Assistant Director of Development Jobs in USA with Visa Sponsorship
Assistant Director of Development roles sit squarely within H-1B visa specialty occupation territory, requiring a directly related bachelor's degree in fields like nonprofit management, communications, or public administration. Employers at universities, hospitals, and large nonprofits have consistent LCA filing histories, making this a viable path for international candidates with fundraising or major gifts experience.
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Get Access To All JobsMain Work Location:
Historic Stanford Campus
Schedule:
Hybrid (at least 2 days per week on site)
Budgeted Salary Range:
The expected pay range for this position is $82,650 to $101,690.
The Development Events team is a part of the Office of Development (OOD), which advances Stanford’s mission by raising philanthropic support from alumni, parents, families, friends, and institutional funders. Working in concert with volunteers and university leaders, OOD staff members strive to accelerate Stanford’s purposeful impact in the world. Stanford is committed to a donor-centric approach to development. Every member of the Office of Development staff plays a role in providing the university’s donors with the service and attention that ensures an exceptionally positive and fulfilling philanthropic experience.
Position Summary:
The Assistant Director (AD) is a key member of the central Office of Development (OOD) Events team, which produces more than 100 programs annually to cultivate and steward university donors. As part of a highly collaborative team, the AD leads event teams and independently manages the planning and execution of specialized in-person, hybrid, and virtual programs that further the goals of OOD.
The AD works closely with internal partners and stakeholders across a complex higher education environment to develop and execute events that advance donor engagement and fundraising priorities. This role requires a high degree of professionalism, diplomacy, discretion, and sound judgment when navigating competing priorities, managing stakeholder expectations, and addressing sensitive or complex situations. The AD must be adept at building collaborative relationships, balancing diverse perspectives, and exercising flexibility and independent judgment to develop effective solutions while maintaining alignment with departmental goals and university protocols.
Serving as project leader for events ranging from small, highly personalized gatherings to large and complex programs, the AD coordinates teams to strategize, plan, and execute all aspects of development events, including breakfasts, lunches, receptions, dinners, and award ceremonies. The AD is expected to exercise initiative and autonomy in prioritizing competing event demands, adapting to evolving needs, and ensuring the successful delivery of multiple programs in a dynamic environment.
Core Duties:
- Initiate and lead meetings with stakeholders to plan scope and format of events, establish and monitor budgets, and/or review administrative procedures and event progress.
- Serve as project leader on specific events, coordinating teams that plan, implement, and manage all aspects of events such as: marketing, vendors, fan experience, ticket office, concessions, press and/or media.
- Responsible for budget planning and management, venue management and equipment and facilities management for specific events.
- Oversee development of registration strategy and logistics.
- Build and maintain relationships with internal and external partners.
- Procure and coordinate vendor services. Negotiate vendor contracts to minimize liability and risks.
- Research and provide recommendations for potential event locations, and evaluate alternatives.
- Investigate, document and report complaints regarding all aspects of events including customer service, crowd control and staff issues.
- May inspect event facilities for maintenance, janitorial and fire safety issues, ensuring enforcement of Environmental Health and Safety and other facility regulations. Arrange for correction if issues are found.
- Communicate with visiting entities such as vendors, teams, coaches and officials for assigned events.
- Train and supervise junior event planners in proper execution and implementation of events.
- May oversee support staff, students, and contingent event staff.
Minimum Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree and three years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Demonstrated success managing event teams and planning, developing budgets, and meeting budget goals.
- Excellent project management skills, and the ability to manage complex timelines and multiple projects.
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, time management, and customer service skills. Must be well organized and detail oriented.
- Exceptional customer service skills with the ability to cultivate partnerships.
- Demonstrated high level of confidence in making strategic decisions, good judgment, and innovative and creative problem-solving skills.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, File Maker Pro and knowledge of cloud applications such as Google Docs and Forms.
- Ability to interact and successfully collaborate with a broad spectrum of contributing groups and customers.
Certificates and Licenses Required:
Must possess and maintain a valid California non-commercial Class C Driver’s License.
Main Work Location:
Historic Stanford Campus
Schedule:
Hybrid (at least 2 days per week on site)
Budgeted Salary Range:
The expected pay range for this position is $82,650 to $101,690.
The Development Events team is a part of the Office of Development (OOD), which advances Stanford’s mission by raising philanthropic support from alumni, parents, families, friends, and institutional funders. Working in concert with volunteers and university leaders, OOD staff members strive to accelerate Stanford’s purposeful impact in the world. Stanford is committed to a donor-centric approach to development. Every member of the Office of Development staff plays a role in providing the university’s donors with the service and attention that ensures an exceptionally positive and fulfilling philanthropic experience.
Position Summary:
The Assistant Director (AD) is a key member of the central Office of Development (OOD) Events team, which produces more than 100 programs annually to cultivate and steward university donors. As part of a highly collaborative team, the AD leads event teams and independently manages the planning and execution of specialized in-person, hybrid, and virtual programs that further the goals of OOD.
The AD works closely with internal partners and stakeholders across a complex higher education environment to develop and execute events that advance donor engagement and fundraising priorities. This role requires a high degree of professionalism, diplomacy, discretion, and sound judgment when navigating competing priorities, managing stakeholder expectations, and addressing sensitive or complex situations. The AD must be adept at building collaborative relationships, balancing diverse perspectives, and exercising flexibility and independent judgment to develop effective solutions while maintaining alignment with departmental goals and university protocols.
Serving as project leader for events ranging from small, highly personalized gatherings to large and complex programs, the AD coordinates teams to strategize, plan, and execute all aspects of development events, including breakfasts, lunches, receptions, dinners, and award ceremonies. The AD is expected to exercise initiative and autonomy in prioritizing competing event demands, adapting to evolving needs, and ensuring the successful delivery of multiple programs in a dynamic environment.
Core Duties:
- Initiate and lead meetings with stakeholders to plan scope and format of events, establish and monitor budgets, and/or review administrative procedures and event progress.
- Serve as project leader on specific events, coordinating teams that plan, implement, and manage all aspects of events such as: marketing, vendors, fan experience, ticket office, concessions, press and/or media.
- Responsible for budget planning and management, venue management and equipment and facilities management for specific events.
- Oversee development of registration strategy and logistics.
- Build and maintain relationships with internal and external partners.
- Procure and coordinate vendor services. Negotiate vendor contracts to minimize liability and risks.
- Research and provide recommendations for potential event locations, and evaluate alternatives.
- Investigate, document and report complaints regarding all aspects of events including customer service, crowd control and staff issues.
- May inspect event facilities for maintenance, janitorial and fire safety issues, ensuring enforcement of Environmental Health and Safety and other facility regulations. Arrange for correction if issues are found.
- Communicate with visiting entities such as vendors, teams, coaches and officials for assigned events.
- Train and supervise junior event planners in proper execution and implementation of events.
- May oversee support staff, students, and contingent event staff.
Minimum Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree and three years of relevant experience or combination of education and relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Demonstrated success managing event teams and planning, developing budgets, and meeting budget goals.
- Excellent project management skills, and the ability to manage complex timelines and multiple projects.
- Ability to work both independently and as part of a team.
- Excellent interpersonal, communication, time management, and customer service skills. Must be well organized and detail oriented.
- Exceptional customer service skills with the ability to cultivate partnerships.
- Demonstrated high level of confidence in making strategic decisions, good judgment, and innovative and creative problem-solving skills.
- Knowledge of Microsoft Office suite, File Maker Pro and knowledge of cloud applications such as Google Docs and Forms.
- Ability to interact and successfully collaborate with a broad spectrum of contributing groups and customers.
Certificates and Licenses Required:
Must possess and maintain a valid California non-commercial Class C Driver’s License.
See all 49+ Assistant Director of Development Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Assistant Director of Development roles.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding Assistant Director of Development Jobs
Frame your degree for specialty occupation
USCIS requires a direct connection between your degree field and the role's core duties. A degree in public administration, communications, or business ties cleanly to donor relations and campaign strategy. A general arts degree needs supplemental documentation showing field-specific coursework.
Target nonprofits with PERM filing histories
Universities, hospital foundations, and large cultural institutions file LCAs regularly for development staff. Organizations already running PERM green card pipelines signal they're experienced sponsors, not first-timers who'll stall when paperwork complexity hits.
Search verified sponsoring employers on Migrate Mate
Use Migrate Mate to find employers with confirmed LCA filing history for development roles. Filtering by organizations that have sponsored this job category before cuts research time and surfaces realistic targets rather than aspirational ones.
Benchmark your offer against OFLC prevailing wages
Before accepting an offer, run the role's location and job duties through the OFLC Wage Search to confirm the salary meets DOL's prevailing wage level. An offer below Level I or II creates LCA certification risk and can delay your start date.
Get your portfolio documentation sponsor-ready early
Development roles are evaluated on campaign outcomes, donor retention rates, and dollars raised. Compile quantified results, gift acknowledgment samples, and performance reviews before interviews so your employer's immigration counsel can build the specialty occupation argument quickly.
Clarify cap-exempt status before the H-1B lottery
If your employer is a university, university-affiliated research organization, or nonprofit attached to a higher education institution, the role may be cap-exempt, letting you file outside the annual H-1B selection process. Confirm this status with your employer's HR team before assuming lottery participation is required.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Assistant Director of Development role qualify as an H-1B specialty occupation?
Yes, provided the employer requires a bachelor's degree in a directly related field such as nonprofit management, communications, public relations, or business administration. The role must genuinely require that specific degree, not just prefer it. USCIS scrutinizes development titles more carefully when the job description is broad, so the offer letter and job duties should spell out educational requirements explicitly.
Which visa types realistically apply to this role?
H-1B is the primary path for most nationalities. Australian citizens can use the E-3 visa, which has no lottery and a cap that has never been fully used. Canadian and Mexican nationals may qualify under TN visa if the role maps to an eligible USMCA profession. For longer-term options, EB-2 and EB-3 green cards are available through PERM labor certification, which many universities and large nonprofits already run.
What degree fields support sponsorship for this job title?
Nonprofit management, public administration, communications, marketing, and business administration are the strongest fits. Some employers also accept social work or psychology degrees if the candidate's work history is exclusively in development. A degree in an unrelated field, even paired with years of fundraising experience, creates specialty occupation risk that can generate a Request for Evidence from USCIS.
How do I find employers actively sponsoring Assistant Director of Development roles?
Migrate Mate lists employers with verified LCA filing history for development roles, so you can focus your applications on organizations that have sponsored this job category before rather than guessing from job postings alone.
Does a major gifts or planned giving focus change my sponsorship eligibility?
Not fundamentally, but it can strengthen your case. Major gifts and planned giving positions carry higher specialization and typically command degree requirements in finance, law, or estate planning in addition to nonprofit management. That specificity makes the specialty occupation argument cleaner. If your offer letter describes a highly technical planned giving role, include the degree requirement language clearly so the LCA and I-129 petition align.
What is the prevailing wage requirement for sponsored Assistant Director of Development jobs?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.