Senior Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship

The University of Texas at Austin, founded in 1883, ranks among the best universities in the world. With 76 programs ranked in the top 10, UT Austin is the #1 public university in Texas and the #7 public university in the nation. Like the state it calls home, The University of Texas at Austin is a bold, ambitious leader supporting more than 55,000 students, 4,750 faculty, 15,000 staff and top national programs across 18 colleges and schools. Amid the backdrop of Austin, Texas, a city recognized for its creative and entrepreneurial spirit, the University provides a place to explore countless opportunities for tomorrow’s artists, scientists, athletes, doctors, entrepreneurs and engineers. Learn more about UT’s mission and values and leadership. Why Join Texas Development? The University of Texas at Austin is a thriving hub of learning and discovery that anchors our city and enables excellence and innovation on the highest level. And it’s only possible because generous supporters believe in the power and promise of our state’s flagship university to change the world. With more than $6 billion raised in the What Starts Here campaign, Texas Development is quickly becoming one of the best fundraising programs in public higher education. Texas Development is a dynamic community of 500+ fundraising professionals across the Forty Acres. We strive to reach the highest levels of achievement and success in all that we do by creating meaningful and powerful experiences for our donors. Follow your passion, grow your career and help us change the world. The University provides a competitive benefits package that includes insurance and retirement benefits in addition to other programs and services. Texas Development supports growth by offering professional development opportunities that help every team member accomplish their goals, enrich their skillset and deepen their engagement with UT. Purpose Reporting to the Executive Director for Donor Relations, the Senior Director of Donor Relations and Stewardship provides strategic leadership for stewardship programs that advance university priorities, demonstrate the impact of philanthropy and strengthen long-term donor relationships. The position oversees individual and programmatic stewardship, senior leadership correspondence, donor recognition, impact reporting and campus partnerships to support fundraising success and deliver a consistent, donor-centered experience across Texas Development The Senior Director leads stewardship strategy, team performance and campus partnerships to strengthen donor connection and support long-term giving and engagement objectives. Serves as the strategic lead for donor stewardship, recognition, impact reporting and related donor communications within Texas Development. This position leads the Stewardship team, establishes priorities and performance expectations, and ensures strategies, systems and partnerships align with university priorities, fundraising objectives and donor relations goals. Responsibilities Strategic Leadership and Stewardship Team Management Partner with the Executive Director to establish long-range plans, performance measures, operational improvements and resource recommendations that advance Donor Relations and university fundraising priorities. Lead stewardship, recognition and impact reporting initiatives that strengthen donor relationships and advance fundraising priorities. Serve as a member of the Donor Relations leadership team and contribute to planning, resource allocation and cross-functional decision-making. Represent Donor Relations and Texas Development in work groups, committees, cross-functional initiatives and stewardship-related partnerships, as appropriate. Individual and Programmatic Stewardship Strategy Serve as the primary stewardship lead for a select portfolio of top-tier donors, while providing strategic oversight for individual stewardship, plans, priority donor strategies and programmatic initiatives tied to significant gift commitments. Provide strategic oversight for programmatic stewardship initiatives, including scholarship and beneficiary reporting, donor onboarding and retention, giving society engagement, milestone communications and recurring impact reporting. Partner with transformational, leadership, major, principal and annual giving colleagues to identify stewardship opportunities and develop annual and multi-year plans that reflect donor intent, giving history, relationship goals and university priorities. Coordinate responses to complex stewardship matters related to fund administration, beneficiaries, gift acknowledgements, reporting requirements and donor commitments. Staff Leadership and Organizational Development Lead, develop and mentor Stewardship team leaders and professional staff, providing coaching and accountability to foster high performance and professional growth. Establish performance expectations, accountability measures, professional development plans and succession strategies that support individual growth and organizational continuity. Evaluate staffing structures, workload distribution and team capacity to ensure organizational effectiveness, sustainable operations and timely stewardship delivery. Foster a collaborative, welcoming and donor-centered culture that promotes innovation, accountability, professional growth and continuous improvement. Acknowledgements, Recognition and Donor Communications Direct senior leadership correspondence, including presidential and vice-presidential gift acknowledgements, condolences and other high-visibility donor communications, in coordination with established university protocols. Oversee donor recognition, dedications, impact communications and stewardships events that demonstrate appreciation, reinforce the impact of philanthropy and support donor engagement. Partner with University Marketing and Communications, fundraisers and other campus colleagues to develop donor impact stories, stewardship reports, recognition materials and other high-visibility communications. Ensure donor communications reflect institutional priorities, stewardship standards and a consistent voice of gratitude, accountability and impact. Assessment and Strategic Insights Analyze SPUR CRM data, stewardship activity, donor feedback, reporting outcomes and giving trends to evaluate program effectiveness and stewardship outcomes. Identify, in partnership with SPUR and technology business analysts, configuration opportunities in SPUR that will provide increased visibility into stewardship outcomes and support new projects and programs. Explore technological tools, including those available to UT Austin employees, to increase efficiency and effectiveness of stewardship activities. Develop and maintain performance dashboards, reporting frameworks and key performance indicators that support organizational accountability and continuous improvement. Provide strategic recommendations informed by data, donor insights and performance trends to support decision-making and advance stewardship and fundraising priorities. Campus and Advancement Partnership Serve as a strategic advisor on stewardship, recognition, reporting and donor communications best practices. Partner with development officers, advancement leaders, faculty, staff and university leadership to identify and advance meaningful stewardship opportunities. Collaborate with colleges, schools, units, Advancement Services and Texas Development colleagues to strengthen stewardship strategy and execution across campus. Promote standards, resources, templates and best practices that strengthen stewardship across Texas Development. Additional duties as assigned. Salary Range OPEN Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of relevant education and experience. 7+ years of progressive experience in donor relations, stewardship, advancement, or nonprofit fundraising. Demonstrated success managing individual and programmatic stewardship for major/principal-level donors. Strong writing skills, including experience drafting executive-level correspondence. Experience using CRM/donor database systems to analyze data and inform strategy. Excellent relationship management and cross-functional collaborations skills. Proven ability to manage multiple high-priority initiatives, meet deadlines, and maintain accuracy and service quality. Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate. Preferred Qualifications Experience in higher education advancement or a comparable large, complex institution. Prior supervisory experience, including leading and developing team members. Familiarity with advancement CRM platforms. Experience building dashboards or reporting frameworks to track program performance. Experience managing presidential/vice-presidential-level donor communications. Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and diplomatically with institutional colleagues and external partners on sensitive and complex matters, while exercising sound judgment and discretion. Working Conditions This position is based in Austin, Texas. Must be able to travel frequently, overnight and weekends as necessary. Must be eligible to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer without sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University Development Office does not sponsor work visas for this position. Works in standard office conditions, in a shared office environment, with repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation. Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM on-site work is the standard expectation for this position. May require additional hours during peak periods and special events. Regular and consistent attendance is required in this job. Required Materials Resume/CV 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor #J-18808-Ljbffr The University of Texas at Austin