Associate Director, Regional Strategic Programs

About this role

Department ADV Regional Advancement (Central) About the Department The University of Chicago Advancement team cultivates lifelong connections with more than 220,000 alumni, current students, parents, and friends worldwide, building community through intellectual, professional, and other meaningful experiences on campus, around the world and online. Advancement empowers every division, school, department, and institute to thrive, generating support for esteemed faculty, pioneering researchers, visionary practitioners, and ambitious students.

During the Chicago Minds campaign, Advancement seeks to raise over $1 billion annually. This unprecedented philanthropic effort is designed to stretch the boundaries of what is possible, fueling bold discovery and amplifying the University’s global impact.

Our work is rooted in the belief that meaningful connection and lasting experiences inspire ambassadorship and enduring commitment. We champion a culture of innovation and excellence, inviting every member of our community to participate in a future defined by creativity, intellectual rigor, and shared purpose. Through collaborative partnerships, strategic stewardship, and investment in talent, Advancement is reimagining alumni and donor engagement while ensuring UChicago remains a catalyst of impact for generations to come.

The Regional Advancement team is organized into four regional teams: West, Central, East, and Global. The teams lead comprehensive and collaborative campus-wide strategies and programs that deeply engage the UChicago community with a focus on raising significant philanthropic support for the University’s top priorities, academic units, faculty and students. The team works closely with university and academic leadership, academic divisions, and colleagues across Advancement, and is responsible for developing, executing, and coordinating the University’s strategic regional advancement program with a goal of significantly growing philanthropic activity and building a robust and sustainable donor pipeline through curated engagement opportunities. Job Summary The Associate Director, Regional Strategic Programs serves as an operational partner to the Regional Executive Director for the Central region and frontline fundraising teams by implementing regional market plans in the Central and Global regions that advance University fundraising priorities. This role provides strategic leadership for the planning, design, coordination, and execution of high-touch donor engagement experiences, regional events, and cultivation activities that strengthen donor relationships and support philanthropic growth. The Associate Director serves as a key liaison across Advancement partners, coordinates engagement reporting, and supports evaluation of regional engagement outcomes to inform future engagement efforts.

This role uses best practices and knowledge within Alumni Relations and leads a program designed to engage the alumni community worldwide, increase participation, and advance the objectives of the Alumni Association and the broader University. Researches, executes, and implements best practices in alumni relationship management. Responsibilities • Serves as an operational partner to the Regional Executive Director and frontline fundraising teams by implementing regional engagement activities that support fundraising and donor engagement objectives. • Supports execution of regional market plans established by the Executive Directors and fundraising partners. • Partners with fundraisers and regional leadership to plan, design, coordinate and execute personalized donor engagement opportunities that support cultivation, stewardship, campaign priorities, and relationship-building efforts. • Leads the strategic planning, coordination, and execution of regional donor engagement activities, including one-on-one donor meetings, donor-hosted gatherings, faculty engagement opportunities, cultivation dinners, leadership convenings, volunteer events, and other high-touch Advancement experiences that advance regional engagement objectives. • Coordinates donor engagement logistics and prepares briefing materials, prospect research summaries, itineraries, schedules, talking points, and related support materials for donor meetings and regional engagement activities. • Develops engagement approaches and manages all aspects of logistics for complex regional donor engagement activities and events, including project timelines, invitation processes, RSVP management, internal and donor communications, venue and vendor coordination, onsite execution, and post-event stewardship activities. • Interacts directly with donors and volunteer leaders in support of relationship-building and cultivation efforts, serving as a trusted resource while supporting the primary relationship manager. • Serves as partner to regional volunteer leaders and donor hosts, supporting meaningful engagement and strengthening connections to University priorities. • Serves as a regional resource for Advancement partners by leveraging knowledge of the assigned region’s philanthropic landscape, donor and volunteer leadership, local venues, vendors, and engagement opportunities to support successful donor engagement activities and event execution. • Serves as liaison between Regional Executive Directors and PDDS by supporting the development of event impact reports, market plan reports, and other regional engagement reporting, gathering qualitative engagement information, and ensuring timely completion of reporting deliverables. • Collaborates with Advancement Communications, the Office of Special Events, and other Advancement partners to support coordinated execution of regional donor engagement activities aligned with broader Advancement priorities. • Identifies opportunities to enhance donor engagement experiences and event strategies by providing recommendations based on event execution, donor interactions, engagement outcomes, and regional

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