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Careers at
UW Medicine Advancement
A Collaborative and Inspiring Workplace
At UW Medicine, we work to improve health for all people through excellence in clinical, research, and education and training programs. As the only comprehensive clinical, research and learning health system in the five-state WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region, UW Medicine provides the most up-to-date care for each individual patient, leads one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive medical research programs, and provides innovative learning programs for students, trainees and practitioners in the health professions.
The passionate, 70-person team at UW Medicine Advancement works collaboratively to connect donors with meaningful opportunities to enhance patient care, expand educational opportunities and advance research at UW Medicine. This inspiring, challenging and rewarding work provides team members an opportunity to grow their careers, while making a difference in people’s lives, in our community and around the world. In the 2022 fiscal year, UW Medicine Advancement raised $284 million in gifts and private grants (46 percent of the University of Washington’s total) from nearly 14,000 donors to support the mission of UW Medicine.
Join Our Team at
UW Medicine Advancement
About UW Medicine Advancement
To promote inclusivity and foster a welcoming work environment, UW Medicine Advancement maintains an active EDI Committee. This committee works to identify opportunities for learning and actionable steps to incorporate equity, diversity and inclusion values into our fundraising efforts and improve our office culture.
Successful job candidates will value and demonstrate respect and commitment to diversity, inclusion and equity.
UW Medicine presents a unique opportunity to work with world-class physicians, researchers and educators who are leading the way by inspiring the next generation of medical professionals, caring for the health of our community, and discovering new treatments and cures for some of humanity’s deadliest diseases. The work environment is collaborative yet competitive, inspiring yet challenging, rewarding yet daunting. Individuals who want to test themselves to work with the very best will have the opportunity to grow their careers, while making a difference in people’s lives, in our community and around the world.
UW Medicine Advancement leadership understands the difficulties of working in a fast-paced, high-profile institution and is committed to creating a balanced, supportive culture. We strive to provide the resources and environment needed for you to succeed. And we are committed to helping you develop your career and grow your professional skills with in-house trainings, mentoring programs and networking opportunities. In turn, UW Medicine expects the highest standards of performance excellence and professionalism from all employees.
Learn more about the culture and philosophy at UW Medicine Advancement >>
The University of Washington (UW) offers a wide range of benefits as part of your total compensation package. Choose from top medical and dental insurance programs; plan for your future with tax-deferred investing through the UW retirement options; enjoy generous vacation and sick leave policies; and protect yourself and your family with life insurance and long-term disability insurance.
UW Medicine Advancement is a hybrid work environment, in which employees split their time between telework and onsite work.
Our office is located in South Lake Union at 850 Republican Street, Seattle, WA 98195-8045.
UW Medicine Advancement is comprised of more than 70 staff members, who work across the following teams:
Frontline Fundraisers (FLFs): These are major gift officers who collaborate closely with UW Medicine faculty and their donors to support clinical care and research at UW Medicine, as well as education at the UW School of Medicine. FLFs are organized into different teams, generally based on disease areas. Most of our FLFs are focused on individual gifts and we also have a Corporate and Foundation Relations team focused on institution giving from corporations and foundations.
Donor Relations: This team focuses on gift processes and stewardship to express appreciation to our donors and share the impact of their contributions.
Pipeline: This team concentrates on attracting new donors to UW Medicine and renewing existing donors. The team also leads Engage, our grateful patient faculty and clinician training program that partners faculty with FLFs to learn fundraising strategies together.
Communications: This team manages UW Medicine Advancement and UW School of Medicine Alumni Associate website properties and email programs, shares stories of the difference philanthropy makes to the health of the community, and supports the fundraising and stewardship efforts across Advancement.
Special Events: This team develops engaging experiences to connect donors with faculty and departments that benefit from their generosity.
Administrative and Finance Professionals: Our central team provides advancement coordination and financial expertise in support of all of the teams at UW Medicine.
You can meet our whole team here.
UW Medicine Advancement provides each new staff member with a personalized onboarding program that typically spans three months. This program includes scheduled appointments with our team and project leaders, senior leadership, faculty members from UW Medicine and key campus partners. The primary objective of these meetings is to enable new staff to establish meaningful relationships with their colleagues and obtain a foundational understanding of the intricate UW Medicine system. Additionally, every new staff member is assigned a buddy from another team to serve as a valuable resource for questions and to further enhance their understanding of UW Medicine.
Career Opportunities
The Assistant Vice President for Development Marketing and Communications (AVP) is responsible for leading and integrating the functions that build and enhance the reputation of UW Medicine. The AVP will focus most of their effort on strengthening the relationships with donors, friends, volunteers, alumni and the general public in a direct effort to increase philanthropic support for UW Medicine. This position will be a driving force as UW Medicine Advancement prepares to launch its next campaign while ensuring alignment with UW Medicine and University of Washington brand and organizational goals.
The Associate Director for Philanthropy, Ophthalmology will focus on securing major gifts ($25,000+) for the UW Medicine Eye Institute and cultivating donors capable of giving at that level. The Associate Director will collaborate with academic leaders, volunteers, and other staff to identify, cultivate, and solicit major gift prospects in support of UW Medicine. Additionally, the Associate Director will provide direct support to the department of ophthalmology chair for presentations and will report to the Director for Philanthropy.
The Director for Philanthropy shares responsibility focused on securing major gifts ($75,000+) and cultivating donors who have the capacity to give at that level. The Director will be the lead staff member generating philanthropic support for the neurosciences and initiatives within the Department of Surgery. In this capacity, the Director will have leadership responsibility for developing and implementing a comprehensive strategy to increase gift and grant support for UW Medicine. In this role, the Director will work with the department chair, administrators and other academic leaders to develop fundraising strategies that support this key program.
The Senior Administrative Specialist provides direct and far-reaching support as a trusted partner to support six leaders at UW Medicine Advancement and their teams, and lead special projects as assigned. The Senior Administrative Specialist provides senior-level administrative support in a confidential and professional manner, exercising independent judgment and discretion. This position is responsible for a broad range of duties including, but not limited to: executive scheduling and briefing, executive communications, special project coordination, scheduling complex meetings and interviews, planning travel and submitting reimbursements, onboarding new team members, and managing other administrative functions.