Virginia Athletics Foundation - Director or Senior Director of Donor Experiences and Special Events

Peak Scouts is recruiting on behalf of the Virginia Athletics Foundation (VAF) for a Director or Senior Director of Donor Experiences and Special Events in Charlottesville, Virginia. Title and compensation are commensurate with experience.

ABOUT THE VIRGINIA ATHLETICS FOUNDATION

The Virginia Athletics Foundation, through its fundraising efforts to be an annual $100 million private 501(c)(3) athletics fundraising organization, strives to support a preeminent intercollegiate athletics program at the University of Virginia by providing more than 750 student-athletes across 27 sports programs the opportunity to achieve academic and athletic excellence. More than 11,000 individuals commit annually to the VAF, and their investments position Virginia teams to compete successfully at the national and conference levels.

VAF Mission: The Virginia Athletics Foundation exists to strengthen Virginia Athletics by cultivating meaningful relationships and philanthropic support that empower student-athletes to pursue excellence in competition, the classroom, and life.

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Chief of Staff, the Director/Senior Director of Donor Experiences and Special Events provides strategic and creative leadership for the development, planning, and in-person execution of donor experiences, special events, and premium hospitality for VAF. The position serves as VAF's lead for event strategy, experience design, event production, premium hospitality, and on-site execution, working closely with VAF leadership, development officers, Virginia Athletics, coaches, student-athletes, University partners, and external vendors.

This is a highly visible, primarily in-person position with significant donor interaction and regular evening and weekend responsibilities based on the Virginia Athletics and VAF event calendars.

JOB DUTIES

Leadership and Team Management

• Lead, mentor, and supervise the Donor Experience team, including professional development, performance management, and daily oversight

• Work in close partnership with the Senior Director of Donor Experience Operations

• Establish annual goals, priorities, and operational standards for the team

• Foster a collaborative, service-oriented culture

• Oversee staffing plans for events, premium hospitality spaces, volunteers, and game-day personnel

• Establish event roles for staff, interns, and volunteers; lead pre-event meetings and briefings

• Train team members on event execution, hospitality standards, donor interaction, and problem solving

• Provide leadership and direction during events and game days

Donor Experience Strategy

• Develop and lead VAF's strategy for exceptional donor experiences across events, competitions, hospitality spaces, and special engagement opportunities

• Identify new and creative ways to engage donors and prospects

• Create experiences that recognize philanthropy and connect donors to student-athletes, coaches, programs, facilities, and Athletics leadership

• Partner with development officers to support cultivation, solicitation, engagement, and stewardship

• Establish service and hospitality standards and continuously elevate VAF's offerings

Special Events Strategy and Execution

• Lead planning and execution of all VAF events, including Sabre Society experiences, Cavaliers for Life initiatives, endowed scholarship celebrations, donor recognition events, facility dedications, golf tournaments, sport reunions, campaign events, postseason events, 50th anniversaries, and special celebrations

• Develop event timelines, budgets, project plans, and execution strategies

• Manage invitation strategy, registration, guest experience, seating, and event reporting

• Oversee all logistics, including venues, catering, transportation, hotels, décor, gifts, audiovisual production, security, parking, media coordination, and vendors

• Evaluate event success through measurable outcomes, including post-event debriefs with the Chief of Staff and Executive Director

Premium Hospitality and Suite Operations

• Lead donor-facing premium hospitality at Scott Stadium, John Paul Jones Arena, Disharoon Park, and other Virginia Athletics venues

• Oversee the in-person donor experience in VAF suites and hospitality spaces

• Establish game-day service standards and staffing plans; train staff and volunteers

• Coordinate with Athletics, facilities, ticketing, catering, security, and parking partners

• Conduct pre-event walkthroughs and serve as a visible VAF host at designated home events

• Respond to donor and guest needs during competitions and recommend improvements

• Coordinate suite load-in and load-out for Football and Baseball

VIP and Major Donor Experiences

• Create highly personalized experiences for principal and major gift donors and prospects in partnership with development officers

