Position Description

Manages and directs the day to day operations of a research center/institute or medium sized department. Plans, coordinates and supervises the operation and activities of the center/institute/department. Develops and implements policies and procedures, administers the budget, organizes tasks and sets priorities.

About the University

Established in 1923, Texas Tech University is a Carnegie R1 (very high research activity) Doctoral/Research-Extensive, Hispanic Serving, and state-assisted institution. Located on a beautiful 1,850-acre campus in Lubbock, a city in West Texas with a growing metropolitan-area population of over 300,000, the university enrolls over 40,000 students with 33,000 undergraduate and 7,000 graduate students. As the primary research institution in the western two-thirds of the state, Texas Tech University is home to 10 colleges, the Schools of Law and Veterinary Medicine, and the Graduate School. The flagship of the Texas Tech University System, Texas Tech is dedicated to student success by preparing learners to be ethical leaders for a diverse and globally competitive workforce. It is committed to enhancing the cultural and economic development of the state, nation, and world.
About Lubbock:Referred to as the “Hub City” because it serves as the educational, cultural, economic, and health care hub of the South Plains region, Lubbock boasts a diverse population and a strong connection to community, history, and land. With a mild climate, highly rated public schools, and a low cost of living, Lubbock is a family-friendly community that is ranked as one of the best places to live in Texas. Lubbock is home to a celebrated and ever-evolving music scene, a vibrant arts community, and is within driving distance of Dallas, Austin, Santa Fe, and other major metropolitan cities. Lubbock’s Convention & Visitors Bureau provides a comprehensive overview of the Lubbock community and its resources, programs, events, and histories.

About the Department and/or College

Texas Tech University invites applications for the role of Senior Director of Annual Giving to guide the development and execution of robust multi-channel fundraising strategies that secure, steward, and retain new and recurring entry and mid-level donors. The position combines strategic leadership with hands-on management to oversee both the Annual Giving and Leadership Annual Giving teams. In support of activities to further pipeline development, the position maintains a target portfolio of leadership annual giving prospects and conducts personal solicitations efforts; manages the gift renewal process and fosters relationships with key constituencies.

As Texas Tech University prepares for its first comprehensive campaign, the Senior Director will establish and implement best practices, laying a solid foundation for future fundraising endeavors across campus. As an innovative leader, the Senior Director will explore and implement new technologies that optimize fundraising efforts and enhance donor engagement strategies. 

Major/Essential Functions

• Utilize data-driven strategies to enhance annual giving operations, establishing and pursuing key benchmarks that prioritize the donor experience while building a strong pipeline for future major gift donors.
• Collaborate with advancement and university communication and marketing teams to integrate university messages and initiatives into annual giving campaigns effectively.
• Provide leadership and training for annual giving professionals in industry best practices, facilitating the review and analysis of appeal results to continually refine and improve fundraising strategies.
• Evaluate and recommend new technologies to engage TTU’s diverse constituent base effectively, enhancing outreach and donor engagement efforts.
• Along with leadership, develop staffing strategies aligned with long-term annual giving goals, including phased additions of staff and programmatic enhancements to support growth of the annual giving program.
• Provide leadership, oversight, and direction to the leadership annual giving team, ensuring portfolio creation and annual reviewal and establishing metrics to measure performance.
• Maintain a portfolio focused on 50 leadership annual giving prospects.
• Adhere to procedures and best practices in documenting donor interactions, annual giving, donor engagement, stewardship, alumni relations, events, gift processing, and utilizing the donor database.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required, master’s preferred; Six years progressively responsible management experience. Additional education beyond Bachelor’s may substitute for experience on a year for year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree
• 6 years of experience in higher education annual giving with a proven track record of successfully leading and managing teams to achieve fundraising goals.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to interpret fundraising data, assess campaign effectiveness, and make data-driven decisions to optimize annual giving strategies.
• Strong leadership skills with experience in hiring, training, mentoring, and motivating fundraising professionals to achieve high performance and foster a collaborative team environment.
• Experience with donor databases, fundraising software, and digital tools – specifically Advancement RM by Affinaquest, Marketing Cloud, ThankView, Google Ads, and Asana.

Safety Information

Adherence to robust safety practices and compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations are responsibilities of all TTU employees.

Does this position work in a research laboratory?

No

Special Instructions to Applicants

• Knowledge of the theories, principles, and practices of fundraising for higher education and extensive knowledge of the best practices within the annual giving field.
• Data analysis skills with the ability to partner with data and reporting teams.
• Demonstrated ability to design, implement and evaluate a comprehensive annual giving program, establishing goals and objectives that translate into operating plans and appropriate staff assignments and resource allocation.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously, adapt to changing priorities, and stay on track for tight deadlines.
• Strong verbal communications skills and demonstrated ability to write clearly and persuasively, professional and congenial demeanor, high level of motivation, integrity and commitment.
• Proven interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a diverse constituency and all levels of the organization; ability to work independently and in a collaborative team environment; demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships.
• Ability to take constructive feedback from leadership and campus partners.
• Ability to provide direction, and to motivate, develop and educate professional and support staff through communication, modeling appropriate behavior, optimism, and high achievement.
• Ability to represent the university to external constituents and articulate fundraising goals to the public and establish relationships with members of the community; work effectively with internal constituents across all levels including staff, faculty, and administrators.
• Must be able to work weekends and evenings when assigned.

Pay Statement

Compensation is commensurate upon the qualifications of the individual selected and budgetary guidelines of the hiring department, as well as the institutional pay plan. For additional information, please reference the institutional pay plan by visiting www.depts.ttu.edu/hr/payplan.