Director Gift Planning II

WittKieffer is partnering with UTHealth Houston in this search. Please direct all nominations and inquiries to Ashley Buderus and Anissa Conner via email at UTHealthHouston_PlannedGiving@wittkieffer.com.

Position Summary:

The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston) seeks a Director of Gift Planning II to lead comprehensive strategies for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding planned and blended gift prospects. This role is critical to advancing UTHealth Houston’s mission by securing philanthropic support for its transformative medical research, education, and patient care programs.

 

Founded in 1972, UTHealth Houston is a premier academic health university, home to schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing, public health, biomedical sciences, and biomedical informatics. As part of the Texas Medical Center—the world's largest medical complex—UTHealth Houston operates over 60 properties, totaling nearly 5 million square feet, and employs more than 8,000 staff members. Serving over 5,400 students annually, UTHealth Houston is positioned at the forefront of addressing complex health challenges locally and globally.

 

The Director of Gift Planning will play a pivotal role in enhancing UTHealth Houston’s philanthropic efforts, working closely with the Senior Director of Gift Planning, Major Gift Officers, and key stakeholders to foster relationships and expand the pipeline for planned and blended gifts. With an increasing focus on asset-based giving and the growing importance of planned gifts for an aging population, the Director will oversee a portfolio of approximately 70 major planned gift prospects. This individual will also collaborate with colleagues across the Office of Development to help donors envision larger, impactful gifts that support the university's mission.

 

The Office of Development advances the mission of UTHealth Houston by seeking and securing philanthropic support for its programs in service to students and the community. As UTHealth Houston continues to build on the success of its 2023 "Many Faces. One Mission." campaign—raising $534.4 million—the Director will contribute to further strengthening the institution's philanthropy programs. Working closely with the Vice President of Principal Gifts will help cultivate high-value opportunities for transformational giving, particularly within the grateful patient community, and advance long-term support through effective stewardship.

 

The ideal candidate will have at least six years of experience in major gift fundraising and gift planning, preferably within higher education or healthcare settings. This individual will possess strong communication skills, critical thinking abilities, and a proven aptitude for building trust and fostering deep donor relationships. The role requires a high level of professional presence and the ability to collaborate effectively with leadership, staff, and donors. Strong interpersonal skills are essential for cultivating long-term donor support and advancing philanthropic goals.

Candidates should provide a resume and a letter of application that addresses the responsibilities and requirements described in the Leadership Profile. Application materials can be submitted by clicking the buttons below. 

 

UTHealth Houston is committed to providing equal opportunity in all employment-related activities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other basis prohibited by law or university policy. Reasonable accommodation, based on disability or religious observances, will be considered in accordance with applicable law and UTHealth Houston policy. The University maintains affirmative action programs with respect to women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, and eligible 

 

 Position Key Accountabilities:

1.  Develops strategy for planned and blended gifts from individuals. Identifies, cultivates, and manages a pool of approximately 70 prospective planned and blended gift prospects. 
2.  Works with the prospect research team to develop strong and continuous donor pool.
3.  Meets metrics and goals as established by the central development office.
4.  Travels primarily in state with occasional national travel to secure private support from individuals.
5.  Serves as a resource for development officers by assisting with planned giving discussions and donor presentations, as well as developing strategies for blended gifts to maximize gift potential.  
6.  Stewards Heritage Society Members, which includes follow-up visits as needed. 
7.  Collaborates with the stewardship team to ensure timely and appropriate donor recognition.
8.   Keeps abreast of charitable giving tax laws and planned giving instruments.
9.   May provide training to the development staff and others on planned giving topics.
10.  Constructs a set of activities and initiatives leading to the solicitation of planned and blended gifts. Works with volunteers, professional advisors, and directors of development to identify individual planned giving prospects.
11.   May support marketing program planning.
12.   May support budget planning process.
13.   May support planned giving advisory council.
14.   Participates in University development meetings as appropriate.  Attends events/special functions as required.
15.   Manages Human Resources activities for direct reports in-regards to: recruiting and selection; hiring and termination, training, development, mentoring, counseling, performance evaluations, and salary planning. 
16.   Responsible for the design, execution and effectiveness of a system of internal controls which provides reasonable assurance that operations are effective and efficient, assets are safeguarded; financial information is reliable and compliant with applicable laws, regulations, policies and procedures.
17.   Performs other duties as assigned.

Certification/Skills:

Ability to work with minimal supervision; demonstrated energetic and enthusiastic self-starter with the ability to relate well with and influence decisions of a diverse constituency.  Proven track record of cultivating, soliciting, and closing gifts of $50,000 and above.  Ability to systematically analyze complex issues and resolve problems quickly, using discretion with sensitive material.  Ability to effectively communicate complex information clearly in oral and written formats to a variety of audiences.  Skilled in working cooperatively in a team environment. Prefer demonstrated record of cultivating and closing gifts at five and six-figure level.

 

Minimum Education:

Bachelor’s degree in related field. Master’s and/or J.D. preferred.

Minimum Experience:

Six (6) years major gift fundraising planned giving, or related experience. Prefer experience in higher education and/or healthcare setting. May substitute required experience with equivalent years of education beyond the minimum education requirement.

Physical Requirements:

Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount constantly to move objects.

Security Sensitive:

This job class may contain positions that are security sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of Texas Education Code § 51.215

Residency Requirement:

Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas.