Job SummaryThe Office of Advancement encourages applications for an Assistant Athletic Director of Annual Giving and Premium Seating! This role plays a significant role in strategizing, leading and executing programmatic donor relations and alumni engagement efforts for the CU Athletics. This position is critical to the engagement efforts for the Office of Advancement at CU Boulder and manages a team of 3 full-time staff responsible for donor relations, alumni engagement, events, and annual giving programs and premium seating sales and service.
Reporting to the Deputy Athletic Director, this position and its team are tasked with stewarding donors, engaging alumni and other constituents, promoting the reputation of the CU Athletics, and increasing overall donor support for CU Boulder. This position will successfully navigate the complexity of working with various internal and external constituents and balancing the needs of separate entities while still fulfilling the strategic needs of the unit and the Office of Advancement.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will BeStrategy and Execution- Lead initiative planning for programs that grow the overall Buff Club membership, enhance donor stewardship, engagement and events.
- Lead implementation of programmatic strategy to engage and cultivate donors and alumni in ways that support the unit's vision and strategic direction.
- Supervise the development of team goals and metrics to:
- Increase and measure donor retention, satisfaction, and engagement.
- Increase donor engagement.
- Create strategy for 5-10 high-impact annual events for donor stewardship and alumni engagement. Oversee events to ensure they are consistently providing an excellent experience for our donors and alumni.
- Regularly collaborate with senior leadership team to develop strategies, processes and procedures that will evolve our engagement activities to better demonstrate outcomes and produce results to move the organization forward.
Team Management and Leadership- Implement all aspects of managing and leading a team of employees responsible for alumni engagement, events, board engagement, compliance and donor relations. Examples include:
- Provide coaching and mentorship, especially to new team members.
- Carry out administrative personnel actions (performance management, hiring, training, onboarding, offboarding, etc.).
- Serve as a member of the Advancement Management Team. Attend scheduled meetings and collaborate with colleagues on a regular basis.
- Set the overall direction for the team engagement activities annually. This includes defining success metrics, setting goals and developing processes for metrics reporting. Keys to success include leading the team to develop priorities and schedules prior to the beginning of the new fiscal year, being clear on roles, responsibilities and expectations, setting overall timelines and providing the needed processes to support the staff work.
- Develop a team culture which encourages innovative ideas for engagement and cultivates a sense of confidence in trying new activities without the fear of consequences from failure.
Other Engagement Duties as Assigned- Partner with colleagues within athletics and across advancement to engage, steward and manage important donors, volunteers and allies to the Buff Club.
- Attend and be an influential member of the monthly meetings with alumni directors across campus to share information, discuss standard practices and identify potential partnerships and joint initiatives.
- Attend and be an influential member of monthly meetings with donor relations staff across campus to share information, discuss standard processes and collaboration opportunities.
- Work with CU system, CU Foundation and CU Boulder Advancement staff to assist with the effective identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of donors to the Buff Club.
- Meet annual contact metrics.
What You Should Know- This position is working on-site.
- This position will require local, regional, and out-of-state travel to meet with donors.
- This position will occasionally be required to work evenings/weekends.
What We Can Offer The salary range for this position is $115,000 - $135,000 annually. Relocation assistance is available within Advancement guidelines.
BenefitsAt the University of Colorado Boulder , we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes' America's Best Large Employers , ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.
Be StatementsBe dynamic. Be impactful. Be Boulder.
What We Require - Education: Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Experience: 4+ years of professional, job related experience including 1+ years of team lead or supervision experience.
- Experience developing, planning and rolling out strategy.
- Program management experience.
What You Will Need - Ability to strategize plans for employee retention and satisfaction.
- Ability to practice situational leadership and discover what motivates individual team members to achieve goals.
- Ability to establish and enhance interpersonal relationships, including ability to coordinate and manage volunteers.
- Solid knowledge of fundraising, donor relations, and alumni relations standard processes.
- Expert communication skills including the ability to participate in public events and represent Advancement and the university in a professional manner.
- Solid ability to analyze information/situations and solve problems.
- Ability to exercise a high degree of tact, discretion, and collaboration in working with a diverse range of constituents including employees, students, volunteers, alumni, donors, and campus colleagues.
- Solid ability to organize and manage multiple projects/tasks simultaneously; ability to work independently and on a team and adapt to changing priorities.
- Solid knowledge of current issues facing public universities and interests of assigned school, students, faculty, and alumni.
- Solid knowledge of annual giving standard processes.
- Strong attention to detail and to visual appeal of presentation materials.
- Growth mindset, resilience and perseverance.
- Ability to champion the shared values of the Office of Advancement.
What We Would Like You to Have - Experience in donor relations and/or development/fundraising environment.
- Experience in constituent relations/relationship management.
- Experience in a higher education environment.
- Event management experience.
- Experience in an Athletics environment.
Special InstructionsTo apply, please submit the following materials:
- A current resume.
- A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.
We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by
October 30, 2026 for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs .
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.
