Vice President of Development - Athletics

About the Position

Purdue for Life Foundation (PFLF) seeks a Vice President of Development – Athletics who is a strategic and values-driven leader able to inspire excellence through collaboration, integrity, and a deep commitment to Purdue’s mission. Reporting to the President and CEO of Purdue for Life Foundation, this individual will build and lead a high-performing team, foster strong partnerships across the PFLF, Athletics and the broader university community, and engage donors with authenticity and purpose. With a focus on transparency, trust, and shared success, the Vice President will elevate philanthropic support for Purdue Athletics while modeling principled leadership and a culture of accountability.

About Purdue University

Purdue University is a public research university leading with excellence at scale. Ranked among top 10 public universities in the United States, Purdue discovers, disseminates and deploys knowledge with a quality and at a scale second to none. More than 106,000 students study at Purdue across multiple campuses, locations and modalities, including more than 57,000 at our main campus locations in West Lafayette and Indianapolis. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue’s main campus has frozen tuition 14 years in a row. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap — including its integrated, comprehensive Indianapolis urban expansion; the Mitch Daniels School of Business; Purdue Computes; and the One Health initiative — at https://www.purdue.edu/president/strategic-initiatives.

About the Purdue for Life Foundation

The Purdue for Life Foundation (PFLF) helps people who love Purdue stay connected, get involved, and give back.  Purdue for Life was created in 2020 by uniting the Purdue Alumni Association and the University Development Office, and PFLF drives and coordinates all alumni-related activities across the Purdue family’s post-graduation lives and works with alumni, friends, and fans to garner support for the institution. https://www.purdueforlife.org/

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assist in leading campaigns and implementing strategies to exceed fundraising goals to achieve transformational success across the Purdue ecosystem with specific leadership for Athletics.

• Work in cooperation with Athletics staff, campus partners, donors, and volunteers to identify, cultivate and solicit existing donors and donor prospects at the $10,000 to $1,000,000+ level. 

• Actively work with annual fund donors to move them along the donor continuum to increase overall support. 

• Prepare proposals and solicit prospects for annual gifts and for major gifts to secure a ‎minimum annual goal as designated by the CEO/Chief Development Officer toward the unit’s fundraising goals.‎

• Lead the athletics annual fund and premium seating team. 

• Increase John Purdue Club membership by executing externally focused cultivation and solicitation strategies.

• Lead efforts in Athletics toward maximizing productivity and enhancing a metrically driven environment that focuses on alumni engagement, donor relationships, and stewardship.

• Establish annual and monthly contact goals and monitor the progress towards these goals for each assigned development team member.

• Manage a portfolio of 300+ donors and prospects for major gift and high-level annual fund cultivation and solicitation.

• Ensure effective records ‎maintenance, ‎ including timely filling of requests ‎of prospect assignments, prospect strategies and contact reports.

• Collaborate effectively with PFLF leadership colleagues, Purdue Athletics leadership staff, and across campus partners.

• Develop and maintain a healthy culture within own team and collaborate with peers to contribute to a healthy culture across PFLF.

Desired Qualifications and Attributes

The successful candidate will have significant experience as a development professional in a similar size or larger enterprise, will be capable of effectively operating in a complex, matrix organization, and will be a proven leader of people. This individual will be characterized by demonstrating the following leadership qualities:

• Build Trust

  • Clear and courageous communication

  • Interpersonal effectiveness

  • Social acumen

• Lead with Emotional Intelligence

  • Empathetic curiosity

  • Emotional agility

  • Selfless leadership

• Own the Mission

  • Purpose driven alignment

  • Authentic conversations

  • Collective impact

Qualifications and Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

• Minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in fundraising/development, ideally within higher education, athletics, or a similarly complex organization.

• Demonstrated success securing major and principal gifts (typically in the $10K–$1M+ range), with a strong track record of meeting or exceeding fundraising and campaign goals.

• Proven ability to personally manage and close a portfolio of donors and prospects, while building and advancing a sustainable donor pipeline.

• Experience leading and developing high-performing teams, including setting metrics, managing performance, and fostering a culture of accountability.

• Ability to effectively operate within a large, matrixed organization and collaborate across multiple stakeholders, including advancement, athletics, and campus leadership.

• Experience with annual fund strategy, donor engagement, and stewardship programs, with a data-driven approach to fundraising.

• Familiarity with CRM systems and leveraging analytics to drive performance and decision-making.

• Experience in intercollegiate athletics fundraising or working closely with athletics departments preferred.

• Experience leading premium seating programs or donor-based membership organizations (e.g., booster clubs) preferred.

• Background in comprehensive campaign planning and execution, as well as exposure to alumni engagement strategy and integrated advancement models preferred.

Application Process

PFLF invites nominations and applications or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the Foundation. Applications must include a cover letter, resume or curriculum vitae, and list of references. For full consideration, application materials should be submitted to Parker Executive Search’s website by May 13, 2026. Confidential review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made.

For additional information, please contact:

Daniel Parker, Vice President and Managing Director

DeLaina Sarden, Principal

Gray McGee, Associate

danielparker@parkersearch.com | dsarden@parkersearch.com | gmcgee@parkersearch.com

Parker Executive Search

 770-804-1996 ext. 116 | 770-804-1996 ext. 119

The Purdue for Life Foundation is an equal opportunity employer that encourages applications from all individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans. They are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment, aligning with broader Purdue University non-discrimination policies.