Special Instructions to Applicants:
All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:
Boasting a 300‑acre, tree‑lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6‑to‑1 undergraduate student‑to‑faculty ratio and a residential college system that supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close‑knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. These values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary:
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.

Minimum 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

Skills:

• 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

Preferences:

• Five years of related experience in annual giving, sales, or an external revenue‑generating function

• Familiarity with constituent databases such as Paciolan and Blackbaud

Essential Functions:

• 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

Additional Functions:

• 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

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.

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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.