Senior Executive Director of Gift and Estate Planning

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 Serve as the strategic leader of the Gift and Estate Planning team, setting direction and building organizational capacity for planned giving at The University of Texas at Austin. Provide executive-level guidance to donors, prospects, advisors, and colleagues, while driving the vision, strategy, and performance of the team responsible for securing significant charitable gifts. Responsibilities Own the strategic and operational leadership of the Gift and Estate Planning team, setting the vision and annual priorities that drive an average of $200,000,000 in planned gift each year. Lead, develop, and hold accountable a leadership team of 12 direct reports, building a high-performing culture of collaboration and results. Manage the Gift Planning Advisory Board and its two meetings a year and continue the development of a new committee of volunteer advisors and support an increase in gifts of business interests. Direct the estate realization process in partnership with UT System leadership, establishing clear standards and serving as the authoritative voice on process and procedure for the broader Texas Development community. Lead the strategic deployment of the Gift and Estate Planning team’s footprint across colleges, schools, and units, shaping how the function scales to deliver dedicated support university-wide and integrating teams under a unified strategic approach to prospect identification, networking, and pipeline development. Set strategic direction for discovery and solicitation approaches across the team, providing executive analysis and judgment on the strategies used to close planned gifts. Elevate organizational capability by leading education and training initiatives for development colleagues university-wide and shaping the strategy for special events and the marketing of planned giving. Drive goal-setting and long-range strategy for the entire Gift Planning team. Partner with Prospect Research, Marketing and Communications, and Stewardship to maintain a cohesive strategic model that builds and sustains a pipeline of donors annually documenting estate plans. Maintain a standard for donor engagement documentation, ensuring substantive contacts are captured and reviewed to sharpen team strategy and performance. Lead solicitations both personally and in partnership with volunteers and academic leadership, modeling the gift-closing strategy expected across the team. Partner with faculty, colleagues, and university staff in strategic prospect research and proposal development. Model individual excellence while leading the team, building and carrying a portfolio of prospective donors, and personally closing a minimum of $10M or more in planned gifts. Consistently deliver 12-20 proposals annually, setting the benchmark for the team’s own performance standards. Additional duties as assigned. Required Qualifications Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in gift planning, major gifts, or complex charitable giving, including significant experience in a higher education or large nonprofit setting. Demonstrated success personally soliciting and closing six and seven figure planned and complex gifts. Experience managing volunteer leadership structures, such as advisory boards or committees, including board relations and volunteer-driven solicitation strategies. Minimum of five years of experience directly supervising, developing, and holding accountable a team of fundraising professionals. Demonstrated working knowledge of charitable gift vehicles and estate planning instruments, including wills, trusts, gift annuities, retirement assets, and complex assets. Exceptional relationship-management, negotiation, and executive presence with high-net-worth donors, senior academic leadership, and external advisors. Proficiency with CRM/fundraising databases and donor pipeline management systems. Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience. Preferred Qualifications Advanced degree (e.g., JD, MBA) or professional credential such as Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAPÒ) or Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Experience partnering with legal counsel, tax financial advisors, and estate administrators on gift acceptance and estate realization processes. Track record of setting strategic vision and goals for large-scale, multi-unit development function across a complex, decentralized institution. OPEN Working Conditions This position is based in Austin, Texas. 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 Three work references with contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor #J-18808-Ljbffr The University of Texas at Austin