Associate Director of Donor Strategy, Principal Gifts

Role type: Full Time; Continuing

Department: Advancement, Communications and Marketing

Salary: UOM 10 - $153,412 p.a. plus 17% super

• Lead innovative principal gift strategies, enhance high-level donor engagement and drive transformational philanthropy
• Apply now to spearhead sophisticated donor strategies that will secure transformational gifts and shape the future of a world-class university
• Investing in you - benefits package including salary packaging, health and wellbeing programs, discounted services, and professional development opportunities.

The University of Melbourne

We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website.

Your next career opportunity

As the Associate Director of Donor Strategy, Principal Gifts at a prestigious university, you'll be at the forefront of driving innovation and operational excellence in securing transformational philanthropic gifts. You'll have the opportunity to develop sophisticated engagement strategies for high-net-worth individuals, major foundations, and corporations, working closely with fundraisers, faculty, and institutional leadership. Your role will directly impact the university's ability to secure principal gifts of $5M+, making this a key position for those passionate about strategic philanthropy and higher education advancement.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Develop Donor Strategies: Design and implement creative cultivation and solicitation strategies for principal gift prospects.
• Senior Leadership Donor Engagement: Support senior leadership donor engagement activities, ensuring strategic alignment and impact.
• Drive Pipeline Growth: Leverage research insights to identify and engage new, unaffiliated prospects.
• Provide Strategic Oversight: Ensure quality and alignment of all processes and materials related to high-level donor engagement.
• Foster Cross-functional Collaboration: Support communities of practice around principal gift strategy across the university.

You may be a great fit if:

You are a creative and skilled strategist with a strong understanding of major and principal gift fundraising, exceptional analytical skills, and the ability to navigate complex institutional dynamics.

You may also:

• Have proven experience in fundraising or developing high-level strategies for multi-million-dollar bids or grants.
• Have proficiency in CRM systems and data-driven decision-making tools.
• Show experience in managing senior-level relationships both internally and externally.
• Have a track record of process development and implementation.

For further information please refer to the attached PD.

What we offer you

We offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a comprehensive range of benefits to support your success and sense of fulfillment, including:

• Supportive flexible work arrangements underpinned by our commitment to inclusion and well-being

• Progressive, considerate leave provisions to empower your work-life balance

• Salary packaging and access to a range of discounted services including Bupa health insurance

• Health and well-being services including a leading Employee Assistance Program

Your new team – Advancement (University Communications & Marketing)

University's Communications and Marketing function provides strategic, advisory and operational services to support the academic mission and the University strategy. It fosters a culture of best practice and collaboration across the University's communication and marketing teams and stakeholders and uses data-driven insights to inform decision-making across the University.

Be Yourself

The University of Melbourne is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a child-safe organisation. We believe the diversity of our community enriches us all, and we are committed to creating an inclusive and fair workplace where everyone is valued, respected, and empowered to succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds, identities, and experiences. Discover more about Diversity and Inclusion at UniMelb.

We're committed to a barrier-free recruitment process and ongoing workplace support, providing reasonable adjustments throughout. We warmly encourage applications from people with disabilities. For assistance, please contact Bec Tucker on or at hr- (subject: 'Recruitment Adjustments'). Contact details for other enquiries are located at the bottom of this page.

Find more information for applicants requiring reasonable adjustments.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants

We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians. Our Indigenous strategy, Murmuk Djerring outlines our investment and support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff and students.

Indigenous applicants are encouraged to connect with our Indigenous Employment & Development team at oied- for further information and support.

Please note : This role requires current valid work rights for Australia. Visa sponsorship is not available.

A Working with Children Check (WWCC) is required for all positions. If successful, we'll guide you through the WWCC application process during onboarding and reimburse the cost.

Join Us and unlock your career potential

If this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents:

• Resume

• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience and answering the following 3 questions:

• Can you describe your experience in developing and implementing strategies for securing major gifts or funding at the multi-million-dollar level?

• How do you approach fostering cross-functional collaboration and alignment in a complex organisational environment?

• Can you provide an example of how you've successfully leveraged data and insights to inform strategic decision-making in donor engagement or similar contexts?

Learn more about the application process , including tips and FAQs.

For recruitment queries, email Walid hr- . Include the Position Number and Job Title in the subject line. Please do not send applications to this email address.

For job-specific queries, refer to the contact details in the .

Applications close:15 October :55 PM Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) / Melbourne time zone.

: Associate Director Donor Strategy_Principal