Job Description

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc (UTFI) invites applications and nominations to fill the position of Associate Director of Fund Administration for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Reporting to the Executive Director of Fund Administration, the Associate Director is responsible for providing operational leadership for the gift agreement and fund establishment lifecycle at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, managing the end-to-end process from gift agreement intake through fund and account creation in support of the university's philanthropic mission.

This role will serve as the primary operational leadership for the gift agreement and fund establishment lifecycle at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, managing the end-to-end process from gift agreement intake through fund and account creation in support of the university's philanthropic mission.

Responsibilities

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Gift Agreement Intake and Drafting Coordination: Oversees the full intake process for new and amended gift agreements, triaging and prioritizing requests from development officers and campus partners. Manages drafting from approved templates to ensure fund purpose, restrictions, and naming provisions align with donor intent, institutional policy, UPMIFA, and IRS requirements. Serves as the primary contact for agreement status and maintains intake tracking and service-level standards.

Agreement Review, Routing and Execution: Leads internal and campus review of gift agreements, coordinating routing to UTFI, General Counsel, and campus leadership, and manages signature tracking through full execution. Escalates complex donor intent issues or non-standard terms to senior leadership as needed. Ensures executed agreements are properly recorded, imaged, and retained per records of management standards.

Fund Administration, Data Integrity and Process Leadership: Manages creation of new endowed and non-endowed funds in systems of record, ensuring attributes, purpose codes, and spending terms match executed agreements, and reconciles discrepancies before handoff to payout administration. Supports fund modifications, amendments, and planned gift implementation alongside stewardship and CRM updates. Drives process improvement, training, and documentation across the agreement-to-fund lifecycle while supervising fund administration staff.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

The candidate who fills the Associate Director of Fund Administration position is required to have:

• Bachelor's degree

• 5+ years of progressive experience in Advancement Services, Gift Administration, Fund Administration, Development Operations, Higher Education finance or business administration, or nonprofit administration or similarly relevant field

• 2+ years of supervisory experience to include interns, students, and volunteers

A valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record is required due to travel responsibilities of the position. UTFI reserves the right to consider all appropriate circumstances. In general, any significant driving offense less than 12 months old will eliminate the application from consideration for the position.

Note - Candidates holding a graduate degree must have at least 3 years of experience.

Preferred Education and Experience

In addition to meeting the required qualifications, the preferred candidate will have:

• 7+ years of experience in advancement services or fund administration

• Experience in a major public research university

• Experience working with university foundations

• Experience with campaign gift administration

• Experience implementing workflow automation

• Experience leading process improvement initiatives

• Experience with endowed fund creation and administration

• Experience managing complex gift agreements, planned gifts, and donor restricted funds

Application Process: Priority will be given to applications received on or before July 30th via our DASH application system. Applications must include a completed candidate profile, cover letter, and resume. Candidates selected to move forward in the evaluation process will be asked to provide contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without explicit permission of the candidate.

When determining minimum qualifications, only information entered into the candidate profile can be considered. Please ensure your candidate profile is completed in its entirety as it relates to qualifying education/work experience.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment visa status.



Target Start Date: Fall 2026

Benefits: The Foundation's greatest asset is our team. Foundation employees are eligible for a comprehensive suite of benefits that includes:

• Generous paid leave, accruing up to 24 days of vacation and 12 days of sick leave annually, plus 14 paid holidays and administrative closing days

• Flexible work arrangements, offering a hybrid schedule to most team members

• Education benefits for employees and their dependents at UT System campuses

• Retirement and deferred compensation plans, including 401(k), 403(b), etc.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans

• Employee discounts to attractions, services, and goods