Assistant Director, Philanthropy (Principal Gift Stewardship)

Assistant Director, Philanthropy (Principal Gift Stewardship)

The Assistant Director of Principal Gift Stewardship plays a critical role within the Grateful Giving and Donor Relations team at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, supporting the advancement of Philanthropy by delivering meaningful, compliant, and innovative stewardship experiences for the institution's most significant supporters. The Assistant Director of Principal Gift Stewardship contributes to donor recognition, engagement, and reporting strategies that reflect donor intent and strengthen long-term relationships.

UT MD Anderson is a leading institution focused on cancer care, research, education, and prevention. The Assistant Director of Principal Gift Stewardship works in close collaboration with development, donor relations, communications, and events partners to ensure that principal gift donors experience thoughtful, personalized engagement that reflects the impact of their generosity. The Assistant Director of Principal Gift Stewardship supports both strategic planning and hands-on execution of stewardship initiatives that reinforce institutional excellence and trust.

The ideal candidate is a stewardship or advancement professional with experience supporting principal or major gift donors, strong project management and organizational skills, and a working knowledge of gift agreements, endowments, and compliance, with the ability to collaborate across teams, manage multiple priorities, and utilize CRM systems to track stewardship activities; no specific education level, years of experience, or licenses were provided, so minimum expectations are referenced.

Minimum $29.09/hour - Midpoint $36.30/hour - Maximum $43.51/hour, based on a 40-hour work week

Work Schedule: Days

Work Location: Remote

Why Us?

This role offers the opportunity to directly support UT MD Anderson's mission by ensuring transformational and principal gift donors experience meaningful stewardship that reflects the life-changing impact of their philanthropy. The Assistant Director of Principal Gift Stewardship contributes to high-visibility initiatives, collaborates with senior leaders and faculty, and helps shape best practices in donor engagement while benefiting from a supportive environment that values professional growth and work-life balance.

• Employer-paid medical coverage starting day one for employees working 30+ hours/week, plus optional group dental, vision, life, AD&D, and disability insurance.
• Accruals for PTO and Extended Illness Bank, plus paid holidays, wellness, childcare, and other leave options.
• Tuition Assistance Program after six months of service and access to extensive wellness, fitness, and employee resource groups.
• Defined-benefit pension through the Teachers Retirement System, voluntary retirement plans, and employer-paid life and reduced salary protection programs.

Responsibilities

Programmatic Project Execution

• Deliver high-quality stewardship materials for principal gift donors, including customized impact reports, videos, recognition strategies, bespoke items, and personalized engagement experiences.
• Coordinate and implement principal gift-level stewardship projects in partnership with gift officers, Donor Relations, and Special Programs and Events teams.
• Support post-high-level event stewardship to ensure timely, meaningful donor follow-up.
• Ensure stewardship deliverables align with gift agreements, donor intent, institutional standards, and compliance requirements.
• Track and monitor acknowledgments for gifts of $5M and above using CRM and project management tools.
• Manage coordination, tracking, and production of donor impact reports with Donor Communications, gift officers, and faculty stewards.
• Maintain accurate records of donor interactions and stewardship deliverables to support continuity and strategic planning.
• Evaluate stewardship processes to improve efficiency, quality, and consistency.
• Align stewardship activities with broader advancement strategies to support cultivation, solicitation, and long-term engagement.
• Proactively identify risks, bottlenecks, and information gaps that may impact timelines or quality.

Collaboration and Teaming

• Partner with Principal and Major Gift Officers to deliver cohesive donor engagement experiences.
• Collaborate with communications, public relations, digital media, and special events teams to execute high-impact stewardship touchpoints.
• Ensure alignment of messaging, branding, and donor experience across departments.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build rapport with internal and external stakeholders through professional communication and social awareness.
• Share insights and benchmarking information to support continuous improvement in principal gift stewardship.
• Adapt to evolving donor expectations and institutional priorities to support emerging opportunities and initiatives.

EDUCATION

• Required: Bachelor's Degree
• Preferred: Master's Degree

WORK EXPERIENCE

• Required: Two years or more in fundraising/non-profit, government agency, marketing, advertising, or public relations, law, healthcare or related industry. May substitute required education degree with additional years of equivalent experience on a one-to-one basis.

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, paid time off, retirement, tuition benefits, educational opportunities, and individual and team recognition.

This position may be responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of critical infrastructure, as defined in Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code and therefore may require routine reviews and screening. The ability to satisfy and maintain all requirements necessary to ensure the continued security and integrity of such infrastructure is a condition of hire and continued employment.

It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state, or local laws unless such distinction is required by law.http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html

Additional Information

• Requisition ID: 180908
• Employment Status: Full-Time
• Employee Status: Regular
• Work Week: Days
• Minimum Salary: US Dollar (USD) 60,500
• Midpoint Salary: US Dollar (USD) 75,500
• Maximum Salary : US Dollar (USD) 90,500
• FLSA: exempt and not eligible for overtime pay
• Fund Type: Hard
• Work Location: Remote
• Pivotal Position: Yes
• Referral Bonus Available?: No
• Relocation Assistance Available?: Yes

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