Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development

Department: Intercollegiate Athletics

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: On Site Required

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Restricted: Yes

Criminal Background Check: Yes

Financial Background Check: Yes

Motor Vehicle Records Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics at George Mason University proudly supports more than 500 student-athletes across 22 NCAA Division I programs. As a distinguished member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, our teams have earned 17 conference championships, captured NCAA titles in Women’s Soccer and Men’s Indoor Track, and achieved national recognition with a Men’s Basketball Final Four appearance. We also celebrate more than 30 individual national champions who exemplify excellence in competition.

Educate: Prioritize academic achievement and recruit student-athletes who can be successful academically, strengthen ICA’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and provide consistent education for coaches and sports administrators.

Compete: Position teams to consistently compete for conference success and recruit student-athletes who possess the ability to excel athletically from a conference and national perspective.

Engage: Prioritize the experience and personal well-being of student-athletes, develop and renovate athletics facilities in accordance with University and ICA objectives and priorities, generate resources necessary to support the student-athlete experience, competitiveness, and infrastructure, and foster and inspire partnerships within the department, University, the surrounding community, and the corporate community.

The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations division is a comprehensive development and alumni relations enterprise with a staff complement of approximately 125 FTE. Functional units within Advancement include development/fundraising, alumni relations, stewardship and donor relations, advancement communications, special events, gift processing, research, prospect management, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, information systems and management, and infrastructure services.

Advancement's mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with George Mason University's alumni and constituents while matching their philanthropic interests with the university’s aspirations and priorities. The division is committed to serving the needs of the university, our alumni, and the greater community by providing access to quality education and lifelong learning. Respect, service, integrity, collaboration, diversity, transparency, and creativity are the values that guide our work and culture.

About the Position:

The Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development is the lead fundraising officer for Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA) and is responsible for all development-focused programs, initiatives, and strategies designed to increase philanthropic support aligned with ICA and University goals and objectives. The position serves as a member of the ICA senior leadership team and partners with central Advancement and Alumni Relations, advancement colleagues, and ICA colleagues to advance philanthropic giving to key priorities through ongoing annual fundraising, alumni engagement, corporate and foundation relations, and major, principle, and planned giving.

The Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development manages all development activity for ICA by undertaking the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects with the potential of making major gifts, those of at least $25,000, and principal gifts, those of $1 million or more to the priorities of the department. It also oversees all annual fund (i.e., Patriot Club) fundraising efforts and corresponding staff members.

This position oversees the school’s capital campaign activities and ensures the alignment of the department and University capital campaign with any future comprehensive campaign on the part of the university. This is a position heavily focused on networking and building relationships and committed to the tracking of measures and metrics to build a pipeline of donors to support the aspirations of the Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics, head coaches, administrative support staff, student-athletes, and the University as a whole.

This position is expected to work a flexible schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends, and to travel independently, both regional and domestic.

Responsibilities:

Maintain Personal Portfolio and Supporting and Managing Comprehensive Fundraising Program

• Responsible for identifying, qualifying, stewarding, and soliciting a portfolio of 75-90 major gift prospects and donors, emphasizing new gifts and pledges of $25,000 and above totaling upwards of $1-$2 million annually;
• Actively engages each prospect in their portfolio to ensure prospect movement and portfolio penetration annually;
• Meets or exceeds all metrics and expectations set by Central Advancement;
• Supports successful execution of a comprehensive fundraising program that appropriately partners with and leverages resources from the central advancement team to accomplish objectives;
• Gather data, assess prospects, and develop strategies designed to realize individual prospects' current and lifetime giving potential;
• Develops strategies and implementation of major and principal gifts for corporate prospects for ICA, in concert with the central Advancement Corporate & Foundations team;
• As appropriate, is personally responsible for the direct solicitation of gifts and for preparing the Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics, Head Coaches, and other members of the ICA fundraising team and/or University to make solicitations;
• Coordinates the efforts of those who can assist in fundraising; tracks contacts, asks, and funds raised; drafts proposals and pledge agreements for potential donors; and proposes and coordinates appropriate cultivation and stewardship activities;
• Maintains consistent and appropriate contact with prospects, facilitate or make solicitations, and ensure effective stewardship;
• Completes contact reports for both the ICA database and the central development contact reporting system;
• Assists in overseeing ICA’s portfolio of donors and potential donors individually and through the team's management to maximize unit revenue from philanthropic giving; and
• Attends meetings on campus surrounding major gifts and central development functions. Oversight of all annual fundraising efforts, including the Patriot Club, sport-specific giving, and other related booster organizations focused on raising funds, growing membership, executing events, engagement, and stewardship

Administer a comprehensive annual plan focused on generating $1.5 to $3 million in annual revenue for the department

• Responsible for the direct solicitation of gifts and for preparing the Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics, Head Coaches, and other members of the ICA fundraising team and/or University to make solicitations for annual fund and sports-specific giving opportunities;
• Builds and maintains volunteer leadership through engagement with the Patriot Club Advisory Board and other alumni or external constituencies key to the department’s fundraising success;
• Identifies and/or develops creative engagement opportunities with donors, alumni, and the local community to broaden the base of support for the Athletics department and amplify its mission, vision, and overall brand;
• Displays good judgment and confidentiality; and
• Travels as necessary for donor outreach and cultivation.

Supervision of Staff

• Responsible for setting goals for performance and deadlines in ways that comply with the university’s plans and vision and communicate them to subordinates;
• Organizing workflow and ensuring that employees understand their duties or delegated tasks;
• Monitoring employee productivity and providing constructive feedback and coaching;
• Receiving complaints and resolving problems;
• Maintaining timekeeping and personnel records;
• Passing on information from upper management to employees and vice versa;
• Preparing and submitting performance evaluations;
• Hiring and training new employees; and
• Ensuring adherence to legal and university policies and procedures and undertaking disciplinary actions if the need arises.

Performs other related duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in a related field and demonstrated successful professional advancement and/or fundraising-related experience, preferably in higher education; or any equivalent combination of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skill, and abilities have been achieved;
• A demonstrated record of successful major gift solicitations and experience designing and executing donor identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies;
• Successful experience in planning, coordinating and conducting major capital or comprehensive campaign efforts.
  Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously and meeting continuous deadlines;
• Demonstrated ability to identify, qualify, solicit, and steward major and principal gift donors;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including demonstrated writing and editing skills in preparing proposals and drafting related correspondence;
• Stellar relationship-building skills and ability to build rapport with internal and external stakeholders around innovative ideas and programs;
• A creative approach to involve and solicit major donor prospects and possess the ability to motivate;
• Demonstrated experience with personnel management;
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite and experience with documenting appropriate information in a donor management database system; and
• Valid driver's license: must currently possess an appropriate, active, valid motor vehicle operator’s license that meets all of GMU’s requirements for operating state vehicles and equipment under Mason’s Vehicle Use Policy 1411 https://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/vehicle-use/. The Office of Risk Management reserves the right to review the driver’s licenses and Motor Vehicle Reports (MVRs) of all candidates selected with employment contingent upon a favorable review.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Significant experience in major gifts fundraising, preferably in higher education;
• Prior fundraising experience in intercollegiate athletics or higher education development for capital projects, athletic development, and with comprehensive campaigns;
• Familiarity with CRM fundraising software;
• Demonstrate sound judgment necessary for interacting with donors, prospects, trustees, faculty, and staff; and
• Possess understanding and the ability to articulate the accomplishments and goals of a complex organization.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Senior Associate Athletic Director of Development at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: April 16, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  April 30, 2026

Open Until Filled:  Yes