FLSA EMPLOYMENT CATEGORY: Salary; Exempt; Administrative; 12 months
DEPARTMENT: Advancement
POSITION SUMMARY:
As a member of the Advancement Office leadership team, the Assistant/Associate Vice President (AVP) for Advancement is responsible for planning, organizing, and executing the college’s major gifts program and is the primary tactical, administrative, and management officer for the Vice President. This position serves as the team leader and supervisor for professional staff members dedicated to major and annual gift fundraising and the tactical manager of campaign operations. This individual will manage a portfolio of prospects and provide gift officers with the support and tools they require to succeed. The AVP will be competent as a chief advancement officer and will prepare and support the staff in gift development.
SUPERVISION RECEIVED/SUPERVISION EXERCISED:
This position reports to the vice president for advancement. The direct reports will to be determined.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
• Help lead the planning and tactics for campaign-based fundraising, including the recruitment, engagement, training, and development of staff and volunteer leaders.
• Hire, train, inspire, and evaluate professional and support staff in consultation with the Vice President for Advancement.
• Create and execute short- and long-term fundraising plans for major gift prospects in consultation with staff and volunteers.
• Partner with the Vice President for Advancement to set activity and solicitation goals and evaluate prospect development initiatives. Collaborate with leadership team members on office-wide projects.
• Track staff and volunteer progress and determine appropriate metrics for evaluation.
• Provide leadership in identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors, including individuals, foundations, and corporations.
• Develop and manage a portfolio of 75 to 100 major gift prospects. Portfolio management requires frequent regional and national travel.
• Represent the college at public functions and events, including social and professional gatherings.
• Maintain familiarity with salient issues relating to higher education, fundraising, and financial planning, demonstrating a desire to stay abreast of new trends and ideas.
• Contribute to the overall success of the Advancement Office by working on special projects and performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the Vice President for Advancement.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least five to seven years of face-to-face philanthropic fundraising experience.
• Track record of success in identifying, cultivating, requesting, and closing major gifts.
• Understanding of relational fundraising and ability to convincingly articulate needs and goals.
• Ability to self-start and to work independently and collaboratively.
• Strong work ethic, personal integrity, strategic thinking, and supervisory capabilities.
• Extraordinary ability to organize, prioritize, and multitask.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication and persuasion skills.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Special events experience.
• Ability to follow through and meet deadlines and budgets.
• Experience with technology, including social media.
• Ability to travel extensively and work weekends and evenings.
• Ability to handle confidential information.
• Understanding of and commitment to the mission, vision, and goals of Alma College.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATION:
• Experience working with underrepresented, first-generation, Pell-eligible, and diverse populations.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Interested candidates must submit an Alma College application, a cover letter, current resume, and the names and contact information of three professional references via email to careers@alma.edu. Position is open until filled.
Alma College is classified as a selective Baccalaureate College: Diverse Fields by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Committed to academic excellence and development of responsible leaders, Alma’s students thrive on challenging academic programs in a supportive, small-college environment emphasizing active, collaborative learning and close student-faculty interaction. Alma is a private Phi Beta Kappa institution located in the center of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.
Alma College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty, staff and student body.
Alma College recognizes that we are all transformed when we celebrate and value the varied identities backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives in our campus community. We are committed to recognizing and removing barriers to success and providing equitable access to opportunities through education and advocacy. In our increasingly diverse campus and world, we pledge to create a climate where everyone is safe and free to grow intellectually, spiritually, and emotionally.