Job Description

Assistant/Associate Director of Advancement

College of Applied Health Sciences

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

  Hybrid/Remote opportunities available

The College of Applied Health Sciences (AHS) () and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement (OVCIA) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invite applications and nominations for a full-time major gift officer. The Assistant/Associate Director of Advancement will secure private support for funding priorities within the College as determined by the Dean, Unit Heads, and Assistant Dean for Advancement. They will play a critical role in efforts to implement an integrated approach for impact and mission-driven priorities across the college, departments, and units.

The mission of the College of Applied Health Sciences is to advance research, instruction and public engagement that promotes the development of healthy, livable communities, facilitates optimal living with disability, and promotes health and wellness across the lifespan and throughout a diverse society. Majors in the highly ranked programs of the college include Kinesiology; Community Health; Interdisciplinary Health Sciences; Health Administration; Public Health; Recreation, Sport and Tourism; Speech and Hearing Science; and Speech-Language Pathology. The college also includes an interdisciplinary research center, the Center on Health, Aging and Disability (CHAD), and college faculty are active in interdisciplinary faculty collaborations with colleagues across the campus.

Disability Resources and Educational Services (DRES) is a service unit of AHS that supports students with disabilities throughout the Urbana-Champaign campus. DRES provides educational accommodations and other relevant services for more than 5000 students with disabilities, including the Beckwith Residential Support Services program, accessible transportation, and world-renowned adapted sports programs. 

The college is also home to the Chez Veterans Center (CVC), a second service unit of AHS that serves the Urbana-Champaign campus. The CVC provides residential and non- residential services and activities to support student veterans and military-connected students, and their families. Additionally, it serves as the hub for veteran-related research, outreach, and social activities on the University of Illinois campus.

Job Summary

The Assistant/Associate Director of Advancement in AHS reports to the Assistant Dean for Advancement and works closely with advancement colleagues, unit heads, faculty, and staff throughout the college and the university. The primary responsibility is to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000 or more in support of the College. Travel of varying durations is required, at a minimum of 30%, and includes some evenings and weekends. The successful candidate will be a collaborative team member who is a self-starter, strategic, skilled at building strong internal and external relationships, and values inclusion.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Identify, assess, analyze, and design appropriate strategies for approaching prospects and donors, making the vitally important connection between donors’ philanthropic interests and the College’s programmatic and curricular needs. Plan and implement effective outreach and cultivation activities to enhance prospect identification and move solicitation and stewardship processes forward. Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major gift prospects, with an emphasis on gifts of $25,000 or more, determining the frequency of contact needed. A maximum of 20% of the time can be dedicated to Leadership Annual Gifts valued at $1000 - $24,999. 


• Document all activities and interactions in the alumni/donor database.


• Develop and maintain close collaborative partnerships with faculty and staff to gain a strong knowledge of the academic and research programs in order to identify and define priorities to be funded through private support. Partner closely with other advancement professionals, including gift officers and corporate relations professionals. 

• Determine and prioritize lists of donor prospects, alumni, and other stakeholders to be contacted for personal visits. 


• Prepare and educate faculty and other unit volunteers to participate in cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major gifts as needed. 

• Serve as a liaison to one committee of the AHS Board of Visitors (the dean’s advisory board) 

Impact in Your First Year
At Advancement at Illinois, we value our employees and provide resources to help you continually learn and grow. We foster a strong, collaborative community of people who are driven by their ability to make a difference.

Within 3 months, you’ll:

• Become familiar with the strategic vision and priorities of the College of Applied Health Sciences


• Meet your assigned Prospect Development Analyst and begin getting acquainted with your portfolio


• Attend professional development and networking activities for newcomers within Advancement


• Be introduced to fundraising fundamentals terminology adopted from Plus Delta Partners  

Within 6 months, you’ll:

• Begin cultivating relationships with key prospects/donors/alumni in an effort to create and implement solicitation strategies


• Partner with colleagues working in stewardship and donor relations, events, alumni relations, and communications on unit-wide initiatives


• Be able to share multiple meaningful impact stories of transformative gifts

By the end of the first year, you’ll:

• Cooperatively set annual goals with your supervisor and portfolio management team


• Continue portfolio growth of qualified prospects and successful solicitation strategies


• Receive one-on-one coaching from Talent Management to help transition into your new role


• Build a robust network of colleagues across campus

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree


• For the title of Assistant Director , a minimum of two years of successful advancement experience or more than four years of experience in a closely related field (e.g. public relations, marketing, sales) which requires strong relationship-building and outcome-driven components. For the title of Associate Director , a minimum of three years of successful advancement experience or six years of experience in a closely related field (e.g. public relations, marketing, sales) which requires strong relationship-building and outcome-driven components.


• Experience working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Documented success as a major and/or principal gift fundraiser


• Advancement experience in an academic unit that produces degrees and conducts rigorous academic research


• Experience working with faculty leaders


• Experience managing alumni and/or student programs and devising innovative programs to engage alumni and/or donors to support academic priorities

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Superb oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with an emphasis on engaged, active listening.


• Demonstrated ability to represent an organization in visits with key constituents


• Understanding of major donor prospect qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship


• Strong relationship management skills


• Knowledge of advancement strategies including best practices related to development at institutions of higher education

Salary

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the closing date. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience while also considering internal equity. The salary range for this position is $65,000 - $75,000 for an Assistant Director and $75,000- $85,000 for the title of Associate Director.

To Apply

To ensure full consideration, application materials must be received by September 9, 2025. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the close date. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting and upload a resume, cover letter, and the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references. Applications not submitted through the site will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Amanda Wahba at wahba3@illinois.edu and/or visit our How To Apply site for application tips. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

Please note: Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

The Illinois Advancement community is committed to an ongoing, proactive process to foster and achieve diversity and inclusion in its development, alumni relations and communication activities. We will respect and encourage different voices, perspectives and ideas as we strive to represent individuals of all backgrounds and cultures which incudes but are not limited to the following: nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, spirituality, age and ability who represent our alumni, donors and friends of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify .

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal , or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu .

CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY:

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the state and the nation. It employs about 3,000 faculty members who serve over 33,000 undergraduates and 17,000 graduate and professional students. More information about the campus is available at

The university is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana (total population 226,000) in east-central Illinois, and is situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 125 miles west of Indianapolis, and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University and its surrounding communities offer a cultural and recreational environment ideally suited to the work of a major research institution. For more information about the community, visit:  Living in Champaign-Urbana , Experience Champaign Urbana , or Champaign County Chamber of Commerce .

Health insurance is available to employees (with the option to purchase coverage for spouse and dependents), required participation in State Universities Retirement System (SURS), with several options for participation in additional retirement plans. Learn more about employee benefits at the University of Illinois . Newly hired employees are covered by the Medicare portion of Social Security and are subject to this deduction.

The University of Illinois has a strong commitment to work-life balance and family-friendly programs for faculty and staff: Work-Life Balance & Family-Friendly Programs and Other Work-Life Programs .

When you pursue a career with Illinois Advancement, you’ll join our tight-knit community of professionals who treat each other with as much care and respect as we treat our donors. At Illinois, we invest in you. Our leaders are eager to partner with you on the next phase of your career and have the tools and experience to help you succeed. Illinois Advancement values creativity and fosters a collaborative, flexible environment to develop new ideas that become best practices – and we’re looking for your unique skills. Learn more about what others have to say about their experiences: Opportunity Awaits .

Salary/Compensation: $65,000 - $85,000 per year

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University of Illinois

Job Tags

Full time, Work at office, Immediate start, Remote work, Flexible hours, Afternoon shift,

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