Development Specialist, Doernbecher Major Gifts

Development Specialist, Doernbecher Major Gifts

Portland, Oregon

Salary is determined based on experience and the Foundation's structured pay bands, which include steps for growth and performance. Please see the "Pay" section for more details.

Priority Application Deadline: September 7, 2026

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Starting Hourly Rate: $24.52 - $28.60 per hour

Work Location: Hybrid

About the Position

In this role, you'll provide administrative, project coordination, and donor engagement support that help advance the philanthropic goals of the Doernbecher Children's Hospital (DCH) Major Gifts team. You'll also partner closely with donors, volunteers, faculty, and colleagues across the Foundation and OHSU. Your day-to-day will include coordinating projects, events, and team initiatives, preparing briefing materials for donors and prospects, supporting reporting for donor meetings, maintaining donor and prospect data, and managing calendars.

What You'll Be Doing

Administrative Support

• Maintain the Managing Sr. Director of Development's calendar by planning and scheduling meetings, conferences, travel, and project/work time, ensuring strategic prioritization of events, meetings, and commitments.
• Assist with proactive meeting preparedness for the DCH Major Gifts team, including drafting agendas and briefing materials, taking and distributing notes, and tracking follow-up steps for internal stakeholders.
• Support the DCH Major Gifts team's administrative needs, which may include calendaring, reporting, database entry, and maintaining donor and prospect data. This includes moves management in coordination with Gift Officers.
• Respond to internal and external inquiries and route messages.
• Oversee other administrative tasks as assigned for the DCH Major Gifts team.
• Liaise with internal stakeholders as needed for donor-related items, including finance, Advancement Data Strategy, events and communications.

Workflow & Project Management

• Provide dedicated project support for the DCH Major Gifts team.
• Document and create processes for the unit's development activity and drive execution of these items in collaboration with DCH Major Gifts team members.
• Manage complex mailing projects for donor outreach.
• Coordinate with other Foundation departments to execute events and projects related to the DCH Major Gifts team.
• Create and manage a suite of reports and dashboards used by the Major Gifts team for reporting purposes.

Donor Meeting & Event Support

• Support DCH Major Gifts team members in meeting preparedness and follow-up, including gathering necessary support and briefing materials, elevating key background and strategy points to development leadership as needed, and disseminating assignments after meetings and tracking follow-up steps.
• Analyze and synthesize large amounts of information from development officers, research team members, and other sources, elevating key background and strategy points to development team members as needed.
• As appropriate, represent the Foundation with potential donors, current donors, OHSU and Foundation colleagues, volunteers, and community members at events.
• Manage donor-facing events from planning through execution in partnership with Major Gifts team members.

Who You Are

• You're comfortable working in a fast-paced, reactive environment.
• You have strong project management and organizational skills, with the ability to independently manage and prioritize multiple projects and tasks.
• You have exceptional attention to detail.
• You have demonstrated interpersonal skills and the ability to collaborate professionally, diplomatically and productively with contacts at all levels, including faculty, council members, donors and other colleagues.
• You take initiative, are self-directed and demonstrate a high level of accountability.
• You have excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• You're proficient in the Microsoft Office suite, with advanced knowledge of Outlook, Excel and Word.
• You're compassionate and culturally responsive, with the ability to work with internal and external individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences.

You Should Have

• 2+ years of experience in an administrative support function
• Experience with project coordination
• Event fundraising experience preferred
• Foundation, healthcare, or university experience preferred
• Experience working in Salesforce or another CRM preferred

We want to emphasize that there is no such thing as the perfect candidate; candidates who do not have all of the required experience are encouraged to apply.

Working Conditions

• Occasional hours outside of normal work hours for meetings or programs.
• Hybrid schedule.
• Extensive computer-based work, including typing, meeting attendance, document review and data entry.
• Frequent interruptions and shifting priorities.
• Some local travel may be necessary for events.

Salary

$50,993 - $59,492 USD

Pay

Salary is dependent on experience. Each salary band is broken into three "steps," which correspond with an employee's experience/tenure, proficiency and performance in that specific role. New employees will typically start at step I of our pay band to allow for later growth, although more experienced candidates may be eligible to start at step II or III. The OHSU Foundation has a structured process for determining starting compensation, taking into account years of related experience, applicable skills, knowledge and abilities, market parity, and internal equity.

Benefits

The OHSU Foundation also offers an exceptional benefits package including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance.
• Pension program (The Foundation contributes 12% of your annual salary to a pension);
• 22 days of paid vacation, 11 paid holidays, 1 float holiday and 2 days of volunteer time off;
• Professional development dollars for each employee;
• Hybrid work allowance and much more!

Plus, we have a flexible work environment for those who prefer a hybrid work schedule, and we close early on Fridays during the summer. Want to learn more about our other amazing benefits? Check out our benefits page to learn more about our benefits.

Please note that benefits may vary for employees residing outside of Oregon, Washington, Arkansas, Alaska and Arizona, and Nevada due to state-specific regulations and coverage differences. Employees located outside of these states may be required to work through a Professional Employer Organization (PEO).

Our Core Values

If you require support or reasonable accommodation during the application or recruitment process, please submit a request through our Accommodation Request Form.

The OHSU Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer

The OHSU Foundation is committed to being an equal opportunity, affirmative action organization. In keeping with our beliefs and values, no applicant will face discrimination or harassment on the basis of any protected class status, including color, age, current or future military status, disability (physical or mental), gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other status protected by law.

The OHSU Foundation, as required by law, is making available a copy of Employee Rights and Responsibilities under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

The OHSU Foundation participates in E-Verify. By law we are required to make available the Notice of E-Verify Participation and the Right to Work.