Associate Vice President of Development - Development

The Associate Vice President of Development (AVP-D) is a key member of the senior advancement leadership team and plays a strategic role in developing and executing comprehensive engagement and fundraising strategies, including campaigns. The AVP-D is responsible for leading and growing the University's major gifts team. This includes leading the major gift officers, overseeing gift metrics and compensation, and providing accountability for giving results resulting from the major gift officers activity.

Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President for Advancement, the AVP-D carries a broad prospect portfolio while providing strategic oversight, mentorship, and management to a team of major gift officers. The ideal candidate is a strategic, collaborative leader with demonstrated success in fundraising and operational leadership within a complex and mission-driven organization.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

• Serve as a thought partner to the SVP for Advancement and Associate Vice President of Advancement on engagement on fundraising strategies.
• Develop and execute a comprehensive major gifts strategy aligned with University priorities and campaign goals.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and professional growth.
• Provide coaching, training, and professional development to strengthen frontline fundraising skills and results.

Fundraising & Portfolio Management

• Collaborate with Advancement to shape overall fundraising strategy, pipeline development, and donor engagement plans.
• Manage a personal portfolio with capacity to make five to seven-figure gifts.
• Conduct regular donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship through face-to-face visits.
• Support major gift officers in crafting effective proposals and moving prospects through moves management in a donor-centric manner.
• Develop individualized donor strategies using best practices and working closely with University partners.
• Establish annual metrics for the major gift officers and track progress against key performance indicators.

Collaboration & Partnership

• Collaborate across advancement and academic units to drive participation and philanthropic loyalty among key constituencies.
• Partner with Associate Vice President of Advancement to ensure accurate reporting, prospect research, and portfolio analytics.
• Ensure compliance with college policies, ethical fundraising standards, and industry best practices.

Budget & Resource Management

• Develop and manage budgets related to the AVP-D area of oversight.
• Allocate resources strategically to maximize impact and ROI across fundraising programs.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• At least 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in advancement or related fields, with demonstrated leadership in both fundraising and operations.
• Proven success in building donor pipelines and closing gifts.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong strategic and analytical skills, with a data-informed approach to decision-making.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to inspire, engage, and influence stakeholders.
• A humble heart, little desire for personal credit, and genuine care for team success.
• Deep understanding of donor engagement, CRM systems (e.g., Raiser's Edge, Salesforce), and fundraising analytics.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, lead high-performing teams, and drive organizational change.
• Strives to have fun and lead accordingly.