further build the College of Pharmacy's philanthropy team by strategically growing and stewarding a portfolio of high-net-worth donors. This leader should possess strong emotional intelligence, organizational skills, and demonstrated experience in closing gifts of six and seven figures or more. The position requires reporting to the Dean, working alongside the Vice President for Development and University Development Office, and engaging the expertise of faculty, Advisory Council members, donors, and volunteers to secure funding for top-ranked faculty, researchers, students, programs, and centers.

Recently reappointed for a second term, Dean Samuel M. Poloyac leads the College of Pharmacy to become the foremost institution for innovative interdisciplinary education, research, and service, transforming patient care and health outcomes across Texas and globally.

The college's strategic plan addresses three primary objectives:

• Advancing innovative approaches in pharmacy education by equipping Pharm.D. and graduate students with skills to solve complex problems through applied knowledge, preparing them to be dynamic, career-ready professionals via rigorous, interprofessional programs.
• Increasing the impact of pharmacy care with the goal of enhancing community health and patient lives. Our faculty and alumni are at the forefront of patient care in both community and hospital settings. With an expanding scope of practice, pharmacists have new opportunities to make a greater difference; at UT Austin, we continue to maximize our influence and improve the well-being of those we serve.
• Advancing the impact of our research. The college is engaged in groundbreaking work across key areas within pharmaceutical sciences. Looking ahead, we seek to strengthen our success by fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, addressing society's demand for experts in pharmacy research.

Annually, the college admits approximately 125 Pharm.D. students, graduating 94% within four years. Our community includes over 100 master's and doctoral candidates in Pharmaceutical Sciences, 80 faculty members, and roughly 9,000 alumni.

Purpose

Reporting directly to the Dean as a member of the leadership team and collaborating closely with the Vice President for Development and University Development Office staff, the Chief Development Officer will play a crucial role in advancing overall fundraising for the College of Pharmacy. This position will help elevate the college as a significant partner within current and future campaign goals at UT Austin. To date the college has raised over $71M, surpassing its $40 million fundraising target for the 'What Starts Here' campaign two years ahead of schedule, which concludes in fall 2026.

The Chief Development Officer will design and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy that leverages the college's considerable resources, including distinguished faculty, dedicated alumni, and a growing university development program.

The ideal candidate will be a skilled fundraiser and collaborative colleague who can further build the College of Pharmacy's philanthropy team by strategically growing and stewarding a portfolio of high-net-worth donors. This leader should possess strong emotional intelligence, organizational skills, and demonstrated experience in closing gifts of six and seven figures or more. The position requires reporting to the Dean, working alongside the Vice President for Development and University Development Office, and engaging the expertise of faculty, Advisory Council members, donors, and volunteers to secure funding for top-ranked faculty, researchers, students, programs, and centers.

Responsibilities

• Manage an active portfolio of 25-75 prospective donors, solicit gifts and conduct executive prospect management meetings alone and with the Dean and other college leaders to optimize time with donors.
• Sustaining and growing annual fundraising totals to at least $10 to $20 million per year through strategic fundraising initiatives including but not limited to increased solicitation of major and principal gifts, growth of corporate and foundation funders and development of robust and highly proactive planned giving programs.
• Collaborating with University Development to progress fundraising efforts, partnering with colleagues in Major and Principal Giving, Planned Giving, Corporate Relations, Foundation Relations, and Annual Giving to expand the college's prospect base and foster a culture of philanthropy.
• Serving on the Dean's executive leadership team, supporting strategic planning and advancement of the College's mission, and establishing mutually beneficial relationships with external contacts and constituents.
• Setting and communicating fundraising goals, leading major and planned gift cultivation and solicitation strategies, and providing regular performance evaluations for a development team that includes two additional major gift officers, a senior coordinator for alumni relations, and a development associate (total of 5.0 FTE development team).

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• At least 7 years of professional development experience
• Proven ability to close gifts of six and seven figures
• Demonstrated strength in cultivating relationships with new and existing donors
• Strong ambition and ability to grow and lead a successful team
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills
• High emotional intelligence and capability to engage faculty, staff, and campus colleagues
• Experience participating in comprehensive campaigns in complex environments, such as higher education or healthcare
• Intellectual curiosity and commitment to understanding and presenting the academic and scientific pursuits of the college to donors and the public
• Strategic and creative thinking; able to perform effectively under pressure
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Highly organized, collegial, and collaborative approach
• Willingness and ability to travel nationwide to engage prospects and donors

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or higher
• Experience in higher education fundraising coupled with the ability to connect with faculty and researchers and effectively communicate their areas of research to donors

Salary Range

Open

Working Conditions

• Open office environment
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Travel required

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• List of 3 Professional References; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of Interest

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