Associate Athletic Director for Annual Giving

Rice University•Houston, TX

20h

About The Position

The Associate Athletic Director of Development will lead all annual fundraising efforts for the Owl Club Annual Fund and assigned Sport Interest Group(s). In addition, this position will assist in major gift fundraising in collaboration with the Associate Athletic Director of Major Gifts. In collaboration with Rice Development and Alumni Relations, this position will oversee a team—including fundraisers—to achieve aspirational annual fundraising goals in support of exceptional student‑athletes. This position will also coordinate closely with the Associate Athletic Director of Business Strategy and other athletic department groups to ensure synergy between development and transactional revenue pipelines. The Associate AD will manage volunteer groups, specifically the Owl Club Advisory Board.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
3+ years of related experience in annual giving, sales, or an external revenue‑generating function
Two (2) years of related experience leading an Annual Fund team
Strong organizational skills with keen attention to detail
Foundation in problem‑solving and data analysis
Ability to create an annual giving plan and lead, manage, coach, and motivate a development team to execute against the plan
Strong relationship‑building skills
Excellent oral and written communication skills
Experience with direct mail, telemarketing, and/or database marketing
Ability to work independently and exercise good judgment

Nice To Haves

Five years of related experience in annual giving, sales, or an external revenue‑generating function
Familiarity with constituent databases such as Paciolan and Blackbaud

Responsibilities

Provides supervision and administrative oversight for assigned program(s)
Develops strategic plans and recommendations for the Senior Associate AD of Development
Forms strong alliances and relationships with the Houston community for the purpose of developing additional resources and cutting‑edge opportunities
Manages staffing and operations budgets in the aforementioned programs/units and continues to develop strategies to maximize resources and performance
Collaborates with the Senior Associate AD of Development to set department policies and goals
Performs all other duties as assigned
Create and execute annual giving strategy and plan for the Department of Athletics, including prospect identification and segmentation, marketing and messaging, solicitations, stewardship, and reporting
Employ a data‑driven approach to prospect identification and cultivation
Manage a portfolio of assigned leadership donors and prospects to cultivate, solicit, steward, and grow donor relationships
Lead a team of full‑time staff and volunteers, including the Owl Club Advisory Board, to assign prospects and support solicitations
Monitor, analyze, and report results of solicitations to determine effectiveness
Collaborate with the Associate Athletic Director of Major Gifts, Associate Athletic Director for Business Strategy, and team to increase the number of donors who are also premium ticket buyers
Collaborate with the Rice Athletics Major Gift team and Rice Development and Alumni Relations—especially the Rice Annual Fund—to ensure a coordinated approach to annual giving outreach and communications
Plan and execute donor hospitality events for all sports, particularly football and basketball, as well as special events
Perform all other duties as assigned