Director of Development – Parent and Family Philanthropy

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree‑lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student‑to‑faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses and student government. Developing close‑knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviours and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Parent and Family Philanthropy, the Director of Development – Parent and Family Philanthropy will be responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gift prospects within a regional portfolio, with a focus on parents of current students who are capable of making gifts at the $100K to $4.9M level. Additionally, the Director of Development – Parent and Family Philanthropy will play a crucial role in achieving the team’s fundraising goals by developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies, including volunteer management, to secure significant financial support.

The role will require regular travel and will involve building a strategic plan for the region, integrating cultivation of prospects by the President, Provost, Deans, and other high‑level partners.

The ideal candidate is an entrepreneurial self‑starter with a demonstrated track record of securing major gift commitments and has a proven ability to refine and actualize campaign priorities in conjunction with key academic partners and administration.

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in‑office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Must possess (or have the ability to obtain within 30 days of hire) and maintain a valid driver’s license issued by the state of residence with no more than three moving violations and/or at‑fault accidents within the past 36 months, and no convictions or deferred dispositions for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving Under the Influence (DUI) within the past five years.

* Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5+ years of related experience raising leadership gifts at the $50,000+ level with demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major individual gifts

• Ability to develop and initiate new strategies relevant to donor cultivation/solicitation
• Advanced problem‑solving skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage projects simultaneously
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules
• Adept at problem‑solving, creating contingency plans, and handling issues when necessary
• Strong attention to detail and ability to quickly understand and remember pertinent information about alumni/donors and projects to which they are assigned
• Excellent interpersonal skills

• Individual major gift fundraising experience at a complex higher education institution or at a regional/national non‑profit
• Experience working as a regional major gift officer, preferably in parent fundraising
• Fundraising experience during a comprehensive capital campaign
• Experience with securing commitments involving gift planning
• Knowledge of fundraising database software