Sr. Director for Advancement

                                               VACANCY

                                                      at

  RUST COLLEGE - HOLLY SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI   38635

  Applications are invited for consideration for an appointment to the following position:

TITLE: Sr. Director for Advancement for Rust College

DEPARTMENT:                                                DATE TO BE FILLED:

Presidents Administration Team                                        Immediately       

RANK OR POSITION AND SALARY RANGE: Negotiable and commensurate with experience

QUALIFICATIONS: 

Leadership Agenda: Rust College Sr. Director for Advancement

The Sr. Director for Advancement is a part of the President’s administration and works closely with fellow senior leaders, including the chief of staff; vice president for academic affairs; vice president for finance and administration; and the vice president for enrollment management.  The restructured advancement team will include alumni development and affairs, grants management, institutional research and foundation and corporate engagement. Direct reports include the director of alumni development and affairs, and the director of institutional research. Working with the staff in institutional advancement, the successful candidate will be expected to develop and implement strategic initiatives to produce greater success in each of the areas mentioned above.

Serving as a vital member of the President’s Leadership Team, the successful candidate advises the President, leadership team and the Board of Trustees on issues related to institutional advancement. The Sr. Director will assume leadership of the College’s soon to be announced fund raising campaign. Supporting a president who is highly engaged in friend and fundraising, the new Sr. Director will expand internal programs and engage other strategic fundraising methods to secure funding for the College. The new Sr. Director of Advancement will lead this comprehensive campaign and will be at the center in helping to craft, refine and test the remaining potential priorities list and in establishing appropriate fundraising goals for operations, capital projects and endowment.

Continuing to focus on an integrated internal and external college advancement program, the Sr. Director of Advancement will create a comprehensive model for fundraising to maximize the true potential of giving through strengthening relationships with alumni, donors, community members, and college leaders. Opportunities to further engage corporations, alumni, and friends of the institution, both locally and across the nation, are extensive and have high potential.

This position will manage members of the advancement staff through setting goals, communicating clear performance expectations, evaluating progress and conducting periodic reviews and providing training opportunities for the staff.

The position requires an individual who is interested in civic engagement and being connected to the broader community. The Sr. Director of Advancement will have an appetite for deep and sustained engagement in Rust College’s community and region. With a strong alumni and donor base, the Sr. Director of Advancement will leverage and expand these resources by strategically interacting with community partners and maintaining and expanding alumni events.

This is a great opportunity to build a robust advancement program and to cultivate and mentor new staff additions to achieve peak productivity and performance. The Board of Trustees has committed to support the expansion of the advancement program and the President has an advancement background and is engaged and involved as appropriate in all advancement and fundraising activities.

QUALIFICATIONS: 

The ideal candidate for this position should possess:

• An advanced degree, preferably.
• 5-10 years experience creating a culture of philanthropy and a demonstrated history of effective fundraising;
• Experience recruiting highly capable fundraising professionals and developing them individually and as a team;
• A commitment to and training on issues of equity, diversity and inclusion;
• Demonstrated success in both fundraising and friend-raising;
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with faculty on institutional advancement;
• Planning and execution of a successful comprehensive campaign;
• Successful grant writing skills
• Demonstrated success with creative activities, programs and initiatives that engage alumni;
• Ability to develop relations with foundations and donors with no prior connection to Rust College
• The capability to be an intuitive leader with strong emotional intelligence who can effectively work with board members, senior management, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, donors, community leaders and volunteers;
• A commitment to an institutional ethos of community and collaboration driven by a focus on student success;
• Demonstrated experience in strategic community engagement;
• Demonstrated success with corporations, foundations and nonprofit organizations
• Experience and effectiveness in donor cultivation and stewardship thereby growing the Annual Fund in the process;
• Strong skills in strategic planning and execution with a culture of accountability and deliverables throughout the advancement operation;
• Excellent management and leadership abilities and skills; and
• Familiarity with the latest in software technology to support fundraising and relationship management:

SPECIAL INFORMATION:  The Federal Government requires that every individual hired since May 31, 1987 complete the I-9.  This requirement is in response to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.  Form I-9 has been developed to verify that persons are eligible to work in the United States.

Persons interested in the above position should submit a resume, a letter of interest which addresses the expectations above, an unofficial transcript, and the names, addresses and telephone number of five (5) references to:

Mr. Corey Buchanan, Director of HR

Rust College 

150 Rust Avenue

Holly Springs, MS   38635

Send all resume and correspondence to the e-mail: careers@rustcollege.edu

Telephone: (662) 252-8000 ext. 4050 (Personnel Office Fax: (662) 252-8863)       

CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATION:          POSTING DATE:

Open until a qualified applicant is found                                                

                          Rust College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer