Our Mission

The Georgia Institute for Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta, Georgia has been an engine of Progress and Service for more than 135 years and is ready to play an even greater role going forward. With humility, and yet great confidence in our history and our unique capabilities, Georgia Tech is redefining what it means to be a leading public technological research university in this new era, committed to empowering people of all backgrounds and to integrating our resources across disciplines to create a better future for our community — locally, nationally, and globally. Over the next decade and following our 2020 strategic plan that was developed under the leadership of Ángel Cabrera (https://president.gatech.edu) and with the input of over 5,700 stakeholders, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact. Additional information about Georgia Tech’s commitment to excellence, its strategic plan and recent national rankings and accomplishments can be found at:  https://strategicplan.gatech.edu/vision. 

Georgia Tech Office of Development (DEV)

Led by the Vice President for DEV, Jen Howe (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-howe/), our fundraising team at Georgia Tech currently consists of 88 professionals who are focused on securing transformative philanthropy (major and principal gifts) to support the strategic priorities of the Institute and its colleges, schools, and programs – including Athletics. For fiscal year 2022 (closed 6/30/2022), the DEV team’s efforts resulted in over $211 million in new gifts and commitments – which helped to publicly launch Georgia Tech’s largest comprehensive campaign in the Institute’s history – Transforming Tomorrow:  The Campaign for Georgia Tech – which is intended to bring over $2 billion in new commitments and gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, and other organizations.  One of the most significant priorities within Transforming Tomorrow is ensuring access of the brightest undergraduate, graduate and professional students to Georgia Tech, regardless of their socioeconomic background. To learn more about Transforming Tomorrow and the other thematic priorities of the campaign, visit https://transformingtomorrow.gatech.edu/.  

Within the campaign, DEV has already secured $170M towards Athletics initial campaign target of $300M to support facilities, current operations, endowment.  It is anticipated that Athletics’ priorities and goals will be expanded and increased during the final five years of the public phase of the campaign, in order to fulfill the future vision of Georgia Tech Athletics, ensure the athletic and academic success of our student-athletes both on and off the fields and courts of competition, and provide a sustainable financial base for Athletics within the ever-changing marketplace of collegiate sports.

Georgia Tech Athletics (ATH)

Georgia Tech Athletics is led by our Director of Athletics,  J Batt, who recently joined the Institute’s senior leadership team and is charged with elevating the overall competitiveness of Georgia Tech Athletics within the ACC and across overall Division 1 collegiate sports programs (https://www.linkedin.com/in/j-batt-b685785/).  He is focused on recruiting and graduating student-athletes who are willing and able to make the most of the Georgia Tech experience and contribute to our larger community while on campus and as future graduates.  J is also charged with creating a new strategic vision for Athletics – its coaches, facilities, student-athletes, and other core needs – that will provide more consistent performance and spark additional revenue support in a time where collegiate athletics programs nation-wide face significant challenges around NIL, the transfer portal, and other marketplace competition.  Significantly increased private support at the annual, major and principal gift levels is important part of making this vision a reality.

Georgia Tech is currently represented by 17 collegiate sports teams and over 400 student-athletes.  Beyond competing for conference and national championships, these talented students excel in the classroom (nine teams with average GPAs 3.4 or higher per 2021-22 annual report) and in leadership roles across our campus.  They also graduate at extraordinarily high rates – over 90% within four to five years – which is very similar to Georgia Tech’s general undergraduate population which is among elite institutions nationally in retention, time to degree and job placement.

The Opportunity:  Executive Director, Athletics Development and Executive Associate Athletics Director, Development (ED/EAD)

The ED/EAAD will be joining the Georgia Tech team at unique time in the Institute’s history – where institutional leadership’s support and stakeholder buy-in around Athletics are extremely high and have the ability to accelerate unprecedented growth and competitiveness across the entire program.  We are seeking an ED/EAAD who is challenged by working in a fast-paced, innovative and mission-focused manner; understands how the best athletics development and administration teams across higher education work in an integrated and collaborative way to secure philanthropy and other critical revenue to fuel these outcomes; and recognizes the impactful and visible role Athletics can play in enhancing the overall institution’s connections with the community, key constituents, and reputation. 

Accordingly, the ED/EAAD – while reporting to the VP of DEV and serving as part of DEV’s senior leadership team – will also serve as a member of the Georgia Tech Athletics Administration (GTAA) executive leadership team.  He/She/They will work closely with the VP of DEV and Director of Athletics to develop plans, set goals, monitor activities, and prepare action plans along with regular progress reports and overall evaluations of all fundraising activities – including targeted efforts for Athletics around the Transforming Tomorrow campaign. The incumbent will be responsible for analyzing existing fundraising strategies; creating innovative and new methods to promote and enhance philanthropic support for intercollegiate athletics from donors/prospects locally, regionally, and nationally; and developing more effective forms of active stewardship.  Their daily oversight will strategic leadership around every aspect of our Intercollegiate Athletics' fundraising activity - annual, major and planned gifts; capital campaigns; corporate and foundation giving; and stewardship – all with the goal of maximizing donations to the department and building stronger donor relationships that benefit Athletics and the Institute.

