Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Alumni/Family Engagement

Job Description:

Position Summary: 

• Builds an advancement and engagement operation and culture from the ground up utilizing best practices in higher education fundraising. 
• Works with the president to develop a one-year and a five-year strategic plan for fundraising that establishes stretch goals and metrics for unrestricted, restricted and endowment giving for alumni and families. 
• Works with Career Services to ensure that alumni and family engagement brings with it the added benefit of professional awareness and development for current students toward the creation of a professional network that leads to internship and career opportunities.  
• Reports directly to the president and is a member of the president's senior leadership team. 
• Works collaboratively across the college to provide information, cultivate involvement and share institutional success. 
   

Position Responsibilities:

• Responsible for reaching all institutional fundraising goals and engagement metrics.  
• Develops, shares and leads both an annual and a five-year plan to achieve stretch fundraising goals and engagement metrics.  
• Develops a short and long-term staffing and budget plan for the Office of Institutional Advancement that addresses needs in gift recording, prospect research, operations, stewardship, special events, leadership giving, major gifts, principal gifts, family giving and alumni engagement. 
• Conducts, analyzes and synthesizes extensive database screening. 
• Develops and cultivates relationships with the college's greatest benefactors toward seeking new, renewed or bequest support.  
• Reinvigorates the plan for researching, preparing, submitting, and managing grant proposals/reports that support the college's strategic goals
• Travels and works directly with the president engaging important institutional donors, communities and partners.

Requirements:

Experience and Education:

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred. 
• Proven success directing a successful alumni and family giving division at a reputable institution.  
• A minimum of ten years of experience in successful annual giving operations, with at least seven years of success in at least one organization.
• Record of performing well in several of the various positions in said operation and must also have a record of being promoted from within. 
• A proven leader, excellent communicator, thoughtful mentor, and inspiring manager. 
   

Technical Skills:

• Exhibits expertise in analyzing and synthesizing data sufficient to leverage effectiveness in the division's pursuit of advancement goals. Capably identifies key metrics, specify requirements in building these metrics, and inform key decisions based upon these metrics.
• Proven success in generating fundraising or engagement opportunities, including execution of the steps needed to close an opportunity in family giving, major gifts, leadership giving, planned giving.
• Demonstrates the ability to create and execute proposals, events and programs that consistently achieve targeted goals and objectives in the various institutional advancement areas.
• Proficient in effectively accessing and navigating relevant technology systems used in advancement such as databases, CRMS, etc.
• Displays knowledge of managerial processes and requirements, including fairly and accurately assessing employee performance; understanding of federal and state regulations as they apply to college policies and guidelines related to human resources; ability to select, hire and train high-performing work teams.
   

 Behavioral Competencies:

• Takes responsibility for decisions, performance and outcomes; behaves in a responsible manner, displays self-awareness, all with a positive attitude.
• Demonstrates effective written and oral communication skills; shares information and seeks input from others; adapts communication to diverse audiences and protects private and confidential information.
• Analyzes and prioritizes situations to identify and solve problems; generates solutions to improve efficiency and quality; involves others in solving problems and making decisions.
• Applies skills and knowledge to provide a work climate and culture to achieve departmental and organizational success; helps others perform at their best; builds productive relationships to enhance individual and organizational effectiveness.
• Demonstrates respect for people and their differences; understands the benefits of a diverse workforce; earns the trust and respect of others; promotes opportunities to experience the diversity within our community.