Deputy Athletic Director/Chief Development Officer for Athletics - (ATH00000504)

Salary Range: 

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

The Deputy Athletic Director serves as the Chief Development Officer for SMU Athletics, providing strategic leadership for all philanthropic efforts supporting Mustang Athletics. As the senior fundraising leader for Athletics, this individual will develop and execute a comprehensive advancement strategy designed to increase philanthropic support, deepen donor engagement, and advance the priorities of the Director of Athletics and the University.

The Deputy Athletic Director will serve as a member of the Director of Athletics’ Leadership Team and as a key partner to the SVP for Development and External Affairs (DEA), and University development leadership. The position will ensure that Athletics fundraising is fully integrated with SMU’s broader development strategy, campaign priorities, prospect management practices, and donor engagement efforts.

The Deputy Athletic Director will personally manage a portfolio of principal and major gift prospects and donors and will play a central role in developing and closing SMU Athletics’ most significant philanthropic commitments. The position will also lead the Athletics development team and oversee major and leadership annual giving, premium seating, the Mustang Club, the Boulevard Society, donor stewardship, development operations, events, and fundraising for capital projects.

The successful candidate will be an experienced fundraiser, strategist, and team leader who can operate effectively in the fast-paced environment of Division I athletics while building sophisticated, long-term philanthropic relationships on behalf of SMU.

Essential Functions:

Fundraising Strategy and Leadership

• Serve as the chief fundraising strategist for SMU Athletics, developing and implementing a comprehensive philanthropic strategy aligned with the priorities of the Director of Athletics and SMU.

• Advise the Director of Athletics, Chief Strategy Officer, coaches, Athletics leadership, and University development leadership on fundraising strategy, donor engagement, campaign priorities, and philanthropic opportunities.

• Serve as a member of the Director of Athletics’ Leadership Team and contribute to broader strategic planning and decision-making for Athletics.

• Establish annual and multi-year fundraising goals, strategies, metrics, and accountability measures for the Athletics development program.

• Partner closely with the SVP for Development and External Affairs and University development leadership to ensure Athletics fundraising is coordinated with institutional fundraising priorities, campaigns, principal giving, prospect management, and donor engagement.

• Develop compelling philanthropic opportunities that connect donors’ interests with Athletics priorities and the broader mission of SMU.

• Lead fundraising strategy for major Athletics initiatives and capital projects.

Principal and Major Gift Fundraising

• Personally manage a portfolio of SMU’s most significant Athletics prospects and donors, with an emphasis on principal and major gifts.

• Develop individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies designed to secure transformational philanthropic commitments.

• Identify and advance opportunities for major, principal, capital, endowed, and blended gifts supporting Athletics priorities.

• Partner with the Director of Athletics, President, SVP for DEA, coaches, trustees, volunteers, and other University leaders on significant donor relationships and solicitations.

• Develop proposals, gift concepts, solicitation strategies, and engagement plans for top prospects.

• Build a strong pipeline of future major and principal gift donors to support both near-term priorities and SMU’s next comprehensive campaign.

Athletics Development Team Leadership

• Lead, develop, and manage the Athletics development organization, creating a high-performing, collaborative, and donor-centered fundraising culture.

• Provide leadership to staff responsible for major gifts, leadership annual giving, events, development operations, donor relations and stewardship, and other fundraising functions.

• Establish clear performance expectations, portfolio standards, fundraising goals, and accountability measures aligned with DEA fundraising expectations.

• Coach and develop fundraising professionals to increase individual and team performance and strengthen the Athletics development talent pipeline.

• Ensure effective coordination among Athletics development staff and DEA, including principal giving, prospect development, gift administration, donor relations, annual giving, events, and other functions.

• Assess staffing and organizational needs and recommend investments necessary to achieve ambitious fundraising goals.

Annual Giving, Premium Seating and Volunteer Engagement

• Provide strategic oversight for Athletics annual giving and premium seating programs, ensuring they serve as both important revenue streams and pipelines for deeper philanthropic engagement.

• Oversee the Mustang Club, including strategy for engaging its volunteer leadership and leveraging members as ambassadors, advocates, connectors, and donors.

• Provide strategic direction for the Boulevard Society, strengthening engagement with SMU Athletics’ major and principal gift community.

• Develop strategies to identify annual fund and premium seating supporters with the capacity and inclination to become major and principal gift donors.

• Partner with Athletics colleagues to create a coordinated approach to donor benefits, premium experiences, events, communications, and philanthropic engagement.

• Build meaningful volunteer opportunities that expand SMU Athletics’ network and strengthen donor acquisition, retention, and engagement.

Donor Stewardship, Engagement and Capital Projects

• In partnership with DEA, develop and oversee a comprehensive stewardship strategy for Athletics donors, with particular attention to major and principal gift donors.

• Ensure donors receive meaningful and timely communication regarding the impact of their philanthropy.

• Lead philanthropic strategy for Athletics capital projects, including prospect identification, naming opportunities, gift strategies, volunteer engagement, and campaign execution.

• Partner with Athletics and University colleagues to develop donor experiences and events that strengthen relationships and advance fundraising objectives.

• In partnership with DEA, ensure appropriate recognition and stewardship of donors across Athletics facilities, programs, endowed funds, and other philanthropic investments.

Development Operations, Planning and University Partnership

• Ensure Athletics development operations support sophisticated prospect management, forecasting, pipeline development, gift processing, reporting, and performance measurement.

• Maintain strong coordination with SMU DEA policies, systems, and fundraising practices.

• Use data and analytics to evaluate fundraising performance, identify opportunities, and inform strategy.

• Provide regular fundraising forecasts, pipeline updates, and progress reports to Athletics and University leadership.

• Ensure Athletics development activities reflect the highest standards of donor confidentiality, professional ethics, NCAA requirements, University policies, and applicable regulations.
   

• Position may require frequent evening and weekend work for athletics related events. Requires presence and participation at home events, some away events and travel during the week and on weekends, in addition to cultivation and stewardship activities to enhance relationships. 

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s is required. Master's degree is preferred.

A minimum of seven (7) years of professional experience in the athletics/sports industry is required, preferably in intercollegiate athletics or professional sports. 

A minimum of seven (7) years of experience management or supervisory roles is required. 

The successful candidate will bring significant experience in major and principal gift fundraising, preferably within a complex university, collegiate athletics, or similarly sophisticated nonprofit environment. The individual should demonstrate a record of personally cultivating, soliciting, and closing significant philanthropic commitments as well as experience leading and developing fundraising professionals.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills.

Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational, planning and time management skills.  

The position requires exceptional strategic judgment, relationship-building skills, and the ability to work effectively with senior leaders, coaches, volunteers, donors, alumni, and colleagues across a complex organization. The successful candidate should be comfortable balancing long-term fundraising strategy with the pace and visibility of intercollegiate athletics and should bring a highly collaborative approach to working across Athletics and the department of Development External Affairs.

Above all, the Deputy Director must be able to build a sophisticated, ambitious fundraising program while personally engaging SMU’s most important Athletics donors and prospects.

A strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint) is required.
 

Physical and Environmental Demands:

• Sit for long periods of time

Deadline to Apply:

Priority consideration may be granted to applications received by October 21, 2026. 

Position will remain open until filled.

EEO Statement

SMU is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

Benefits:

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.

The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.