Community Development Director Jobs in Charlottesville, VA

External Relations at the University of Virginia (UVA) is seeking a highly qualified candidate to fill the role of Director of Development (Community Hospitals). The University of Virginia has a strong and reputable advancement community, boasting effective, results-oriented, and resourceful professionals. Our community comprises a robust central advancement organization, 12 University schools, and more than 25 University-related programs. We offer a wide variety of career opportunities, as well as an outstanding environment for professional growth and development. This is a remarkable opportunity to contribute to building a best-in-class fundraising program in the Northern Piedmont and Northern Virginia markets in support of UVA Health.
Position Summary
UVA Health owns and operates three community hospitals, UVA Health Prince William Medical Center, UVA Health Haymarket Medical Center, and UVA Health Culpeper Medical Center, and several clinics including UVA Health Cancer Center Gainesville. The Director of Development is charged with supporting a sustainable and successful fund-raising program for these community hospitals and clinics and serving as the primary in-market resource for friends, donors, and volunteers.
Reporting to the Executive Director, UVA Community Health Foundation and working closely with UVA Health leaders, the Director has a unique opportunity to further develop this program, building a culture of community philanthropy that prioritizes major gifts. The Director of Development is responsible for implementing a strategy and building a pipeline that will grow to consistently produce gifts over $100k and being accountable for development outcomes by documenting and reporting on individual and team metrics.
Preferred candidates will have previous experience fundraising within higher education or a healthcare setting. They will demonstrate entrepreneurship and creativity in identifying prospects. A compelling candidate will have the desire to establish a foundation of excellence and will possess a proven record of meeting and exceeding goals and improving outcomes. They will also have demonstrated leadership skills and be able to create a highly stable and effective team by articulating clear goals and responsibilities and by providing feedback to support individual accountability.
Responsibilities

• Serve as the lead in-market fundraiser for UVA Health managing a portfolio of donors and prospects. Identify, cultivate, solicit and steward these individuals in support of the mission and priorities of program leadership.
• In cooperation with the Executive Director, develop and execute a comprehensive fundraising strategy for UVA Community Health pulling from multiple prospect populations including patient families, community members, UVA friends and alumni, and beyond while serving as the lead fundraiser for community members and friends/alumni.
• Create and implement a transparent and intentional donor strategy to move prospective donors along the development continuum. Cultivate new and existing donors to higher levels of support for the departments and programs of oversight, including research and care of patients.
• Build and sustain collaborative, transparent relationships with in-market providers in support of a grateful patient program.
• Evaluate HIPAA-compliant patient data for physicians in assigned programs and identify potential major gift prospects for further research and cultivation. Ensure discipline around patient philanthropy processes as needed.
• Collaborate with UVA Health Development Office (UVAHD) colleagues to assure alignment and synergy in fundraising efforts. Work in tandem and in a donor-centric manner to advance UVA Health broadly.
• Establish a consistent presence with volunteers and the community and promote a culture of philanthropy.
• Develop and maintain an informed layperson's understanding of the science behind the care delivered in-market broadly. Act as a translator and synthesizer of ideas when needed to enhance communication for prospects/donors.
• Build and strengthen relationships with UVA and UVA Health leadership and key stakeholders as needed.

• Other duties as assigned.

The ideal candidate possesses excellent interpersonal skills, emphasizing collaboration, teamwork, and a solution-oriented mindset, with exceptional oral and written communication abilities to convey information clearly across varying audiences. They demonstrate a strong customer service orientation, ensuring client satisfaction, and have a solid understanding of fundraising. With excellent organizational skills, keen attention to detail, and efficiency, they engage professionally with donors, volunteers, and stakeholders, maintaining confidentiality and discretion with sensitive information. Their strong critical thinking skills enable effective problem-solving, and they adeptly prioritize tasks while adapting to shifting responsibilities.
Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• At least 3 years of fundraising experience, with a consistent record of securing gifts of $100,000+.
• Experience working within a major fundraising or capital campaign.
• Demonstrated ability to manage high-level relationships and navigate complex interpersonal dynamics.
• Proven experience of managing and developing fundraising strategies for specific programs.
• Strong communication skills and ability to articulate mission and priorities.
• Proven ability to navigate complex interpersonal dynamics with high emotional intelligence and professionalism.
• Ability to use a database to maintain and review records and reports such as donor data, prospect contacts, solicitations, and proposals.
• Ability to coach and mentor a team while delivering as an individual contributor.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as a member of a team.
• Ability to hold oneself accountable to goals and metrics.
• Ability to travel frequently, as well as conduct occasional evening and weekend work.
• Valid driver's license.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree.
• More than 7 years of frontline fundraising experience as a gift officer in academic medicine with progressively growing responsibilities.
• Prior experience staffing leaders and volunteers in a complex, matrixed organization.
• Track record of demonstrating a high degree of initiative, flexibility and will have the skills to shape and be shaped by an evolving fundraising initiative.
• Experience in developing strategic fundraising plans with ambitious targets and delivering results.
• Preference will be given to applicants with previous management experience in a leadership role in academic medicine fundraising.
• Proficiency using CRM databases.
• Success within collaborative fundraising models.
• Robust understanding of the principles of philanthropy, higher education, alumni relations, and relationship management.
• Proven experience building relationships with academic medical faculty and comparable organizational leaders.

Physical Demands
This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.
Salary Range

• The anticipated hiring range is $90K - $95K annually, commensurate with education and experience.

Position Type & Work Location

• This is an exempt-level, benefited position. Learn more about UVA benefits .
• This is a restricted position, which is dependent on funding and is contingent upon funding availability.
• UVA External Relations offers a flexible and hybrid workplace. All team members must have access to and maintain a secure home office environment with high-speed internet service and work collaboratively with others using a variety of technologies and tools. This hybrid position can be worked remotely, although the incumbent will support and staff UVA Community Health; candidates will need to reside in the Northern Piedmont or Northern Virginia regions.

About UVA and the Community
To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA .
Application Timeline
Application review will begin after July 27, 2026
Additional Requirements

• Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.

• This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

How to Apply
Please apply online , by searching for requisition number R0085555. Complete an application with the following documents:

• Resume

• Cover Letter

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.
Reference Check Process
Reference checks will be completed by UVA's third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required.
Contact

• For additional information about the position, please contact Sandi Hall, Senior Associate Director for Staff Success, at eym5wh@virginia.edu .

• For questions about the application process, please contact Jon Freeman, HR Recruitment Specialist, at jf2sw@virginia.edu .

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment .