University of Texas at Austin

Job Posting Title:

Senior Associate Vice President & Chief Development Officer

Hiring Department:

Dell Medical School

Position Open To:

All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours:

40

FLSA Status:

Exempt

Earliest Start Date:

Immediately

Position Duration:

Expected to Continue

Location:

AUSTIN, TX

Job Details:

To help realize the bold vision of UT Medicine, the inaugural Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Development Officer (SAVP/CDO) will lead a next-generation philanthropic enterprise supporting Dell Medical School and UT Medicine. Reporting to Dr. Claudia Lucchinetti, Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of Dell Medical School, the VP/CDO will serve as a core member of her senior leadership team and shape the development strategy for UT Medicine. At the heart of this opportunity is a bold and urgent challenge: to generate $500M in philanthropic support as Phase I of a historic, multi-billion-dollar campaign to construct and sustain the UT Austin Medical Center (UTMC) by 2030 and beyond.

This is a transformational opportunity for a strategic, innovative, and mission-driven fundraising leader to join UT Medicine at a defining moment in its growth—from an ambitious medical school to an integrated academic medical system that will redefine healthcare delivery, research, and education in Austin, Central Texas and beyond.

The Senior Associate Vice President and Chief Development Officer (SAVP/CDO) will have a rare, career-defining opportunity to build and lead a world-class advancement program that reflects UT Medicine’s values, fuels its mission, and inspires transformational investment.

With a new tertiary hospital under construction and UT Medicine taking shape, the SAVP/CDO will design and drive a comprehensive philanthropic strategy to advance clinical care, research, and education, positioning Dell Medical School and UT Medicine as national leaders in academic medicine.

This leader will scale and modernize the development operation into a high-performing, data-driven program. From launching a robust grateful patient strategy to forging cross-campus partnerships and unlocking interdisciplinary philanthropy, the SAVP/CDO will bring bold vision, fundraising expertise, and a collaborative spirit to this dynamic environment.

Success will require building strong relationships with clinical and academic leaders, earning trust with physicians and researchers, and turning their work into compelling philanthropic opportunities that inspire donors. At a university with over half a million living alumni and growing national prominence, the S/CDO will align strategies with Texas Development and campus partners while prioritizing a robust grateful patient pipeline to diversify and expand transformational giving.

The ideal candidate will have at least 12 years of leadership experience in complex development environments, with a track record of success in healthcare and academic medicine fundraising. They will be a strategic architect and trusted advisor—agile, forward-thinking, and ready to galvanize a growing philanthropic community in support of one of Texas’s most important healthcare initiatives.

The SAVP/CDO will help write the next chapter of UT Medicine, creating a culture of philanthropy that fuels its impact for decades to come.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Key Responsibilities

Build a Scalable, Strategic, and Sustainable Development Enterprise

• Serve as the architect of a fully integrated advancement operation aligned with the institutional goals of UT Medicine and the immediate fundraising priorities of the capital medical center campaign.
• Craft a compelling and unifying case for support—one that connects the mission of UT Medicine with community needs and national impact, galvanizing philanthropic support from the Central Texas region and beyond.
• Deepen relationships with existing donors and launch strategic efforts to grow a robust pipeline of principal and transformational gift prospects.
• Assess and refine internal structures, systems, and workflows to ensure efficiency, transparency, and long-term sustainability, supported by data analytics, clear goals, and measurable outcomes.

Strategic Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the Dean, guiding her philanthropic engagement and helping position UT Medicine as a top national priority among prospective donors and institutional stakeholders.
• Actively engage faculty, clinical, and administrative leaders as ambassadors for philanthropy—equipping them with tools, messaging, and confidence to inspire support for their departments, programs, and patients.
• Play a key leadership role on both the Dean’s and Vice President for Development’s senior teams, aligning fundraising strategy with broader institutional goals and ensuring UT Medicine is fully represented in university-wide development planning.
• Lead a high-performing, donor-centric fundraising operation that drives results across the full giving spectrum, with an emphasis on grateful patient philanthropy, principal and transformational gifts, and programmatic investments.
• Personally manage and steward a portfolio of transformational gift prospects, serving as a lead strategist and ambassador for UT Medicine.
• Design and deliver a best-in-class donor experience—blending personalized stewardship, cutting-edge digital engagement, and thoughtful recognition strategies that reflect the institution’s values and ambitions.
• Build strong internal collaboration between fundraising, communications, and marketing teams to tell powerful stories of impact and opportunity.

Team Development & Organizational Culture

• Inspire and lead a growing team of fundraising professionals, cultivating a high-performance culture grounded in purpose, trust, innovation, and inclusion.
• Recruit and retain top-tier talent while building a clear organizational structure that supports professional development and operational excellence.
• Establish and track key performance indicators, creating an environment that celebrates achievement while supporting creativity and thoughtful risk-taking.
• Promote a work culture that values authenticity, collaboration, and shared purpose—where every team member understands their role in advancing one of the most important academic medical initiatives in the country.

Reporting Relationships

The SAVP/CDO reports directly to the Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin and serves as a key member of her senior leadership team. The SAVP/CDO also maintains dotted-line reporting relationships to the Chief Administrative Officer for Dell Medical School & UT Medicine and the University’s Vice President for Development, aligning fundraising strategy and operations across UT Medicine and Texas Development.

Significant Working Relationships:

• Dell Medical School academic, research, and clinical leadership
• UT Austin President’s Office and Executive Leadership
• Vice President for Development and Texas Development senior leadership team
• Department chairs, faculty, and physician leaders across UT Medicine
• University of Texas System leadership
• Clinical partners and affiliates, and future UT Medicine collaborators
• Philanthropic advisory councils, volunteer leaders, and high-net-worth donors

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Deep institutional appreciation and the ability to effectively articulate the mission, excellence, and strategic relevance of UT Austin, Dell Medical School and UT Medicine to a broad audience.
• A demonstrated ability to scale an emerging development program, growing revenue, building infrastructure, and creating a high-performance culture.
• Political savvy and the ability to collaborate seamlessly with senior academic, clinical, and administrative leadership, leveraging their time and voice to maximize philanthropic potential.
• A persuasive and compelling communicator, with the capacity to translate complex scientific and clinical concepts into accessible narratives for donors and stakeholders.
• A transparent, approachable, and empowering leadership style, with a strong track record of recruiting, mentoring, and retaining exceptional talent.
• Decisive, entrepreneurial, and comfortable leading through ambiguity; able to balance long-term vision with immediate goals and opportunities.
• Deep knowledge of grateful patient fundraising, donor privacy and compliance (e.g., HIPAA), and the unique dynamics of development in academic medicine.
• Familiarity with emerging technologies and data platforms—such as AI, analytics, and machine learning—to inform strategy and optimize fundraising outcomes.
• Financially astute, with a strong sense of operational efficiency and a commitment to maximizing the impact of resources.

Qualifications

The ideal SAVP/CDO is a strategic, values-driven fundraising leader with a proven track record of building and leading high-performing advancement teams in complex, mission-driven environments, ideally in healthcare, academic medicine, or higher education. They bring deep expertise in development, best practices and a history of elevating fundraising operations through innovation, collaboration, and disciplined execution.

This leader will have significant experience advising executive leadership and contributing to institutional strategy. They will excel at building relationships across a highly matrixed university and medical system, forging strong alliances with academic, clinical, research, and advancement partners.

Passionate about UT Austin’s mission and the transformative potential of Dell Medical School and UT Medicine, the VP/CDO will be a compelling storyteller who can communicate a powerful philanthropic vision that inspires donors, faculty, and community. A creative problem-solver and data-informed decision-maker, they will foster an inclusive, empowering culture with a focus on long-term sustainability and measurable impact.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Expertise in donor strategy, campaign planning, pipeline development, and stewardship—grounded in metrics, accountability, and philanthropic best practices.
• Minimum of 12 years of progressive development leadership experience, with demonstrated success in healthcare or academic medicine strongly preferred.
• Experience serving on a senior leadership team and contributing at the strategic level in a complex, matrixed organization.
• Proven ability to lead transformational fundraising efforts, including capital campaigns and programmatic initiatives, with direct experience securing eight-figure gifts from individuals, foundations, and corporations.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT/EQUIPMENT

• Standard office environment
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation.
• Use of manual dexterity.

Salary

OPEN

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers: You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers: As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

Employment Eligibility:

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility:

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length. This position has the option to elect the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) instead of TRS, subject to the position being 40 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university’s company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.

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