Assistant Dean of Development

The Assistant Dean for Development, reporting to the Associate Dean for Development, will lead a growing team of grateful patient and alumni gift officers, setting strategic direction and ensuring that ambitious fundraising goals are achieved. In this role, as a key driver of our institution’s premier donor strategies, they will pursue goal-oriented outcomes, demonstrate entrepreneurial and creative thinking, and cultivate a deep passion for the transformative impact of philanthropy on an academic medical center campus within an integrated academic health medical system. This position not only involves developing and implementing work plans to drive major and principal gift fundraising success and aligning efforts with institutional priorities but also providing guidance and oversight to a growing team. They will analyze performance metrics, prepare leadership reports, and recommend innovative strategies for growth. Additionally, they will develop a comprehensive faculty, staff, and leadership engagement program, collaborating with hospital leaders, department chairs, and directors of programs, centers, and institutes to encourage their involvement in fundraising activities and to foster a culture of philanthropy at the University of Maryland Medicine. Motivated by mission and energized by the opportunity to achieve ambitious goals, the Assistant Dean will bring a proven track record of cultivating a culture that values creativity, inclusiveness, and high performance.

UMB is a public university and constituent institution of the University System of Maryland. All employees are expected to work primarily physically within the State of Maryland.

Key Responsibilities:

Major & Principal Gifts Team Strategic Leadership

• Leadership & Team Management: Provide strategic leadership, mentorship, and oversight to a growing team of major gift officers focused on fundraising from grateful patients, alumni. Oversee the budget for frontline fundraising efforts.

• Fundraising Strategy & Goal Setting: Develop, recommend, and implement fundraising strategies and goals that support institutional priorities, ensuring team alignment and accountability.

• Performance Monitoring & Reporting: Set quarterly and annual goals for fundraising and donor activities and monitor team progress against these goals. Analyze fundraising metrics, prepare leadership reports, and recommend strategies to enhance donor engagement and revenue growth.

• Collaboration & Integration: Collaborate closely with other development staff, faculty, and leadership to integrate gift strategies with broader advancement initiatives.

• Professional Development: Provide consistent coaching and support to enhance the team’s skills and effectiveness in fundraising.

Major and Principal Gift Fundraising

• Major and Principal Gift Fundraising: Develop and oversee fundraising programs for clinical service lines, hospital programs, and research initiatives, along with capital campaigns and major gift initiatives. Carry a robust portfolio of prospects to cultivate and solicit for major and principal-level gifts.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Cultivate and nurture relationships with key donors, prospects, and institutional leaders to drive major gift philanthropy.

• Donor Engagement: Collaborate with the donor relations and stewardship team to develop and implement a comprehensive program for meaningful donor and prospect engagement through a series of on-site and regional opportunities.

Faculty, Staff and Leadership Engagement

• Departmental and Program Liaison: Collaborate with gift officers, hospital leaders, department chairs, and program and institute directors to establish annual departmental development plans and create performance measures for major gift officers. Regularly meet with leaders from departments, programs, centers, and institutes to ensure that institutional fundraising goals and strategies are effectively pursued.

• Grateful Patient Fundraising Strategy: Develop and implement a comprehensive grateful patient fundraising plan in collaboration with faculty, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities. Identify and cultivate high-potential donor prospects by leveraging patient engagement opportunities and working closely with medical and academic leadership.

• Faculty and Program Leader Engagement & Training: Design and lead faculty and program leader training programs to enhance fundraising effectiveness, providing guidance on donor identification, engagement strategies, and philanthropic conversations. Foster a culture of philanthropy by equipping faculty with the tools and confidence to integrate grateful patient fundraising into their professional interactions.

Qualifications - External

Education: Bachelor's degree required with a preference for an advanced degree.

Experience: Ten (10) or more years of broad-based related experience spent progressively building a background in the various functions of development and alumni relations with at least five (5) years in major gifts. Major Gifts experience in higher education or other complex organization(s) preferred. Experience building and implementing a Grateful Patient Program is strongly encouraged and preferred.

Supervisory: Five (5) years of supervisory or managerial experience

Other: Financial disclosure reporting required by State of Maryland Ethics Commission.

This position serves at the discretion of the Dean.

This position will be exempt from notice, as per policy VII-1.22 – Policy on Separation for Regular Exempt Employees.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in a healthcare or academic medical setting.

• Familiarity with donor database systems and fundraising analytics tools.

• This is a unique leadership opportunity for a seasoned development professional who is passionate about major gift fundraising and team leadership in a mission-driven environment.