Executive Director, Campaign Planning (0554U), University Development and Alumni Relations #88334

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Departmental Overview

University Development and Alumni Relations (UDAR) increases support for and enhances knowledge of UC Berkeley through communications, public outreach, and fundraising. The department is responsible for centralized fundraising and donor engagement and works to strengthen unit development offices by consulting and partnering with campus fundraisers. University Development and Alumni Relations also handles a range of central activities and services encompassing events, communications, stewardship, prospect development, gift management, database management, and more.

Position Summary

The Executive Director, Campaign Planning designs, develops, delivers, and administers the University's comprehensive campaign and associated fundraising programs, working in consultation with campaign counsel and the Vice Chancellor of University Development and Alumni Relations and Associate Vice Chancellor Constituent Programs. This strategic position works closely with campus leadership and fundraising leaders and volunteers to support and deliver measurable annual and long-term outcomes. This position collaborates closely with partners on the development of campaign materials, marketing plans, and organizing related programs/events; it cultivates, stewards, and may solicit donor prospects. This position reports to the Associate Vice Chancellor, Constituent Programs, UDAR with a dotted line report to the Vice Chancellor, University Development and Alumni Relations.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is September 7, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before September 28, 2026. The job will be open until filled.

Responsibilities

Campaign planning and direction

• Serves as an expert or lead development professional in campaign planning and direction, which has an environment that includes donors capable of making very significant contributions to the campus.
• Develop, implement and assess progress of the campaign plan and recommend overall campaign strategies, including but not limited to campaign architecture (themes, overall goal, sub-goals); Timeline and phases; Volunteer organizational structure; Campaign team budget and staffing.
• Collaborate with other UDAR units on campaign stewardship plan; Campaign communications plan; Campaign outreach and events plan.
• Conduct and/or oversee the assessment of campaign feasibility and goal setting. Track and report on progress to goal at regular intervals throughout the campaign to high-level campus and volunteer leaders as well as UDAR management team.
• Develop and track progress against the campaign timeline and recommend appropriate corrective action and/or campaign adjustments as appropriate.
• Serve as primary liaison between UDAR and campaign counsel including scheduling consultation visits and phone calls, as well as receipting invoices and processing of payments.

Campus multidisciplinary themes

• In collaboration with the Provost, Vice Chancellor for Research and deans, staff and manage the campus multidisciplinary themes during the public phase of the campaign, including development of transformational gift opportunities as well as identification, cultivation and solicitation of principal and major gift prospective donors.
• Staff and manage the ongoing needs assessment and priority setting processes during the public phase of the campaign, including units, programs and other campus initiatives.

Marketing plans/strategies

• Develops, creates, writes, implements, and/or evaluates individualized marketing plans and/or strategies for cultivation and solicitation of individual major gifts, gift planning, or corporate/foundation prospects (strategies typically require a high degree of innovation).
• Attend meetings where strategies for principal gift-level prospects as well as prospects directly managed by the campaign director are discussed and help ensure that these strategies are developed in the context of the overall campaign strategy.

Executive advisor

• Serves as an executive advisor for this area of expertise, interacting with prospects, donors, staff and outside professionals to provide information, advice and counsel regarding specialized program(s).
• In partnership with AVC, Constituent Relations and AVC, Development, develop an internal communications strategy to keep colleagues within development/advancement and across the university apprised of campaign priorities, progress, and status.
• Attend meetings of UDAR fundraising teams, including PGSI, Major Gifts, and SED, on a regular basis to facilitate coordination with prospects and campaign strategies.
• Attend and participate as appropriate in key meetings related to the campaign, such as: Board of Trustees and select committee meetings, as appropriate.
• Needs assessment and priority setting meetings.
• Campaign volunteer leadership meetings, including unit based advisory groups. Meetings with key stakeholders to plan and implement multidisciplinary themes. Act as campaign liaison to other university offices as appropriate.
• Convene specialized communities of practice to promote campaign goals and assessment

Prospect and volunteer constituencies

• Creates, establishes and evaluates methods for building/maintaining prospect and volunteer constituencies and identifies, recruits, and directs the activities of high-level volunteers.
• Working closely with the Vice Chancellor, provide staffing for the campaign chair/co-chairs and National Campaign Steering Committee, including: scheduling meetings; preparing agendas; briefing the Chancellor, Vice Chancellor, and campaign co-chairs; ensuring timely follow-up; and communicating committee decisions to relevant parties within development/advancement and across the university.
• Develop individual relationships with NCSC co-chairs and members.
• Oversee the development of campaign volunteer resources, such as handbooks, newsletters, and ongoing training opportunities to keep volunteers engaged with the campaign and its priorities, as well as high-level volunteer meetings and events, including the annual Volunteer Summit.

Fundraising and advancement programs / Fundraising goals

• Analyzes needs and creates strategic and long-range plans for fundraising and other advancement programs and may have the authority to make commitments and precedent-setting decisions regarding program design, development, and procedures.
• Working closely with appropriate colleagues in development/advancement services, including the AVC, Constituent Relations, AVC, PGSI, and AVC, Advancement, develop campaign gift tables, campaign counting and gift tagging protocols, campaign reports, and other tools required to track and report campaign progress, both for campus overall and individual units.
• Ensures that predetermined fundraising goals are met.

Campaign team leadership

• Manage and provide leadership for the campaign team. Establish and assess overall team strategy and goals. Mentor & coach team members.

Required Qualifications

• Expert collaboration, relationship building, and trust building skills to work effectively with a broad range of stakeholders and partners.
• Strong ability to navigate organizational complexities and decentralized environments and to lead successfully through influence.
• Expert knowledge of comprehensive campaigns, particularly in a university setting.
• Expert knowledge of various aspects of and functions in fundraising, such as donor and public relations, communications & marketing, planned giving, stewardship, and/or front-line fundraising, etc.
• Expert knowledge of diverse stakeholder groups, teams, departments, achievements, and activities of a major and complex organization, including current issues of concern for both a research university campus and throughout higher education generally.
• Expert knowledge of, and/or ability to quickly learn, the UC Berkeley campus including its vision, mission, goals, objectives, achievements and infrastructure; and/or demonstrated success in and expertise of (an) organization(s) with similarities to UC Berkeley.
• Expert knowledge of all applicable laws, rules, regulations, risks, etc. in the nonprofit & fundraising field.
• Expert written, oral, listening and interpersonal communication skills, including advanced political acumen, to establish and maintain good working relationships at all organizational levels and with outside constituencies, including donors and volunteers.
• Expert skill in making persuasive and compelling presentations of campus goals/objectives and in securing gifts.
• Expert analytical, critical thinking, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills.
• Expert project/program management skills, including skill in setting and meeting program/project goals and objectives within budget and time constraints.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including the ability to build trust, influence others, and drive results.
• Strong skills to lead and develop high-performing team(s), including setting strategic direction, establishing clear expectations, coaching staff, fostering collaboration, and managing accountability.

Education / Training

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training. (Required)
• Advanced degree (Preferred)

Salary & Benefits

For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organi