Foundation Relations Officer

Salary Range: USD $61,270.00/Yr. - USD $110,290.00/Yr.

Locations: Auburn University, AL

Categories: University Advancement

Job Type: Non-Faculty

Position Type: Full-Time

Department: Corporate/Foundations Relations

Associated Division: Senior VP-Advancement

Req ID: 9295

Overview

Auburn Advancement is seeking a Foundation Relations Officer to help connect faculty and university initiatives with foundation funding opportunities! If you enjoy building partnerships, coordinating proposals, researching funding prospects, and supporting meaningful projects from concept to funding, this could be an outstanding next step in your career.

What You'll Do:

• Connect Faculty and Funding Opportunities Partner with faculty, researchers, and university leadership to identify foundation funding opportunities that align with Auburn's strategic priorities, research initiatives, and academic programs.

• Lead Foundation Proposal Development Coordinate the development of competitive funding proposals by working closely with faculty, administrators, and external foundation partners. Guide projects from opportunity identification through submission and stewardship.

• Manage Foundation Partnerships and Reporting Serve as a key liaison between Auburn and foundation partners, ensuring timely communication, proposal submissions, grant reporting, and stewardship activities that strengthen long-term relationships.

• Conduct Strategic Research and Prospect Identification Research foundation prospects, analyze giving priorities, and identify opportunities that support Auburn's research, academic, and institutional goals.

• Collaborate Across Campus Work closely with faculty, sponsored programs, research administration, and advancement colleagues to coordinate funding strategies and maximize philanthropic support for university priorities.

Why You'll Love It Here:

• Meaningful Impact: Your work will directly support Auburn University's mission and help create opportunities that positively impact students, faculty, research, and programs across campus.

• Collaborative Culture: Join a team that values partnership, innovation, and shared success while working alongside passionate professionals dedicated to advancing Auburn.

• Purpose-Driven Work: Experience a role where relationship-building and strategic thinking come together to create meaningful philanthropic impact.

• Culture by Design: Thrive in an environment that champions professional growth, accountability, collaboration, and respect.

Now is the perfect time to join Auburn Advancement, a dynamic team encompassing Operations and Strategy, Culture and Talent, Engagement, Philanthropy, and Communications. Under the visionary leadership of Senior Vice President Rob Wellbaum, Auburn Advancement continues to build momentum and shape the future of philanthropy at Auburn University.

The nature of this role is highly relationship-focused and externally engaged, requiring meetings on and off campus during regular and non-traditional business hours. This position is expected to operate with a high level of professionalism, initiative, and autonomy.

Responsibilities

• Identifies potential prospects for cultivations through research, initial contact ratings, peer reviews and other relevant resources.

• Solicits gifts and/or club memberships through person-to-person visits, group presentations, and/or phone contacts.

• Provides stewardship to include acknowledging and showing gratitude for donating/joining clubs either by letter, phone call, and/or participating in/attending events and function for donors.

• Updates and informs supervisors and other staff of goal status, new plans and project proposals, and ensures that a cooperative team effort is made to meet goals and objectives.

• Prepares budget with input provided by Director, reviews and approves financial records, vouchers and acquisitions.

• Develops reports, records, and programs and analyzes information necessary to plan and complete projects and assignments.

• May develop campaigns and/or presentation proposals related to funding priorities in order to keep top prospects informed, interested, involved and to meet development goals and objectives.

• The nature of this role is highly externally focused, requiring frequent travel and meetings on and off campus during regular and non-traditional business hours, and is therefore expected to operate with high-levels of autonomy.

• May produce or assists in producing marketing materials to support development efforts.

Qualifications

Level I

• Bachelor's degree plus 2 years of experience in fundraising, marketing, sales, and/or public relations

Level II

• Bachelor's degree plus 4 years of experience in fundraising, marketing, sales, and/or public relations

Licenses & Certifications:

• Driver License

Contract Type

Continuing

Why Work at Auburn?

• Life-Changing Impact: Our work changes lives through research, instruction, and outreach, making a lasting impact on our students, our communities, and the world.

• Culture of Excellence: We are committed to leveraging our strengths, resources, collaboration, and innovation as a top employer in higher education.

• We're Here for You: Auburn offers generous benefits, educational opportunities, and a culture of support and work/life balance.

• Sweet Home Alabama: The Auburn/Opelika area offers southern charm, vibrant downtown scenes, top-ranked schools, and easy access to Atlanta, Birmingham, and the Gulf of Mexico beaches.

• A Place for Everyone: Auburn is committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, and students are welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.

• Ready to lead and shape the future of higher education? Apply today! War Eagle!

Equal Opportunity Compliance Statement

It is our policy to provide equal employment and education opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable law. Please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance's website to learn more.

Posted Date

6/4/2026