Perform related duties as required or deemed appropriate to the accomplishment of the responsibilities and functions related to this position.

The ideal candidate will possess:

•10 to 15 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in development, with a demonstrated track record of successful fundraising in a large-scale university and academic health system environment or a similarly complex organization.

•Experience soliciting gifts at $5 million and above and 12+ years of management experience at an institution of higher education.

•Proven success in designing, planning, and managing comprehensive fundraising campaigns, preferably in higher education.

•Demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, and retain development professionals, build cohesive teams, and strategically manage personnel to maximize engagement with external constituencies.

•Strong organizational and operational skills, with confidence in representing UF Health externally while providing internal leadership.

•Ability to construct, articulate, and implement an annual strategic development plan that aligns with UF Health’s mission.

•Experience in establishing and monitoring fundraising goals, strategic and operational planning and performance evaluation at the department level.

•Solid understanding of budgeting practices, financial accountability and resource management to ensure efficiency and sustainability.

•Ability to work both independently while also effectively engaging with individuals at varying levels of seniority across UF Health and external partners.

•Familiarity with the healthcare industry and trends, its challenges, and its unique needs within an academic institution.

•Experience in developing, and managing leadership boards through recruitment, training and motivating volunteers. .

•Demonstrated commitment to the highest ethical standards in professional fundraising practices.

•Ability to develop and implement programs that engage key constituencies in meaningful philanthropic initiatives.

•Deep appreciation for and ability to articulate the philanthropic goals of the University of Florida and UF Health.

•Knowledge of fundraising principles, methods, and donor engagement strategies, with experience in donor databases, contact management systems and tracking systems preferred.

•Strong analytical skills, exceptional written and verbal communication abilities and the capacity to collaborate effectively with stakeholders.

•Strong project management skills, experience in data-driven environment, and the ability to lead, influence, and inspire others.

•Competency with Windows operating systems, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as email and internet platforms.

•Ability and willingness to travel for donor meetings and events.  A valid driver license and good driving record are essential.*

*Business expenses are reimbursed through a standard accounting system.  The ability to pay for expenses using your own personal credit card or funds and have them reimbursed is essential.


UF Advancement has defined the following critical competencies for organizational and position specific success:

Relationship Mastery - Identifies, targets and strategically builds relationships with colleagues, prospects, donors and volunteers.

-Establishes and maintains effective relationships; demonstrating genuine interest in the well-being and opinions of others and recognizing common ground with individuals from varying backgrounds.
-Anticipates conversational direction with ability to swiftly adapt and diffuse high-tension situations.
-Successfully identifies the proper timing, medium and consistency to engage stakeholders.
-Exhibits a high level of emotional intelligence in all interactions.

Donor Focus - Ability to establish, cultivate and steward prospects/ donors to build and maintain lifelong partnerships and trust on behalf of the institution.

-Consistently searches for ways to improve the donor experience centralizing all efforts and tasks around meeting their needs
-Matches donor/prospect passions with university priorities, involving the right people and resources at the right time
-Places prospect/ donor needs ahead of personal success
-Utilizes resources, remains flexible and creatively suggests individualized engagement activities

Tenacity - Ability to demonstrate the discipline and resilience necessary to successfully achieve goals and strategies

-Identifies and seizes opportunities, setting “stretch” goals and exceeding them (always looking for the next rung on the ladder)
-Ability to re-direct prospects from distractions and non-productive requests (in control but not seemingly in control)
-Strong commitment to close gifts (every day is a domino)
-Does not give up in the face of obstacles (master of “No”)

Credibility - Displays responsible, reliable and trustworthy actions

-Acts in an ethical and authentic manner to support the mission of the university, demonstrating a “can do” spirit, sense of ownership, urgency and commitment
-Stay current on functional and technical aspects of one’s job seeking opportunities to acquire new knowledge and skills
-Promotes and establishes trust, respect and rapport utilizing diplomacy and tact
-Fulfill commitments made to donors, colleagues and university partners

Entrepreneurial Spirit - Ability to generate creative solutions and take risks

-Understands current environment and possesses the ability to adapt to new opportunities and challenges
-Generates innovative ideas, solutions and opportunities to positively impact results (doesn’t order from the menu)
-Learns from success and failure with a drive to succeed (hates to lose)
-Accepts, embraces and leads change

Engaging Communication - Ability to attentively listen and express oneself clearly and empathetically in interactions with others in all forms of communication

-Possesses the ability to engage and inspire
-Successfully reads verbal and non-verbal cues adapting communication style and strategy as needed
-Demonstrates active listening and understands the art of asking questions to skillfully obtain more complete information
-Commands attention when speaking and presenting to individuals or groups

Strategic Thinking - Ability to develop strategies and plans that integrate into the organization’s mission, priorities and goals

-Ability to effectively synthesize information and data to evaluate and prioritize prospects/donors in a larger context (knows their prospects)
-Ability to document and illustrate a comprehensive engagement strategy with realistic timelines.
-Collaboratively engages colleagues and academic partners and integrates their knowledge into strategy
-Ability to think big, and create bold and inspiring tactics

Mission Driven - Fundamentally identifies with the core mission to create awareness, build relationships, generate support and recognize donors for the purpose of advancing the university

-Considers national trends and best practices of advancement within higher education
-Possesses a solid appreciation of UF history, culture and tradition
-Understands the power of philanthropy and how to engage donors toward achieving their goals
-Creates advocates for the university through the ability to “visualize dreams,” “ask,” and “close”