Senior Director for Family Engagement, Philanthropy and Student Life

• Lead and oversee the Parent and Family Philanthropy team, designing and executing a comprehensive development plan to increase philanthropic support from high-net-worth parents and families.
• Serve as the chief strategist for parent and family giving, ensuring alignment with UO's fundraising priorities and institutional goals.
• Collaborate with frontline fundraising staff, prospect research, donor relations, engagement, and annual philanthropy teams to develop solicitation priorities, measures of success, and strategies for parent prospects at various giving levels.
• Partner with Annual Giving and Advancement Communications to create targeted solicitation strategies for parent donors.
• Oversee the Family Advancement Council, expanding membership and increasing philanthropic impact.
• Manage the Parent and Family Giving Portal CRM, ensuring data accuracy, segmentation, and optimization for fundraising initiatives.
• Create opportunities to engage the President, Trustees, campaign volunteers, faculty, and staff in the cultivation and solicitation of current and potential donors.
• Develop and manage a long-term parent engagement strategic plan with clear goals, deliverables, and agreed-upon measures of success.
• Prepare and manage the program budget, maintaining fiscally responsible practices in compliance with university policies.
• Build strong personal relationships with parents, travel to regional areas to solicit gifts, and serve as an ambassador for the University of Oregon.
• Promote an equitable and inclusive work environment grounded in mutual respect, collegiality, and collaboration.

• Manage a portfolio of 30–50 active parent and Student Life prospects, focusing on major and principal gifts.
• Identify new opportunities for parent and family engagement, involvement, and philanthropic support.
• Build strong relationships through personal visits, connecting parents and family members with university leadership and opportunities to engage in the life of UO.
• Partner with university leaders, including the President, vice presidents, deans, and faculty, to prepare for and participate in donor and prospect meetings.
• Attend university events to develop constituent relationships and identify new engagement opportunities.
• Work with development leadership to establish and achieve measurable prospect discovery, qualification, and solicitation goals.
• Assess prospective donors' giving capacity and philanthropic interests.
• Coordinate with annual philanthropy, leadership annual giving, mid-level giving, and major gift programs to identify, solicit, and transition prospects at appropriate giving levels.
• Maintain fluency with and effectively represent UO campaign priorities and philanthropic opportunities.

• Provide strategic direction, coaching, and professional development for direct reports, ensuring alignment with advancement goals.
• Establish qualitative and quantitative performance goals, including donor engagement, solicitations, revenue growth, and portfolio activity.
• Serve as the primary liaison and Student Life expert within University Advancement, providing training and guidance to frontline fundraisers, development officers, and senior university leadership.
• Act as a strategic thought partner to the Vice President for Student Life on fundraising strategies, priorities, and philanthropic opportunities.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising and stewardship plan for Student Life priorities to meet annual cash and commitment targets.
• Lead fundraising efforts for student experience initiatives, wellness programs, scholarships, and campus life enhancements.
• Establish new donor relationships, strengthen existing partnerships, and identify opportunities to generate philanthropic revenue.
• Partner with Student Life leadership, faculty, and campus units to develop impactful philanthropic opportunities.
• Collaborate with unit-based fundraisers across UO to coordinate outreach to high-capacity family donors.

• Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of skills and experience.
• Seven years of experience building relationships and working with parents of university students, volunteers, or high-level external constituents in a nonprofit environment, or equivalent.

• Experience in higher education.
• Five years of experience cultivating and soliciting donors through frontline major gift fundraising.
• Familiarity with the University of Oregon.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and establish cooperative working relationships with faculty, staff, and campus partners.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Experience engaging volunteers and developing strategies to achieve organizational goals.
• Ability to make a persuasive verbal and written case for becoming involved in the life of the university.
• Strong professionalism, discretion, and confidentiality when working with high-level donors and external constituents.
• Ability and willingness to quickly learn the university's history, mission, programs, and culture to articulate how UO distinguishes itself from peer institutions.
• Strong commitment to parent, family, and donor-driven customer service.
• Demonstrated sophistication in prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation, including building relationships with donors and prospects who may be difficult to engage.
• Commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to travel as required.

The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $128,000–$142,000.

The University of Oregon offers the opportunity to build a meaningful career at one of the nation's leading public research universities. Located in Eugene, Oregon, UO is recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, innovation, sustainability, and student success while fostering a collaborative and inclusive campus community.

Employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes competitive health and retirement plans, generous paid time off, professional development opportunities, and access to the resources of a world-class university. Combined with Eugene's exceptional quality of life, vibrant arts scene, and abundant outdoor recreation, the University of Oregon provides an environment where employees can make a lasting impact while achieving a healthy work-life balance.

https://hr.uoregon.edu/benefits

Additional highlights include:

• Hybrid work arrangement with flexibility in either Eugene or Portland, Oregon. 
• Opportunity to represent one of the nation's leading public research universities throughout a vibrant donor region. 
• Collaborative advancement culture with opportunities for professional growth and impact. 

Another Source works with their clients, on a retained project basis. We are committed to building inclusive candidate pools as we partner with hiring teams. As you read through the job posting and review the list of qualifications (required and/or preferred), please do not self-select out if you feel you do not meet every qualification. No one is 100% qualified. We encourage you to apply and share your story with us.

The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit our website.

The University of Oregon is an equal-opportunity institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please email us or call 541-346-5112.

UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy-related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here.

In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online.

Advertised: 29 Oct 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: 22 Nov 2026 Pacific Standard Time

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