Associate Athletic Director for Development | Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois, Lewis University, an NCAA Division II institution located 35 miles southwest of Chicago and a proud member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), invites applications for the position of Assistant/Associate Athletic Director for Development. The Lewis Flyers are a nationally recognized athletics program, consistently finishing among the Learfield Directors’ Cup Top 20 and consecutive winner of the past three GLVC Commissioner’s Cup. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Athletics with a dotted-line relationship to the Executive Director of University Advancement, the Assistant/Associate Athletic Director for Development serves on the department’s senior leadership team and provides strategic leadership for athletic fundraising, the Flyer Club, major gifts, and high-level corporate partnerships. The position is responsible for generating philanthropic support and select external revenue, strengthening relationships with donors and corporate partners, and advancing the department’s strategic priorities while enhancing the student-athlete experience. Responsible to model the University Mission through dedicated job performance, service excellence to constituencies, respectful collaboration and active support of the University’s Mission and Catholic and Lasallian higher education. Key Responsibilities: -Lead the department’s athletic development efforts in collaboration with University Advancement, overseeing annual giving, leadership giving, major gifts, capital campaigns, donor stewardship, planned giving, and the strategic direction of the Flyer Club. -Develop and manage a balanced portfolio of alumni, parents, corporate partners, and community stakeholders by identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding annual, leadership, major, and planned gift prospects while leading annual fundraising initiatives, including Giving Day, crowdfunding, alumni appeals, and digital campaigns. -Direct the growth and success of the Flyer Club through membership development, donor engagement, stewardship, communications, member benefits, and volunteer leadership. -Cultivate, solicit, negotiate, and manage high-value corporate partnerships that generate significant revenue for Lewis Athletics while collaborating with external operations staff on partnership activation and fulfillment. -Collaborate with coaches and administrators to develop fundraising strategies and execute donor engagement events, including the annual golf outing, alumni events, Hall of Fame, and donor stewardship activities. -Serve as a sport supervisor for assigned programs, supporting coaches in achieving competitive, academic, and developmental goals for student-athletes. -Support community and donor engagement initiatives that strengthen relationships with alumni, supporters, and corporate partners. -Maintain accurate donor records, manage gift reporting, and ensure all activities comply with university,  NCAA , and conference policies. -Represent Lewis Athletics at university, alumni, community, and donor events to strengthen philanthropic and corporate relationships.   Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred. At least 3 years of successful fundraising, development, or sponsorship experience, preferably in a collegiate athletics or non-profit environment. Demonstrated experience in cultivating and soliciting major gifts. Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build relationships with donors, alumni, and corporate partners. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Proficiency with donor management systems (i.e., salesforce, raisers edge, donor management database, etc.) and Microsoft Office Suite. Ability to work evenings and weekends and travel as needed Preferred Qualifications: Experience working in intercollegiate athletics. Knowledge of  NCAA  compliance rules and athletic department operations. Three to five years of experience in personally soliciting individuals for philanthropic support at the leadership annual giving level ($2,500+). Experience negotiating and managing corporate sponsorship contracts. Experience developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies. Familiarity with planned giving and campaign fundraising. Experience working with Raisers Edge,  RENXT  or Fundraiser Performance Management (Reeher). Demonstrated success managing a donor portfolio and meeting annual fundraising goals.