Associate Director, Major Gifts
- Requisition #: 180391
- Location: Houston, TX
- Posted Date: 5/6/2026
Associate Director, Major Gifts
The Associate Director, Major Gifts is a key fundraising role within the Individual Giving team at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The Major Gifts team is dedicated to securing sustained, transformational philanthropic support by engaging new and existing donors across the United States through meaningful, donor-centric strategies aligned with institutional priorities. The Associate Director, Major Gifts is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high net-worth individuals capable of making six- and seven-figure philanthropic investments.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a leading institution focused on cancer care, research, education, and prevention. Through collaboration with faculty, volunteers, and leadership, the Associate Director, Major Gifts advances the mission of UT MD Anderson by aligning donor passions with critical funding priorities. The Associate Director, Major Gifts manages a highly personalized donor portfolio and contributes to the long-term sustainability and growth of philanthropic revenue for UT MD Anderson.
The ideal candidate for the Associate Director, Major Gifts is an experienced development professional with demonstrated success in major gift fundraising, strong relationship-building skills with high-capacity donors and institutional partners, the ability to manage a complex donor portfolio with accountability for significant revenue goals, and the capacity to collaborate effectively with faculty, leadership, and planned giving colleagues
Annual Salary Range: Minimum $100,000 - Midpoint $114,000 - Maximum $128,000
The typical work schedule is day shift.
Work Location: Texas only
Why Us?
This role offers the opportunity to make a direct and lasting impact on cancer research, patient care, and education by securing transformational philanthropic support while building a rewarding fundraising career in a mission-driven, collaborative environment that supports 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
Stakeholder Engagement
• Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward new and existing donors to the institution
• Build rapport and trust with donors, faculty, institutional leaders, volunteers, and stakeholders
• Align donor interests with appropriate giving opportunities and facilitate meaningful engagements
• Grow and manage a portfolio of approximately 75 individual donors and prospects
• Actively pursue referrals from grateful patients, annual fund donors, volunteer leaders, and other sources
• Foster relationships with Board of Visitors members, Advance Team colleagues, and campaign volunteers
• Network regularly with donors and prospective donors to expand the donor base
• Solicit and secure six- and seven-figure philanthropic gifts generating significant net new revenue annually
Perception and Attentiveness
• Accurately assess donor interests and motivations to inform engagement strategies
• Synthesize institutional priorities to advance cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts
• Develop and execute customized cultivation and solicitation strategies for assigned donors
• Maintain situational and institutional awareness while managing multiple donor activities
• Navigate and collaborate with cross-functional prospect teams to support donor plans
• Provide timely and accurate annual, quarterly, and monthly gift revenue forecasts
Portfolio Management and Strategy
• Maintain personal accountability for all donors under assignment
• Establish and sustain a portfolio that generates a minimum of $3 million in annual gift revenue
• Continuously investigate and qualify donors with capacity for six- and seven-figure support
• Strategically move donors through the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship cycle
Collaboration and Teaming
• Partner with faculty, leadership, peers, and volunteers on donor strategy development and execution
• Collaborate with Planned Giving colleagues to incorporate complex and planned gift opportunities
• Support cross-functional initiatives to achieve fundraising and engagement goals
• Garner trust and confidence of academic leaders, senior staff, researchers, and volunteers
Leadership and Values
• May provide supervision and management to gift officers or administrative staff
• Lead by example in modeling UT MD Anderson's Core Values
• Contribute to a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing fundraising environment
EDUCATION
WORK EXPERIENCE
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
#LI-Remote
The Associate Director, Major Gifts is a key fundraising role within the Individual Giving team at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. The Major Gifts team is dedicated to securing sustained, transformational philanthropic support by engaging new and existing donors across the United States through meaningful, donor-centric strategies aligned with institutional priorities. The Associate Director, Major Gifts is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding high net-worth individuals capable of making six- and seven-figure philanthropic investments.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center is a leading institution focused on cancer care, research, education, and prevention. Through collaboration with faculty, volunteers, and leadership, the Associate Director, Major Gifts advances the mission of UT MD Anderson by aligning donor passions with critical funding priorities. The Associate Director, Major Gifts manages a highly personalized donor portfolio and contributes to the long-term sustainability and growth of philanthropic revenue for UT MD Anderson.
The ideal candidate for the Associate Director, Major Gifts is an experienced development professional with demonstrated success in major gift fundraising, strong relationship-building skills with high-capacity donors and institutional partners, the ability to manage a complex donor portfolio with accountability for significant revenue goals, and the capacity to collaborate effectively with faculty, leadership, and planned giving colleagues
Annual Salary Range: Minimum $100,000 - Midpoint $114,000 - Maximum $128,000
The typical work schedule is day shift.
Work Location: Texas only
Why Us?
This role offers the opportunity to make a direct and lasting impact on cancer research, patient care, and education by securing transformational philanthropic support while building a rewarding fundraising career in a mission-driven, collaborative environment that supports 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
Stakeholder Engagement
• Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward new and existing donors to the institution
• Build rapport and trust with donors, faculty, institutional leaders, volunteers, and stakeholders
• Align donor interests with appropriate giving opportunities and facilitate meaningful engagements
• Grow and manage a portfolio of approximately 75 individual donors and prospects
• Actively pursue referrals from grateful patients, annual fund donors, volunteer leaders, and other sources
• Foster relationships with Board of Visitors members, Advance Team colleagues, and campaign volunteers
• Network regularly with donors and prospective donors to expand the donor base
• Solicit and secure six- and seven-figure philanthropic gifts generating significant net new revenue annually
Perception and Attentiveness
• Accurately assess donor interests and motivations to inform engagement strategies
• Synthesize institutional priorities to advance cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship efforts
• Develop and execute customized cultivation and solicitation strategies for assigned donors
• Maintain situational and institutional awareness while managing multiple donor activities
• Navigate and collaborate with cross-functional prospect teams to support donor plans
• Provide timely and accurate annual, quarterly, and monthly gift revenue forecasts
Portfolio Management and Strategy
• Maintain personal accountability for all donors under assignment
• Establish and sustain a portfolio that generates a minimum of $3 million in annual gift revenue
• Continuously investigate and qualify donors with capacity for six- and seven-figure support
• Strategically move donors through the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship cycle
Collaboration and Teaming
• Partner with faculty, leadership, peers, and volunteers on donor strategy development and execution
• Collaborate with Planned Giving colleagues to incorporate complex and planned gift opportunities
• Support cross-functional initiatives to achieve fundraising and engagement goals
• Garner trust and confidence of academic leaders, senior staff, researchers, and volunteers
Leadership and Values
• May provide supervision and management to gift officers or administrative staff
• Lead by example in modeling UT MD Anderson's Core Values
• Contribute to a collaborative, respectful, and high-performing fundraising environment
EDUCATION
- Required: Bachelor's Degree
WORK EXPERIENCE
- Required: Five years Direct fundraising experience.
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: 180391
- Employment Status: Full-Time
- Employee Status: Regular
- Work Week: Days
- Minimum Salary: US Dollar (USD) 100,000
- Midpoint Salary: US Dollar (USD) 114,000
- Maximum Salary : US Dollar (USD) 128,000
- FLSA: exempt and not eligible for overtime pay
- Fund Type: Hard
- Work Location: Remote (within Texas only)
- Pivotal Position: Yes
- Referral Bonus Available?: No
- Relocation Assistance Available?: No
#LI-Remote
