Director Of Research Development Jobs in Oregon (NOW HIRING)

Job no: 536925
Work type: Officer of Administration
Location: Eugene, OR, Portland, OR
Categories: Development
Department: University Advancement

Hybrid eligible - located in Eugene or Portland

The University of Oregon is one of the nation's leading public research universities, recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, innovation, and student success. Located in Eugene with a growing presence in Portland and throughout the West Coast, the university brings together world‑class faculty, dedicated alumni, and passionate supporters to create meaningful impact through teaching, research, and public service.

University Advancement plays a vital role in advancing the university's mission by connecting alumni, parents, and friends with opportunities to invest in the future of Oregon. Through strategic philanthropy and relationship‑building, the division supports transformative initiatives that expand access to education, fuel groundbreaking research, and strengthen the university's impact around the world.

As the Director of Development, Regional Philanthropy for Southern California, you will serve as a frontline major gift fundraiser responsible for building meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, and friends throughout the California and Hawaii region. Reporting to the Senior Director of Regional Philanthropy, you'll manage a portfolio of major gift prospects and develop strategies that inspire philanthropic investments supporting the University of Oregon's highest priorities.

This highly collaborative position partners closely with development colleagues across schools, colleges, central advancement, annual philanthropy, principal gifts, and advancement analytics to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors capable of making transformational gifts. Success in this role is measured by meaningful donor engagement, portfolio growth, and philanthropic support that advances the university's mission.

Your contribution will likely include:

• Manage an active portfolio of major gift prospects through all phases of identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Personally solicit major and planned gifts while supporting donor strategies led by university leadership and development colleagues.
• Build thoughtful cultivation and stewardship plans that strengthen long‑term donor relationships.
• Identify and qualify new major gift prospects throughout the California and Hawaii region.
• Travel extensively throughout the assigned territory to meet with donors and prospects.
• Partner with development colleagues across schools, colleges, and central advancement to coordinate fundraising strategies and maximize donor engagement.
• Build productive relationships with faculty, administrators, alumni volunteers, and university leadership.
• Collaborate with Annual Philanthropy, Gift Planning, Principal Gifts, Prospect Development, and Advancement Analytics to strengthen fundraising outcomes and maintain accurate donor records.
• Partner with advancement leadership to establish fundraising goals and regional strategies.
• Help develop and manage regional budgets and fundraising initiatives.
• Collaborate with university and alumni association partners to maximize donor engagement opportunities.
• Recognize and steward gifts in partnership with donor relations colleagues.
• Participate in development meetings, strategic planning, and regional initiatives.
• Maintain sound fiscal oversight while ensuring compliance with university policies.
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and service‑oriented culture with colleagues, alumni, volunteers, and donors.
• Support additional advancement initiatives as needed.

• Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Three years of professional fundraising experience or five years combined experience in development and in a closely related field such as corporate sales.

• Working with donors and prospects: Extensive experience in prospect identification, cultivation, and solicitation with a demonstrated ability to build relationships with donors and prospects, including those who are hard‑to‑engage or not well connected to the university. Ability to maximize gift potentials for outright and estate gifts, educate new donors and prospects about major gift philanthropy, and leverage volunteerism towards giving.
• Portfolio management and systems: Ability to identify top prospects and strategies for a portfolio, including organizing by potential, connections, and timelines to optimize activity and portfolio makeup; prioritize prospects and regions while fully engaging with a robust portfolio; and provide constructive feedback on prospect management systems and structures.
• Professionalism and citizenship: Ability to establish and maintain strong working relationships with faculty, staff, and others as appropriate and contribute ideas in interactions and discussions with management, peers, and campus partners. This includes actively collaborating and sharing credit with colleagues as well as communicating in a positive and proactive manner with fellow development officers, leadership, and Prospect Development, and Development Analytics staff.
• Institutional navigation and industry knowledge: Ability to represent the university’s history, mission, demographics, faculty, current programs, departments, and culture, and persuasively articulate how the UO distinguishes itself from peer institutions. Competence in connecting mission and objectives across departments into donor strategies, and extensive knowledge of best practices, trends, current strategies, and other information relevant to philanthropy in higher education major gifts.
• Pipeline strategy and development: Ability to navigate and lead broader pipeline discussions for a program, including segmented strategy for different donor audiences, strategic alignment to maximize the impact of annual philanthropy and alumni association towards the unit’s development goals, and collaboration for shared prospects across campus.
• Strategic planning: Ability to communicate and articulate how individual initiatives and programmatic direction fit into overall advancement strategy; as well as use 12‑month and multi‑year projections and strategic planning tools to reach goals and anticipate trends, gaps, and priorities.
• Commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to interact, communicate, and work effectively with individuals from a variety of backgrounds and cultures.
• Ability to travel.

• Experience in higher education development and understanding of the nature of a professional school and research university.
• Experience working effectively with volunteer boards.

FLSA Exempt: Yes

All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

The University of Oregon is proud to offer a robust benefits package to eligible employees, including health insurance, retirement plans, and paid time off. For more information about benefits, visit our website .

The University of Oregon is an equal‑opportunity institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The University encourages all qualified individuals to apply and does not discriminate on the basis of any protected status, including veteran and disability status. The University is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. To request an accommodation in connection with the application process, please email us or call 541‑346‑5112.

UO prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy (including pregnancy‑related conditions), age, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including family medical history), ancestry, familial status, citizenship, service in the uniformed services (as defined in federal and state law), veteran status, expunged juvenile record, and/or the use of leave protected by state or federal law in all programs, activities and employment practices as required by Title IX, other applicable laws, and policies. Retaliation is prohibited by UO policy. Questions may be referred to the Office of Equal Opportunity and Access. Contact information, related policies, and complaint procedures are listed here .

In compliance with federal law, the University of Oregon prepares an annual report on campus security and fire safety programs and services. The Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report is available online .

Advertised: 10 Aug 2026 Pacific Daylight Time
Applications close: 01 Sep 2026 Pacific Daylight Time