Executive Director of Development

The University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development (EHD) seeks a strategic, energetic, and experienced fundraising professional to serve as its next Executive Director of Development (ED). This is a pivotal opportunity for an inspiring and principled leader with a deep commitment to EHD’s mission and values. The ED will play a vital role in articulating a compelling case for support, securing major and principal gifts, and strengthening donor engagement across a broad and growing philanthropic community.

The ideal candidate will be a seasoned development professional with a strong record of success in major campaigns, preferably in higher education or nonprofit settings. They will bring an entrepreneurial spirit, a collaborative approach, and demonstrated success cultivating diverse fundraising sources-including individuals, foundations, and corporations. As a “player-coach,” the ED will lead by example, build a high-performing team, strengthen donor pipelines, and foster a culture of excellence and accountability.

This is a unique opportunity to help shape the future of one of the top-ranked schools of education in the nation. EHD surpassed its $100M “Honor the Future” campaign goal a full year early and is on track to conclude the campaign with $150M raised. Building on this momentum, the ED will guide EHD’s advancement strategy in preparation for UVA’s next campaign.

With an alumni base of 30,000-representing more than 11% of UVA’s total alumni-EHD has developed a strong donor base with untapped potential. This role offers the opportunity to shape the school’s future, lead a talented team, and secure gifts in support of EHD’s top priorities.

Position Summary

The Executive Director of Development will provide strategic leadership for all advancement activities within EHD. Reporting to the Associate Vice President (AVP) for Development in University Advancement and indirectly to the EHD Dean, the ED will serve as the school’s chief development officer and lead a dynamic team focused on major and principal gifts, annual giving, stewardship, and donor engagement. The ED will serve as a member of the Dean’s Leadership Team.

The ED will manage a portfolio of approximately 100 major and principal gift prospects and conduct 100-125 donor visits annually, including joint visits with the Dean and other senior faculty. A primary focus of this role will be frontline fundraising, with an emphasis on securing major and principal gifts of $100,000 and above. The ED will partner closely with University Advancement teams-especially corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, and alumni engagement-and serve as a liaison to the EHD Foundation Board.

The ED will have the following key responsibilities:

• Lead all advancement functions-including major and principal gifts, annual giving, donor relations, and alumni engagement-and oversee a robust annual fund program.
  
• Secure major and principal level gifts for EHD by identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding prospective and current donors through personal visits, correspondence, and events.
  
• Build and manage a high-performing advancement team with a culture of accountability, excellence, and collaboration
  
• Oversee operations, including project management, continuous improvement initiatives, problem-solving, financial planning, staff supervision, and HR matters, while ensuring compliance with University Advancement policies, regulations, and legal requirements.
  
• Partner with the EHD Dean and University Advancement AVP to develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising strategy, including tailored outreach, strategic alumni engagement, and cultivation aligned with EHD and university priorities.
  
• Partner with the EHD Senior Associate Dean and Director of Finance to ensure budgetary decisions are well-communicated and aligned with EHD goals.
  
• Serve as EHD’s primary representative within the UVA advancement community, fostering collaboration and alignment across central and school-based development teams.
  
• Manage relationships with the UVA EHD Foundation Board, an independent not-for-profit foundation with a Board of Trustees, many of whom are EHD alumni.
  
• Develop and strengthen relationships with corporations, government agencies, and foundations.
  
• Prepare compelling proposals and cases for support of EHD’s priorities to foundations, corporations, and individuals.
  

The ideal candidate will possess the following demonstrated abilities and qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced degree is preferred.
  
• A minimum of eight years of experience in fundraising or a related field, ideally in a university or nonprofit setting.
  
• A thoughtful and professional approach to donor engagement, with the ability to clearly articulate the dean’s fundraising priorities.
  
• A proven ability to implement a vision for a successful and comprehensive fundraising program.
  
• Experience leading fundraising initiatives tied to institutional priorities and cultivating new sources of philanthropy.
  
• A proven ability to cultivate, solicit, and steward major and principal gifts through strong relationship-building.
  
• Demonstrated success leading teams using best practices in recruitment, staff development, motivation, and performance management.
  
• Executive presence and the ability to positively represent the school to alumni, donors, students, faculty, peers, staff, and other key stakeholders in any environment.
  
• A capacity to develop relationships with leaders across a broad range of business and professional fields.
  