This position will supervise all Development Officers and DEV program staff within the intercollegiate athletics department and be responsible for ongoing operational, budget, and the planning and implementation of established policies, processes and practices. In order to achieve “best practices” and drive greater outcomes across their team, the ED/EAAD will help identify and establish effective program metrics that focus on discovery, qualification, solicitation, and the timely closure of new gifts and commitments.  They will also be charged with creating a sense of community and belonging across their team and the larger division.  To this end, he/she/they will place an emphasis on recruiting and retaining effective development officers and program staff, providing ongoing training and professional growth opportunities, and offering recognition when key milestones are met and collaborative efforts are successful.  Finally, the ED/EAD will also maintain a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects (individuals and/or organizations) – allowing him/her/they to demonstrate how mission-driven fundraising can be achieved at a greater pace and higher level of investment.

In addition to DEV specific responsibilities, the ED/EAAD will contribute to the overall athletics department leadership not only by serving as a member of the GTAA executive leadership team, but also providing direct sport oversite for at least one varsity athletics program.  They also will manage the Letterwinners Club and take on other administration duties as assigned by the Director of Athletics.

 Core Responsibilities of the ED/EAD

Lead Efforts to Increase Overall Philanthropy to Athletics and the Institute - 60%

• Oversee all aspects of major and principal gifts - identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship – associated with prospects for the Athletic Department;
• Develop strong, interactive relationships with key constituents (individuals and organizations) to increase principal and major gifts to Athletics that will ensure the future financial stability of Athletics;
• Work with the VP of DEV and Director of Athletics to advance support of Athletics within the recently-launched Transforming Tomorrow comprehensive campaign, as well as future capital campaigns and enhanced annual giving efforts initiated by the Athletic Department, that will fund current and future facilities as well as scholarships and programs for our student-athletes;
• Ensure an effective stewardship effort is in place to engage donors across all levels of giving through transparent reporting on use of funds and the impact of philanthropy across the entire Athletics enterprise;
• Collaborate with DEV colleagues and campus partners to formulate creative cultivation plans, successful solicitation strategies, and effective stewardship efforts to maximize the lifetime engagement and support of the Institute’s most generous supporters;
• Partner with the VP and the Executive Director of Campaign Operations and Strategic Initiatives to facilitate and advise the president, provost and senior academic leaders in their work with Athletics prospects; and
• Engage prospect research and management and IT/IM colleagues within DEV to establish gift analytics that identify early-stage opportunities with emerging Athletics prospects and track program metrics that will provide accurate forecasting.
• Develop an inclusive, positive working environment across their team that leads to shared performance goals and objectives, professional development, and personal growth - as well as enhances our ability to recruit and retain high quality talent.

Demonstrate Fundraising Success and Fuel Gift Outcomes – 30%

• Manage a portfolio of major and principal prospects with Athletics and/or institution-wide interests – reflecting best practices in identification cultivation, solicitation and stewardship;
• Meet/Exceed annual fundraising goals as an individual development officer and team leader,
• Coach, mentor others on the Athletics DEV team to fulfill their annual fundraising and program goals – individually and as a team;
• Work as needed with DEV colleagues and the Director of Athletics to oversee funding proposals, talking points, strategies, and briefings for senior leadership who are engaged in major and principal gift activities;
• Participate as a strategist on principal prospect teams, with particular focus on individuals and organizations that can support Athletics, as well as the campaign and larger priorities in Georgia Tech’s strategic plan;
• Work with prospect management and research and IT/IM colleagues to establish dashboards and other tools/resources that track and promote greater transparency around gift strategies, progress, and outcomes; and
• Serve as an interactive part of the leadership team within DEV.

Contribute to the Athletics Executive Leadership Team and Administrative Operations – 10%

• Provide sports administration oversight for one or more Division 1 sports within Georgia Tech’s Intercollegiate Athletics program;

Participate in the executive leadership team for Athletics, including additional tasks and assignments as directed by the Director of Athletics. 

Professional Qualifications

Desired Experience and Skills

• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising in higher education, with preference for individuals who have worked successfully in Intercollegiate Athletics;
• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred;
• Proven success in securing principal/major gifts, capital campaigns, and annual fund support;
• Experience in either leading or participating in a comprehensive fundraising campaign effort that included securing support for capital, operational, programmatic and endowment priorities;
• Knowledge of fundraising best practices, policies and operations – as well as NCAA Rules and Regulations regarding compliance issues;
• Demonstrated leadership through the direct supervision of a team and their ability to consistently achieve or exceed individual and overall annual fundraising goals;
• Exceptional ability to organize, establish objectives and priorities, and achieve goals in a centralized or hybrid fundraising environment;
• Successful track record of working with senior academic and athletics leaders as well as high-level volunteers to achieve increased philanthropic support;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to fulfill public relations duties and public speaking commitments;
• Strong computer skills including the ability to utilize CRMs, moves management and other key software/programs (PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, etc.) and willingness to learn new systems;
• Proven collaborator with a high level of creativity, collegiality, initiative, and motivation;
• Ability and willingness to travel with great frequency (evening, weekends, holidays), in order to effectively engage with stakeholders in a variety of settings (1:1 calls in-person and virtual, small group events, game settings, and larger campaign activities);
• Hold a valid U.S. driver's license, be at least 21 years of age at time of hire, and have an acceptable Motor Vehicle Report as determined by an insurance carrier; and
• Desire to associate with Georgia Tech and its Athletics program to champion our mission.

Additional Preferences

• Experience in launching new initiatives and determining performance metrics to measure ROI;
• Proven ability to develop and sustain confidence of internal and external stakeholders who directly impact fundraising success; and
• Successful utilization of data analytics to drive greater fundraising outcomes, forecasting and performance outcomes.