Description

Position Details

1. Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy that positions corporate fundraising and sponsorships as a core driver of UTampa’s advancement and revenue goals.
• Integrate corporate partnerships with central development priorities, campaign objectives, and institutional strategic plans.
• Align corporate philanthropy, sponsorship, and workforce-development initiatives with UTampa’s academic, student success, and athletics priorities.
• Advise the Executive Vice President for Advancement on trends, opportunities, and best practices in corporate relations, sponsorships, and philanthropy.

2. Corporate Fundraising & Partnership Development

• Lead UTampa’s corporate fundraising and sponsorship strategy, with responsibility for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major corporate gifts and long-term sponsorship relationships.
• Build and manage high-impact corporate partnerships that generate philanthropic support, sponsorship revenue, research collaborations, sponsored programs, internships, and talent pipelines.
• Serve as UTampa’s primary liaison to senior corporate executives, foundations, and industry partners.
• Negotiate and structure complex corporate agreements that may include sponsorships, naming opportunities, scholarships, capital-project funding, endowed funds, executive education, athletics support, and academic program investments.
• Partner with Advancement colleagues to move corporate prospects through the full fundraising cycle, from qualification through solicitation and stewardship.

3. Leadership of Central Development Teams

Oversee and manage the following central development areas:

Gift Planning Lead 

• UTampa’s planned giving strategy, ensuring the successful cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of planned-gift donors.
• Partner with legal, finance, and external advisors to structure complex gifts, including bequests, trusts, charitable gift annuities, and real estate.
• Support donor education around tax-advantaged and legacy giving.

Annual Giving

• Provide strategic oversight for UTampa’s annual fund programs, including multi-channel campaigns, giving days, digital appeals, and donor acquisition strategies.
• Ensure annual giving efforts support both broad-based philanthropy and corporate, alumni, and employer-supported giving.
• Integrate annual giving messaging with corporate sponsorships, partnerships, and community engagement strategies.

Intercollegiate Athletics

• Provide executive leadership and strategic oversight for Advancement operations supporting UTampa Intercollegiate Athletics, positioning athletics fundraising as a core central development function.
• In collaboration with the UTampa Athletic Director/Vice President of Athletics, develop and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies for athletics programs, facilities, and priorities.
• Lead and coordinate corporate sponsorships, annual giving, major gifts, naming opportunities, and special initiatives in support of athletics.
• Ensure alignment between athletics fundraising, corporate partnerships, and University-wide advancement strategies and campaigns.
• Support coaches and athletics leadership in donor cultivation, stewardship, and external engagement in accordance with institutional policies and standards.

4. Philanthropy, Sponsorships & Revenue Generation

• Drive significant corporate philanthropic revenue and sponsorship funding in collaboration with development officers, academic units, student support services, and athletics.
• Identify, develop, and close high-value corporate opportunities, including scholarships, endowed funds, faculty support, facilities, and programmatic sponsorships.
• Ensure alignment between corporate engagement activities and UTampa’s comprehensive fundraising campaigns and institutional priorities.

5. Student Talent & Workforce Development

• Partner with Career Services and academic leadership to expand internships, co-ops, career placements, mentorship programs, and employer-sponsored initiatives.
• Leverage corporate partnerships to strengthen UTampa’s reputation as a premier source of professional talent for the Tampa Bay region and beyond.

6. External Representation & Brand Positioning

• Represent UTampa with chambers of commerce, economic-development organizations, corporate boards, civic groups, and industry associations.
• Position UTampa as a preferred partner for corporate philanthropy, sponsorships, and strategic investment.
• Oversee the development of customized sponsorship proposals, partnership agreements, and executive-level pitch materials.

7. Internal Collaboration

• Coordinate corporate fundraising, sponsorship, and philanthropic engagement across Advancement, Academic Affairs, Athletics, Career Services, Marketing, and other campus partners.
• Support deans, faculty, and coaches in identifying and cultivating corporate and donor relationships aligned with institutional policies, brand standards, and fundraising best practices.

8. Team Leadership & Operational Oversight

• Lead teams responsible for corporate partnerships, Gift Planning, Annual Giving, and Intercollegiate Athletics advancement.
• Establish annual fundraising, sponsorship, and engagement goals, along with budgets and performance metrics across these units.
• Provide regular reporting and strategic analysis to the Executive Vice President for Advancement and senior leadership.
• Foster a collaborative, results-driven, and data-informed culture within Advancement.

Requirements

Qualifications

Required

• Master’s degree in business, higher education administration, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in advancement, corporate fundraising, sponsorships, business development, or major gift fundraising.
• Demonstrated success closing major corporate gifts, sponsorships, or strategic partnerships.
• Proven experience leading and managing development teams and complex, multi-unit fundraising initiatives.
• Exceptional relationship-building, communication, and leadership skills.

Preferred

• Experience in a private university or higher education environment.
• Direct or indirect experience in planned giving, annual giving, and/or athletic fundraising
• Experience negotiating sponsorship agreements, managing complex gifts, and leading integrated fundraising strategies that include athletics.

Key Competencies

• Major and principal gift cultivation and solicitation
• Team leadership and staff development
• Strategic planning and revenue generation
• Complex gift and partnership structuring
• Data-driven decision making
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Diplomacy, professionalism, and integrity