Join Our Team

The Purdue for Life Foundation helps people who love Purdue stay connected, get involved, and give back. Each day, the work we do makes a difference. You can see it. Your work may help make a student’s dreams come true, improve campus life for generations to come, and support research and discoveries that change the world. Your next giant leap starts here. Apply today!

Career Opportunities

Director of Industry Partnerships, Construction and Transportation

Posted: May 30, 2023

Serve as lead industry partnerships officer for a portfolio of top university corporate and corporate...

Senior Data Analyst

Posted: May 23, 2023

Design, develop, test, implement and maintain reports and dashboards using CRM Analytics, Salesforce Reports, SQL,...

Associate Director of Development – John Purdue Club Marketing and Communications

Posted: May 12, 2023

Strategize with the Assistant Athletics Director - Development Operations on communication and marketing techniques to...

Director of Foundation Relations

Posted: April 24, 2023

Identify and study local, regional, and national foundations to understand fully their goals, funding objectives,...

Director of Development, Venture Capital

Posted: April 14, 2023

In collaboration with other development officers, Purdue Ventures and Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) leadership, the...

Administrative Assistant

Posted: April 14, 2023

Provide administrative support to a fundraising team or multiple fundraising teams with proficiency in Microsoft...

Director of Development, College of Science

Posted: March 25, 2023

Develop and execute a plan of engagement to bring prospects and donors to the College...

Project Manager, Unit Campaigns

Posted: February 7, 2023

Create cultivation, solicitation and stewardship project strategies and manage processes related to securing individual annual...

Director of Regional Advancement (Texas)

Posted: February 3, 2023

Under the supervision of the Executive Director of Regional Advancement, the Director of Regional Advancement...

Director of Regional Advancement (Washington DC)

Posted: February 3, 2023

Under the supervision of the Executive Director of Regional Advancement, the Director of Regional Advancement...

Director of Development, John Martinson Honors College

Posted: January 30, 2023

The John Martinson Honors College is Purdue’s interdisciplinary college, dedicated to providing a transformative and...

Alumni Engagement Officer, College of Engineering

Posted: November 30, 2022

Provide alumni engagement programing for the College of Engineering....

The Purdue for Life Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans, are encouraged to apply. Employees are treated during employment and qualified applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or ancestry, genetic information, marital status, parental status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, disability, or status as a veteran.

Our Values

Two core values guide the work of our team:

Advancing Purdue Together

We understand we serve an organization that is bigger than any individual and that exists for the benefit of Purdue. Our collective purpose is to prioritize the long-term needs and strengthen the reputation of the university as we help people who love Purdue stay connected, get involved, and give back.

G.R.I.T. to Excellence

We work hard together to create wins for Purdue, understanding that any success is everyone’s success. We’re resilient when we face resistance, and we’re persistent in the pursuit of the next giant leap. We learn from our missteps, we prevail in the face of adversity, and we’re guided by G.R.I.T.—growth, responsibility, investment, and teamwork—on our path to achieving excellence.

Work With Us

The Purdue for Life Foundation was created in 2020 by uniting the Purdue Alumni Association and the University Development Office. Check out our annual impact report and watch the videos below to learn more about the impact of our collective efforts.

Learn more about Develop U—our in-house talent development team!

“Thanks to the generous support and personal involvement of alumni, friends, and fans from around the globe, combined with our talented team here at Purdue for Life, we are strengthening Purdue’s reputation in teaching and research while remaining affordable and accessible to brilliant young minds. I am proud to lead our Foundation, and I see no limits to what we can accomplish together.”

Matt Folk // President and CEO

“As a Purdue alum, I am proud to work for Purdue for Life and love seeing the impact our organization has on the university! I strongly believe in the importance of investing in others and love that I get to do that every day through my work with Develop U!“

Nina Fox // Assistant Director of Learning and Talent Development

“I joined Purdue for Life in August 2022, and my favorite thing so far is how quickly I felt prepared to succeed. Staff and leadership have a genuine desire to help you do your best work. The talent development programming has been an incredible help with getting me up to speed and learning everything!”

Darrell Pirtle // Associate Director of Development

“My colleagues at the Foundation are fun, talented, and collaborative. This is important! Due to the fast-paced, dynamic nature of my job, where I get to engage with so many different people—alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and community leaders—our team has to be receptive to new initiatives and events if we are to find meaningful ways to advance the mission of Purdue.”

Maria Whipple // Director of Affinity Networks

“Purdue for Life has been a breath of fresh air in my career. You are treated as an individual, and our leaders truly care about their team members. It is a rewarding experience getting to see firsthand what our Foundation does to advance the mission of Purdue.”

Matt Sampson // Assistant Director of Special Events

“I’ve been a part of this team for more than 35 years. I am passionate about what I do, and I love being able to work directly with donors to help them make an impact on the university.”

Mary Seyfried // Director of Donor Services

“As an alumnus of Purdue, I have found a great sense of pride in helping fellow Boilermakers around the world stay connected with our university and each other. I really enjoy hearing about the personal and professional lives of others and being able to provide information on how someone can have an impact and legacy that is most meaningful to them.”

Derek Ruiz // Senior Director of Development

“I love working with my team as we make big things happen for Purdue Athletics. We had a record-breaking fundraising year, the largest in school history, and every single member of the team worked hard to contribute toward the overall goal. We have a great team culture that helps us thrive at work. It’s a dream come true.”

Courtney Downey // Assistant Athletics Director-Development Operations

“I get to work on a variety of interesting projects, such as the webpage you’re scrolling through right now! I love being able to do this with a flexible work schedule that allows me to work from home when I need to. Although I’m not in the office every day, I have great relationships with my colleagues and look forward to our fun social events.”

Safar Saydshoev // Senior Web Developer

“I appreciate the measure of flexibility afforded me in reaching for work-life balance. Purdue for Life continues to set a great example in this area, facilitating a culture where one is encouraged to take time to care for the holistic self as well as tend to family needs.”