Senior Director of Gift Planning

Job Description

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning, the Senior Director of Gift Planning will work with the alumni and friends of the university having the greatest potential to leave significant bequests and other deferred gifts and complex outright gifts to the university. Through management of a portfolio of roughly 65-80 prospects and through working closely with college and university program development officers, the Senior Director of Gift Planning will focus on donors having the capacity to make bequests, deferred, and current gifts of $500,000+ in support of endowment, capital projects, and current operations. The University is gearing up for significant opportunity in the years ahead, as the number of prospective planned gift donors is projected to rise significantly. Gift Planning will be a central part of this anticipated growth. This senior role offers the chance to achieve significant professional success at a leading university in a highly regarded college-town atmosphere.

Additionally, the Senior Director of Gift Planning will:

• Travel, on average, five to eight days per month to cultivate, solicit, steward, and identify prospects for the broad range of university priorities.
• Make at least 60 significant contacts with prospects annually.
• Cultivate and solicit a portfolio of donors with a capacity to make a commitment of at least $500,000.
• Close $7,500,000 in gifts per year using a three-year rolling average.
• Work closely with Directors of Development, Assistant Deans of Advancement, Deans, department heads, program and center directors to develop and implement cultivation and solicitation strategies in support of their programs.
• Develop liaison relationships with the College of Engineering, Pamplin College of Business, and the Department of Athletics, working closely with their staff to identify and cultivate planned giving opportunities in those areas.
• Assist with efforts to provide other Advancement colleagues with appropriately tailored training in order to help all of the division identify planned gift opportunities.

Required Qualifications

Master's or professional degree in a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience in charitable gift planning, trusts and estates, accounting, or wealth management; or a Bachelor's degree with substantial related experience comparable to an advanced degree.

Demonstrated ability for closing high six- and seven-figure gifts.

Demonstrated knowledge of legal, estate, tax, financial, and gift planning concepts.

Demonstrated strong communication, organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills.

Demonstrated ability to work as a team member within a multifaceted organization requiring collaboration, teamwork, and communication.

Preferred Qualifications

Demonstrated knowledge of Virginia Tech, its history, its operations, its current priorities, and its alumni.

Demonstrated fundraising experience in gift planning at a large university or other large charitable organization.

Demonstrated significant related experience, which includes law practice, accounting, financial planning, trusts and estates, or gift planning.

JD degree, CPA or CFP designation preferred.

Overtime Status

Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Appointment Type

Regular

Salary Information

$170,000 - $180,000

Hours per week

40+

Review Date

August 16th, 2026

Additional Information

• Must have criminal background check, must have a driver's license check.
• Reports to the Assistant Vice President for Gift Planning.
• This position requires occasional travel and work hours that includes evenings/weekends.
• Lifting < 20 lbs
• Sitting
• Standing
• Reaching
• Repetitive motion

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance. These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Advancement HR at advhr@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.