Vice President for Advancement

Bradley University, a top-ranked private university in the Midwest, seeks an experienced, bold and relationship-oriented vice president to lead its Division of Advancement. The vice president will provide strategic direction, mentorship and inspiration to a team dedicated to increasing meaningful philanthropic and engagement activities with an alumni community of more than 70,000 and many other friends of the university. This individual will join Bradley as the university advances a refreshed vision and its new strategic plan, which were adopted in July 2021 under the leadership of President Stephen Standifird.

The vice president for advancement will report directly to the president, serve as a key member of the president's cabinet and partner closely with the university community and volunteer leaders in advancing Bradley's fundraising activities. The vice president will oversee an alumni relations and development staff of 14, which is expected to grow under this person's leadership, as well as partner with a committed alumni association board of directors. This individual must implement a forward-leaning advancement program and build a strong team of frontline fundraisers and advancement support staff who are working toward common objectives and clear goals. The vice president and advancement team will be expected to partner strategically, act proactively and engage constituents meaningfully in a variety of settings and through a variety of mediums. The advancement team will work collaboratively with partners across campus to increase affinity and inclination with donors and prospects in the best interest of the institution. The vice president, university leadership and deans will collaborate in major gift work knowing that building long-term philanthropic relationships is a team effort. The vice president will continue to grow the capacity, reach and success of the program with tremendous energy and enthusiasm and inspire their team to lead with the same vigor.

One of the key priorities for the next vice president will be to help shape and successfully lead Bradley's next major fundraising effort. The university is readying itself to launch an ambitious comprehensive campaign in 2023 and the new vice president will collaborate with members of the senior leadership team in setting goals and priorities. The timing of this campaign is ideal, providing an opportunity to leverage the university's new vision and strategic plan and connect the priorities of that plan with the interests of donors.

The incoming vice president should have a record of building lasting relationships, a commitment to listening intently to a variety constituents and the ability to speak passionately on behalf of the university. The vice president will be an experienced leader of teams and a successful major gift officer. The candidate must be well-versed in best practices in the advancement profession, particularly related to measuring the success and return on investment of fundraising and engagement activities. The candidate must demonstrate the ability to lead a comprehensive campaign.

A detailed leadership profile is available at this link.

All applications, nominations and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a letter of interest addressing the themes in this profile and a CV or resume. WittKieffer is assisting Bradley University in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by October 3, 2022. Application materials should be submitted using WittKieffer’s candidate portal. Nominations and inquiries can be directed to Ryan Crawford, Melissa Fincher and Jevon Walton at Bradley-VPA@wittkieffer.com.

Bradley University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The administration, faculty and staff are committed to attracting qualified candidates from underrepresented groups.