About the role
USF Advancement connects the university with donors who want to make a difference by providing philanthropic support to promote student success, research, academic excellence and other strategic priorities. With an endowment that now exceeds $700 million in value, our dedicated team of approximately 200 professionals, including 60 fundraisers, encompasses alumni, development and foundation operations. The team is responsible for raising more than $150 million annually and has broken records year after year with more than $184 million raised in fiscal year 2025.
The Assistant Vice President of Corporate and Foundation Relations will lead a new strategy for securing significant philanthropic investments from corporations and private foundations. Reporting to the Vice President of Central Development, the AVP will build and manage a concentrated portfolio of high-capacity partners, creating relationships that deliver meaningful value for USF and its partners.
As a senior external relationship leader, the AVP will work closely with university leadership, deans, faculty, and advancement colleagues to connect institutional priorities with the philanthropic and business interests of prospective partners. This role offers the opportunity to build a differentiated fundraising program at an AAU member institution with significant research strengths and growing opportunities for industry collaboration.
Employees of USF Advancement live out the values of responsibility, innovation, service, and excellence in each of its highly collaborative departments. We use trusted data and ethical AI to enhance decision-making, strengthen engagement, and enable our teams to focus on what matters most: relationships and impact.
· Develop and execute a comprehensive corporate and private foundation fundraising strategy focused on securing significant investments in USF’s highest institutional priorities.
· Build, manage, and solicit a select portfolio of corporations and private foundations with the capacity to make seven- and eight-figure philanthropic investments.
· Identify and close complex funding opportunities supporting academic programs, research, scholarships, faculty initiatives, and capital priorities.
· Partner with university leaders, deans, faculty, and advancement colleagues to develop institution-wide funding opportunities and coordinate engagement with priority partners.
· Lead and mentor a team of fundraising professionals by establishing ambitious goals, strengthening performance, and fostering a culture of responsibility, innovation, service, and excellence.
· Champion data-informed and AI-enabled fundraising practices that strengthen prospect identification, portfolio strategy, donor engagement, and team effectiveness.
· Guide the creation of persuasive proposals and cases for support that articulate the opportunity for investment, expected outcomes, and value of partnering with USF.
· Establish and monitor clear fundraising goals, portfolio metrics, partnership outcomes, and progress toward significant solicitations and gifts.
· Ensure excellence in stewardship, impact reporting, and partner engagement to demonstrate the value of philanthropic investment and encourage continued support.
• Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of ten (10) years of related experience.
• A minimum of five (5) years managerial experience.
• Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
• SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements
• A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:
(a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
(b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
(c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
(d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
(e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree
• Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.
• Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.
The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg and USF Health. In 2025, U.S. News & World Report recognized USF with its highest overall ranking in university history, as a top 50 public university for the seventh consecutive year and as one of the top 15 best values among all public universities in the nation. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in the highest tier, placing it as one of the top 16 medical schools in the nation and inside the top 10 among public universities. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $750 million in research funding in 2025 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of nearly $10 billion for the state of Florida. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.