Towson University (TU) has earned distinction as both a top-100 public university and one of the nation's great colleges to work for. Located north of Baltimore, TU currently enrolls over 19,000 students and is the second-largest university in the prestigious University System of Maryland. Towson University fosters a climate that is grounded in respect to cultivating the intellectual and personal growth of the entire university community.

Towson University is an exciting and growing academic community dedicated to attracting and retaining the best students, faculty, and employees. Over the last five years, TU achieved multiple record-breaking fundraising years and successfully completed the $100,000,000 RISE Campaign, setting a strong foundation for our future. Today, we are advancing the Campaign for Excellence, a comprehensive effort that will elevate Towson Athletics by enhancing the student-athlete experience, strengthening competitive success, and expanding philanthropic support for teams, programs, and capital priorities. Our team members are committed to representing everything that makes a Towson Tiger great through a positive and proactive approach that engages TU’s community of donors, alumni, and friends. As we enter this next phase of our institution’s evolution, we invite those with a passion for student success in the classroom and competition to join TU and take the next step in their career.

The Senior Associate Athletics Director-Development will lead Towson University's efforts to cultivate, secure, and retain all philanthropic support for TU Athletic teams, programs, and students. This experienced professional will assess the landscape of prospects and donors, formulate development plans to engage individuals and families, and anticipate trends, needs, and expectations to motivate prospects into action. The Senior Director will serve as the lead development officer for Athletics and work in partnership with the Director of Athletics and coaches to secure major gift funding for a variety of operating and capital projects. In addition to serving as the Major Gift Officer for Athletics, the Senior Associate Athletics Director-Development manages a team of two Assistant Directors and partners with the Director of Athletics and the Associate Vice President for Development to successfully achieve both the annual and multi-year financial goals for the university to benefit Athletic funding.

Responsibilities and Duties

A.) Serve as the Lead Development Officer for TU Athletics

• Achieve all assigned financial, donor, and activity goals to support the successful execution of annual and multi-year fundraising objectives for Towson Athletics.
• Partner regularly with the Director of Athletics and coaches to identify priority needs, develop compelling funding opportunities, and advance philanthropic initiatives that elevate the student-athlete experience.
• Identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward prospects with the capacity and inclination to support Athletics and the broader priorities of Towson University.
• Develop and implement Athletics-specific fundraising and communications strategies that strengthen constituent engagement, increase philanthropic revenue, and grow the number of donors to Athletics.
• Promote and cross-sell philanthropic opportunities across the university, ensuring that prospects connected to Athletics are also aware of additional institutional priorities where their interests may align.
• Conduct a minimum of 10 meaningful external visits each month with prospects and donors, including at least two visits conducted jointly with the Director of Athletics and/or coaching partners.
• Actively engage every prospect within the assigned portfolio, advancing individualized cultivation and solicitation strategies that move prospects through the giving cycle.
• Collaborate with internal and external revenue-generating units, including University Ticketing Operations and other campus partners, to coordinate outreach, align messaging, and ensure a seamless donor and fan experience.

1. B) Manage and Develop a High-Performing Athletics Development Team

• Supervise, mentor, and support Athletics development staff to increase philanthropic support for Athletics and achieve annual and multi-year fundraising goals.
• Hold regular individual and team meetings to review workplans, assess progress toward goals, develop cultivation and solicitation strategies for top prospects, and provide coaching to strengthen fundraising effectiveness and improve yield ratios.
• Design and implement annual giving cultivation, engagement, and solicitation strategies that enhance donor satisfaction, deepen affinity, and increase donor retention across Athletics.
• Grow membership in Athletics leadership giving societies through targeted outreach, personalized stewardship, and strategic engagement.
• Monitor team performance and intervene proactively to ensure goals are met, identifying opportunities for professional development, resource alignment, and strategic adjustments when necessary.
• Collaborate closely with colleagues across University Advancement to cultivate, engage, and steward donors in a coordinated, positive, and professional manner that reflects TU’s values and supports institutional priorities.

1. C) Serve as a Strategic Resource Across the Athletics Department

• Collaborate with members of the Athletics Leadership Team and staff to advance departmental goals and support priority initiatives that strengthen the overall success, visibility, and reputation of TU Athletics.
• Facilitate and steward external relationships—including alumni, donors, corporate partners, and community stakeholders—to benefit Athletics beyond philanthropic support and enhance the broader student-athlete and fan experience.

Qualifications and Skills

• Bachelor's degree.
• Three years of non-profit leadership and major gift cultivation and solicitation experience required.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for the position:

• Comprehensive knowledge of philanthropic giving vehicles and charitable contribution strategies, including those utilized by individuals, families, donor-advised funds, and family foundations.
• Expertise in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship practices that broaden and deepen constituent engagement with Towson University and Towson Athletics.
• Demonstrated ability to motivate, inspire, and develop professional staff and volunteers, fostering a high-performing, goal-oriented team committed to achieving fundraising success.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the character, judgment, and professionalism needed to establish and sustain productive partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Knowledge of current trends in philanthropy, along with the ability to anticipate needs, adapt strategies, and proactively implement business and development plans that address both immediate and long-term objectives.
• A proven record of securing significant philanthropic support, including repeated success cultivating, soliciting, and closing six-figure gifts and above.

Preferences (including additional education, work experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities):

• Supervisory experience in a sales or revenue-generating environment, with a preference for candidates who have led teams within a nonprofit or higher-education advancement setting.
• Personal experience and strong familiarity with the Maryland and Mid-Atlantic region’s athletic, philanthropic, and community landscapes, with the ability to leverage established networks to advance Towson University’s fundraising goals.

Salary and Benefits 

Salary range at $130,000-$144,000 annually and full University benefits that include 22 days of annual leave, up to 17 holidays, personal and sick days; excellent health, life, and retirement plans; and tuition remission. To learn more about our benefits, click here. TU also offers a variety of great perks and discounts, which can be found here.

This position will be open for a minimum of 14 days. A cover letter and resume with your online application is required. 

About Towson University

The largest comprehensive university in the Baltimore area, Towson University is nationally recognized for its excellent programs in the arts and sciences, communications, business, health professions, education, fine arts and computer information systems. Located in suburban Towson, eight miles north of Baltimore, our beautifully landscaped, 328-acre setting offers a pleasant environment for study and a diverse campus life, as well as easy access to a wealth of university and community resources. Towson University's educational experience branches out to off-campus locations throughout Maryland, including a number of online options. Our many interdisciplinary partnerships with public and private organizations throughout Maryland provide opportunities for research, internships and jobs. Towson University is a founding member of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU).

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