This is an Exempt level, benefited position. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit www.hr.virginia.edu/benefits . This position is a restricted position and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance. The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

UVA Advancement offers a flexible and hybrid workplace. All team members must have access to and maintain a secure home office environment with high-speed internet service and work collaboratively with others using a variety of technologies and tools. Depending on the type of position and work performed, or as deemed by the manager, some positions may be required to work intermittently in our office space located in Charlottesville, Virginia. This position is eligible to work remotely on occasion, however frequent work on UVA Grounds and our office space located in Charlottesville, Virginia required . The ideal candidate will live within driving distance.

UVA School of Education and Human Development

At the UVA School of Education and Human Development, our faculty, students, staff, and partners drive inquiry, discovery, and innovation to improve lives and advance human potential. EHD offers more than 40 graduate degrees, six undergraduate majors, and two undergraduate minors in areas such as teacher education, communication sciences and disorders, athletic training, and clinical psychology. The school is home to four academic departments and three research centers, and it serves more than 1,500 students with the support of over 140 full-time faculty and approximately 250 staff members.

In April 2025, EHD rose two spots to No. 6 in the U.S. News & World Report rankings of the nation’s best graduate schools of education, tying with eight other institutions, including Harvard University, New York University, and Northwestern University. Among public universities, EHD is tied for No. 4 nationally and holds the top spot as the best graduate school of education in Virginia. Our online graduate programs are also ranked in the top 10 by U.S. News & World Report , and our online education master’s program for veterans is ranked second nationally.

The University of Virginia

In 1819, Thomas Jefferson founded the University of Virginia and inaugurated a bold experiment - a public university designed to advance human knowledge, educate leaders and cultivate an informed citizenry. More than two centuries later, this vision is thriving. Across Grounds - and throughout the world - UVA students, faculty, staff and alumni challenge convention, break barriers and pursue the greater good.

UVA ranks as one of the top universities in the nation. A vigorous, modern, and student-centric institution, UVA is animated by the forward-looking spirit of its founder, Thomas Jefferson. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the University was designed as a model for cross-disciplinary residential education that would cultivate the leadership and innovative thought needed for an emerging nation.

On October 19, 2018, the University of Virginia inaugurated James E. Ryan as its ninth president. A respected and accomplished educator and legal scholar, President Ryan previously served as dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education and is a graduate of UVA Law.

The University of Virginia heads into its third century with a strong financial foundation. This includes an endowment of approximately $7.6 billion that yields $190 million in annual endowment contributions. In addition, the University's Strategic Investment Fund provides an additional $100 million annually for research and other strategic investments.

The University is an iconic public institution of higher education, boasting nationally ranked schools and programs, diverse and distinguished faculty, a major academic medical center and proud history as a renowned research university. The community and culture of the University are enriched by active student self-governance, sustained commitment to the arts and a robust NCAA Division I Athletics program.

As one of the nation’s leading public institutions, UVA pushes the boundaries of what’s possible - always in the name of the greater good. One of the things that makes this possible is an unswerving commitment to initiatives that grow, strengthen and shape our institution for the future.

To Apply:

Please apply through the UVA Job Board and search R0071957 . Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile by searching 'Find Jobs'.

Complete an application online with the following documents:

• CV
  
• Cover letter
  

Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process Skill Survey. A total of five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process.

For questions about the application process, please contact Jon Freeman , Recruiting Specialist, at jf2sw @virginia.edu.

Charlottesville

Nestled amid the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and about a hundred miles South of Washington, D.C., the greater Charlottesville region offers a thriving community and vanguard of arts and culture that is both innovative and grounded in rich tradition. Charlottesville consistently ranks as one of the top places in the country for quality of life and was recently named America’s happiest city.

Just beyond city lines, quiet rolling hills and family farms complement city life within Albemarle County’s more than 700 square miles of vibrant natural beauty, including Shenandoah National Park’s Skyline Drive and abundant history and heritage.

A wonderful place to raise a family, Charlottesville and Albemarle County have schools that are consistently ranked top in Virginia. The Charlottesville Metro-area has a population of just over 200,000. For more information about UVA and the Charlottesville community please see http://www.virginia.edu/life/charlottesville and https://embarkcva.com/.

The University of Virginia, i ncluding the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physicians Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff. We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experience. We are equal opportunity employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.