Job Description

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 Development Officer, Athletics serves as a key member of the USF Athletics Development team and is responsible for leading annual giving strategy, donor engagement, and operational support for the Bulls Club. This position drives philanthropic support through direct marketing, personal solicitation, stewardship, donor benefits administration, and data-driven fundraising initiatives designed to increase annual fund revenue and donor participation.

The Development Officer, Athletics oversees the day-to-day administration of Bulls Club membership and benefits while executing comprehensive annual giving strategies that cultivate, solicit, retain, and upgrade donors at all giving levels. Working collaboratively with Athletics, Advancement, Ticket Operations, and external stakeholders, this position ensures exceptional donor experiences while building a pipeline of future major gift prospects in support of USF Athletics priorities.

The role combines frontline fundraising, annual giving operations, donor relations, analytics, and strategic communications to increase unrestricted philanthropic support and strengthen long-term donor engagement with USF Athletics.

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.

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.

Annual Giving Strategy & Fundraising

• Lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of all annual giving initiatives supporting the Bulls Club Annual Fund.
• Design and implement multi-channel fundraising campaigns including direct mail, email marketing, digital outreach, phone solicitation, text messaging, social media engagement, and special appeals.
• Develop annual fundraising strategies focused on increasing donor participation, donor retention, donor upgrades, and unrestricted giving.
• Personally solicit annual gifts and leadership annual fund gifts while identifying prospects for major gift cultivation.
• Partner with development officers to transition qualified prospects into major gift portfolios.
• Develop donor-specific strategies that advance relationships and maximize philanthropic support.
• Assist with capital campaign, premium seating, and priority seating fundraising initiatives when appropriate.

Bulls Club Operations & Membership Management

• Serve as the primary operational lead for daily Bulls Club functions and membership administration.
• Coordinate with Athletics and Advancement partners to administer donor benefits and membership fulfillment.
• Oversee annual donor benefit allocation processes, including seating, parking, and priority ranking programs.
• Ensure accurate processing, allocation, and reconciliation of gifts associated with donor benefits and ticket-related programs.
• Work collaboratively with Athletics ticketing and fan engagement personnel to ensure a seamless donor experience..
• Assist with game-day operations and donor hospitality initiatives.

Data Analytics & Performance Management

• Maintain comprehensive and accurate donor records within CRM systems.
• Utilize data analytics, reporting tools, and fundraising technology to guide donor strategy and campaign performance.
• Analyze giving trends, donor behavior, renewal rates, segmentation strategies, and fundraising outcomes.
• Develop reporting and forecasting tools to measure progress toward annual fundraising goals.
• Maintain exceptional data hygiene standards and ensure timely recording of donor activity and strategy updates.
• Leverage data to identify prospects for leadership annual giving and major gift cultivation.

This position requires Bachelor's degree and one year of development, fundraising or other appropriate related 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.

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF

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, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. 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 $738 million in research funding in 2024 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 more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

Compliance and Federal Notices

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws:

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law. The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws. This job description does not constitute an employment contract.