• Coordinate donor visits involving coaches, student-athletes, Athletics leadership, facilities, practices, and competitions

• Serve as an on-site host for key donors and prospects when appropriate

• Develop special experiences around significant philanthropic commitments, milestones, and celebrations

Event Production and Vendor Management

• Source and manage vendors for the physical production of VAF events, including venues, caterers, rentals, florists, décor, AV and production, entertainment, transportation, and hotels

• Conduct vendor and venue walkthroughs and review event proposals

• Negotiate pricing and services in coordination with VAF's business office

• Coordinate vendor setup, production, and breakdown and ensure quality and guest service

• Manage event budgets and recommend investments that enhance the donor experience

Event Programming and Experience Design

• Develop creative event concepts and programming that reflect VAF's mission and fundraising priorities

• Determine program flow, speakers, storytelling, entertainment, décor, and experiential components

• Prepare coaches, student-athletes, development officers, and Athletics leadership for donor-facing events

• Develop detailed run-of-show documents and conduct rehearsals when appropriate

• Incorporate Virginia Athletics traditions, student-athlete stories, philanthropic impact, and program achievements

Donor Hospitality Standards

• Establish consistent hospitality standards across all donor-facing events and experiences

• Ensure guests receive a warm, personalized, and professional experience from arrival through departure

• Train staff, interns, volunteers, and event personnel on hospitality expectations

• Develop protocols for welcoming and recognizing key donors and guests

• Find opportunities to surprise and delight donors through thoughtful, personalized touches

Cross-Department Collaboration

• Partner with development officers on the purpose, audience, and fundraising objectives of each event

• Collaborate with Virginia Athletics, coaches, facilities, marketing, communications, ticketing, operations, security, and University partners

• Serve as VAF's primary resource for the creative and physical execution of donor events

• Represent VAF in planning meetings and manage the Donor Experience team budget

Partnership with the Senior Director of Donor Experience Operations

• Partner with VAF leadership, Athletics, University departments, coaches, and external stakeholders to execute strategic donor engagement opportunities

• Serve as the primary event planning resource for Foundation leadership

Technology

• Maintain proficiency in and provide strategic oversight of Salesforce, Blackthorn, ThankView, Paperless Post, Paciolan, Eloqua, and SharePoint

Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree required

• Senior Director level: 8 years of experience in event management, donor relations, hospitality, or a related field, including significant leadership and team management experience

• Director level: 5 to 7 years of experience in event management, donor relations, hospitality, or a related field, including supervisory experience

• Experience with Salesforce, Blackthorn, ThankView, Paperless Post, and Paciolan preferred but not required

Qualities and Characteristics

• Experience in higher education, intercollegiate athletics, advancement, or nonprofit fundraising

• Experience managing donor stewardship and major fundraising events

• Demonstrated experience supervising professional staff

• Experience overseeing premium hospitality operations and donor engagement strategies

• Budget management experience

• Knowledge of fundraising CRM systems and event management software

BENEFITS

• Annual salary based on years of experience, plus an annual incentive program

• Paid personal leave, a minimum of 12 paid holidays, and 12 remote days

• Health, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance

• 401(k) plan with employer contribution

• On-site parking

• Football and basketball season tickets for the employee and eligible family members

• Family pass for regular-season home UVA Olympic sport events

• Recreation pass with access to all UVA recreation facilities

DETAILS

• Location: Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium, Charlottesville, VA (primarily in person)

• Schedule: 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, 40 hours per week, plus event days, evenings, and weekends

• Physical requirements: ability to remain at a workstation for long periods and move items of 10 lbs. or less

VAF is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.

HOW TO APPLY

Click Apply to submit your application through Peak Scouts.

ABOUT PEAK SCOUTS

Peak Scouts is a leadership consulting and executive search firm for college athletics and sports organizations. We partner with athletic departments to find, screen, and place leaders and coaches.