Associate Director of Foundation Relations, UI Health

Hiring Department: Office of the Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs

Location: Chicago, IL USA

Requisition ID: 1029016

Posting Close Date: February 7, 2025

Salary: The budgeted salary range for the position is $70,000 to $90,000. Final salary offered will be determined by a thorough assessment of available market data, internal salary equity, candidate experience and qualifications, and budget constraints

About the University of Illinois Chicago

UIC is among the nation’s preeminent urban public research universities, a Carnegie RU/VH research institution, and the largest university in Chicago. UIC serves over 34,000 students, comprising one of the most diverse student bodies in the nation and is designated as a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), an Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPSI) and a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Through its 16 colleges, UIC produces nationally and internationally recognized multidisciplinary academic programs in concert with civic, corporate and community partners worldwide, including a full complement of health sciences colleges. By emphasizing cutting-edge and transformational research along with a commitment to the success of all students, UIC embodies the dynamic, vibrant and engaged urban university. Recent “Best Colleges” rankings published by U.S. News & World Report, found UIC climbed up in its rankings among top public schools in the nation and among all national universities. UIC has over 300,000 alumni, and is one of the largest employers in the city of Chicago.

Benefits eligible positions include a comprehensive benefits package which offers: Health, Dental, Vision, Life, Disability & AD&D insurance; a defined benefit pension plan; paid leaves such as Vacation, Holiday and Sick; tuition waivers for employees and dependents. Click for a complete list of Employee Benefits.

The Opportunity:

The University of Illinois at Chicago and UI Health seek a strategic, collaborative, and experienced fundraising professional to serve as the Associate Director of Foundation Relations, UI Health (AD). This position will help build a foundation relations program for the UI College of Medicine and partner closely with the Executive Director of Foundation Relations, UI Health (ED); and the Senior Director of Foundation Relations, UI Health (SD).

The $2.5 billion UI Health system is comprised of seven health science colleges, a major teaching hospital, a substantial community-based healthcare network, a wide variety of top-ranked primary and specialty clinics, and a cancer center. UI Health has an unswerving commitment to ensuring access to both education and health care in Chicago and beyond, serving as an incubator for life-saving research, a major healthcare provider to underserved communities, and educator of more physicians, nurses, dentists, and pharmacists for Illinois than any other school.

Reporting to the Senior Director of Foundation Relations, UI Health, the Associate Director will be a supportive partner for the SD, delivering best-in-class standards for proposal development in collaboration with faculty representing the clinical, educational, and research ambitions of the College of Medicine and UI Health more broadly. The AD will work to increase philanthropic revenue and contribute to the development of transformational gifts for the College of Medicine that elevate the entire UI Health enterprise.

UI College of Medicine Advancement is at a pivotal moment in its trajectory, with tremendous potential for exponential growth. The University of Illinois has committed to a substantial investment in the expansion of Advancement, with the goal of adding approximately 30 new Advancement positions in UI Health over the next two years. UI Health is truly singular in its breadth of activity and innovation—from groundbreaking research and medical education led by world-class faculty, to cutting-edge surgical training, to innovative healthcare design and delivery, to renowned drug discovery, and more—and in its dedication to health equity across these areas. The College of Medicine is among the top-ranked colleges for African American and Hispanic physicians, and the hospital and clinics serve among the most diverse populations in the nation.

The AD will be relied upon by key institutional partners to provide guidance around funder priorities and programmatic alignment and to develop effective cases for support and competitive proposal submissions. The AD will be able to effectively translate complex medical and technical information for a layman's audience as well as understanding the guidelines and standard structure to support research proposal development. They will possess a strong track record of successful proposal submissions as well as consistent renewals. They will demonstrate best practices that increase productivity and operational efficiency within the foundations team, including the highest standards of grants management and the delivery of compelling donor reports. As UIC enters its next campaign targeting its largest fundraising goal to date, this position will contribute to
ensuring the UI College of Medicine meets the ambitious goals set forth, all within a supportive, energetic, and high-performing environment.

The successful candidate will bring at least 5-7 years of experience, with a clear track record of developing strong faculty relations and winning proposals. This individual must be collaborative by nature, keen to engage individuals across a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines and committed to the mission and goals of the College of Medicine and UI Health. This is a wonderful opportunity for a fundraising professional who is passionate about health equity to achieve unprecedented impact not only within the University of Illinois system and for the patients, families, and communities it serves, but also more broadly across the United States.

Minimum Qualifications

· Bachelor’s degree required.

· Minimum of 5 years of professional experience, with at least three years of foundation relations or grants-related experience preferably within an academic medical center.

· Proven success in securing major grants and gifts.

Preferred Qualifications

· Demonstrated success in increasing philanthropic restricted and unrestricted grant revenue for an organization.

· Experience working within a complex healthcare organization.

· Understanding of the funding landscape for academic medicine.

· Demonstrated skill in achieving alignment, providing active support and close collaboration amongst a broad range of stakeholders in relation to proposal development and execution.

· Excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills: ability to interact effectively with a wide variety of professionals, including faculty and physician-scientists, in writing, on the phone, and in person.

· Knowledgeable in matters pertaining to healthcare, research, and educational programs.

· Comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of successful development practices.

· Excellent writing and editing skills: ability to produce high quality professional documents, including detailed proposals and reports. Ability to translate complex medical information into laymen’s terms.

· Credibility and capacity to build and sustain effective relationships with colleagues across the Advancement organization and with partners elsewhere in the University; ability to influence senior colleagues, often without authority.

· Highly responsible, self-motivated, and exceptional attention to detail.

· Proficient in MS Word, Excel, and other Microsoft applications.

· Experience with constituent relationship management databases.

Travel Requirements

· Local and regional travel required, including evenings, overnights, and occasional weekends.

For fullest consideration, click the Apply Now button and upload your Cover Letter, Current CV/Resume and contact information of three (3) references by February 7, 2025. Position closes on February 7, 2025.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

The university provides accommodations to applicants and employees. Request an Accommodation