Washington University in St. Louis

Executive Director of Individual Giving, Medical Advancement - University Advancement

101 South Hanley, Clayton, MO

Full-time

First seen by offpeak October 4, 2026

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Location

ST. LOUIS, MO 63105

Scheduled Hours

37.5

Position Summary

The Executive Director of Individual Giving in Medical Advancement reports to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Medical Advancement and serves as the strategic leader responsible for driving sustainable growth in annual and leadership-level philanthropy among grateful patients and friends through Individual and Community Fundraising. The primary purpose of this role is to build and execute a comprehensive individual giving strategy that strengthens the donor pipeline, increases philanthropic participation and revenue, and generates a strong base of future major gift support for WashU Medicine. As a member of the Medical Advancement Senior Leadership Team, the Executive Director oversees a team of frontline fundraising professionals and establishes clear performance metrics, data-informed segmentation strategies, and disciplined outreach efforts. Through strong team leadership and cross-functional partnership, this role is intended to expand individual donor engagement and deliver measurable revenue growth aligned with institutional and campaign priorities.

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

Carry a select portfolio of leadership annual donors and prospects, including individuals with the capacity to make significant multi-year and blended commitments, and develop innovative strategies to cultivate, solicit, and steward grateful patients and friends. Drive near-term annual and leadership giving revenue growth while strengthening the long-term pipeline for major and principal gifts across WashU Medicine.
Responsible for developing, executing, and advancing a comprehensive strategy to acquire, retain, and upgrade donors through clear performance metrics. Establish, track and report on key performance indicators that measure the effectiveness and efficiency of fundraising activities and performance for the Individual Giving team. This role will collaborate closely with colleagues across annual giving, major gifts, communications, events, and stewardship roles to create an integrated donor experience that blends personalized outreach, strategic cultivation, meaningful engagement opportunities, and thoughtful recognition.
Build and lead the Individual Giving and Community Fundraising team by recruiting, managing, and mentoring reporting Associate Directors, Assistant Directors and administrative staff. Manage, mentor and support Community Fundraising team made up of a Senior Director, Associate Director and administrative support. Serve as a strategic partner to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Medical Advancement and the Medical Advancement Senior Leadership Team, advancing the continued growth and evolution of the grateful patient and friends annual and leadership giving program in collaboration with University Advancement and School of Medicine stakeholders.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

Job Location/Working Conditions

Normal office environment
Ability to move to on and off-campus locations

Physical Effort

Typically sitting at desk or table
Repetitive wrist, hand or finger movement

Equipment

Office equipment

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Required Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor's degree

Certifications/Professional Licenses:

No specific certification/professional license is required for this position.

Work Experience:

Relevant Experience (8 Years)

Skills:

Not Applicable

Driver's License:

A driver's license is not required for this position.

More About This Job

Preferred Qualifications

Significant work experience in a matrixed academic medical center setting.
Major gift campaign experience within a medical advancement setting with a track record of successful major gift solicitation and knowledge of larger gift vehicles such as planned giving.
A deep appreciation for and an ability to successfully articulate the mission and aspirations of the Washington University School of Medicine.
A desire to play a meaningful role in the University’s community and to share in the community’s commitment to research and education.
Demonstrated ability to design and implement effective cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies for individual giving.
Desire and ambition to work in an organization that is evolving at an accelerated pace.
Ability to speak credibly about higher education and the aspirations of the School of Medicine; clarity, crispness and effectiveness in written and oral presentation.
Ability to work collaboratively with diverse constituencies within a complex organization.

This position is located in St. Louis, MO.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

No additional education unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Certifications/Professional Licenses:

No additional certification/professional licenses unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.

Work Experience:

Leadership (10 Years)

Skills:

Communication, Complex Systems, Confidentiality, Diversity & Inclusion Strategy, Effective Listening, HIPAA Guidelines, Interpersonal Communication, Interpersonal Interactions, Leadership, Learning Quickly, Microsoft Office, Operational Strategies, Problem Solving, Professional Integrity, Relationship Building, Strategic Leadership, Strategic Planning, Work Collaboratively, Work Relationships

Grade

G00

Salary Range

Base pay is commensurate with experience.

The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.

Questions

For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ.

Accommodation

If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email CandidateQuestions@wustl.edu or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.

All qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

Pre-Employment Screening

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement

Personal

Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time.
Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance.
Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees.
WashU provides eligible employees with a defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%.

Wellness

Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more!

Family

We offer 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child. Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs. Need adult care? We’ve got you covered.
WashU covers the cost of tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us.

For policies, detailed benefits, and eligibility, please visit: https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/

EEO Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, citizenship (where prohibited by federal law), age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.

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