Assistant Vice President for College Advancement - Claremont - Pitzer College

Description

Location: Claremont, CA

Job Posting Title: Assistant Vice President for Advancement

Job Details and Requirement:

Department: College Advancement

Supervisor: Vice President for College Advancement

Last Updated:

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Pitzer College seeks a strategic, energetic, collaborative and accomplished development professional to serve as its next Assistant Vice President for Advancement (AVP). This senior leadership role comes at an exciting time as a relatively new college president and a new vice president strive for greater innovation, creativity, and collaboration in advancing Pitzers core values and strategic vision in preparation for a possible future comprehensive campaign.

Reporting to the Vice President for College Advancement, the AVP will engage all members of the Pitzer community faculty, staff, key volunteers, and senior administrators in the fundraising process; work with Advancement colleagues and academic leadership to formulate fundraising strategies for the College; and set clear expectations and establish metrics for success for the philanthropy team. A successful candidate will be a proactive leader, managing and motivating a team of frontline fundraising professionals while holding staff accountable to ambitious and realistic financial goals and metrics.

The ideal candidate will have at least ten years of progressively responsible experience building and managing fundraising programs, preferably in education; the intellectual depth, maturity and confidence required to effectively engage and garner the trust of the President, vice presidents, faculty members and key volunteers in the fundraising process; and the ability to formulate effective moves management strategies that lead to the successful cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major and principal gift prospects.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Responsibilities

Duties and Responsibilities

Program Management (25%)

• Serve as a key member of the Vice President for College Advancements (VPCA) senior leadership team, overseeing the philanthropy team responsible for frontline fundraising.
• Translate the VPCAs vision into goals for fundraising including annual, major, principal and planned giving programs, and securing corporate and foundation grants.
• Help establish annual goals and metrics to ensure operational stability with sustainable long-term growth; manage and allocate human and fiscal resources effectively.
• Execute planned giving, major gifts, annual giving, and corporate and foundation relations plans and propose and implement strategies that will increase philanthropic support.
• Collaborate closely with academic partners to increase engagement in the fundraising process.
• Collaborate with Alumni and Family Engagement programs to provide outreach to alumni, parents and friends in support of the goals and priorities of the College; utilize annual giving as a pipeline for major and planned giving prospects.
• Work closely with Marketing/Communications to ensure internal and external communications include appropriate and consistent development messages aligned with the College brand and vision.
• Provide senior leaders with clear, data-driven communication on activities and metrics of College Advancement, including progress toward established goals.
• Retain existing donor relationships while identifying, cultivating and soliciting new individuals and institutional donors capable of making significant contributions to Pitzer; grow the pipeline of friends to increase philanthropic support among this audience.
• Work closely with Prospect Management, Research and Analytics to establish a data-driven approach to identifying, qualifying and engaging prospects; provide opportunities for the fundraising team to strategize on prospects and share ideas on cultivation and solicitation; analyze giving patterns to identify new markets for development efforts.
• Demonstrate effective follow-up to requests from the presidents office, the vice president and other senior staff, the advancement leadership team, donors and trustees. Promote a culture of trustworthiness and accuracy in all business relationships with these groups and individuals.
• Lead by example with a positive attitude, a collaborative approach to sharing credit, and accountability for individual and shared metrics of success.

Staff Management (25%)

• Supervise staff in major/planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, annual fund, and administrative support.
• Recruit, train, mentor, and retain a committed and productive team of professional staff; set high standards, clear expectations and metrics for success. Meet regularly to discuss progress toward goals and hold staff accountable.
• Ensure fundraising staff execute effective moves management strategies that result in meaningful engagement and successful solicitation of donors.
• Foster a positive and supportive environment that strives for excellence through best practices and new ideas, leveraging the skills of staff and promoting collaboration.
• Partner with the VPAC, the president, trustees, and senior staff to identify, engage, and steward major and principal gift prospects.

Frontline Fundraising (40%)

• Personally cultivate and solicit major and principal gift prospects from a portfolio of current and prospective donors, both individual and institutional; actively engage and interact with all members of the College community.
• Understand the priorities and funding needs of academic groups and business units at Pitzer; articulate those priorities in clear and compelling cases for support.
• Conduct a minimum of 75 visits per year and submit a minimum of 30 proposals resulting in a minimum of $1,000,000 in personally secured gifts.

Volunteer Engagement (5%)

• Engage with volunteers; facilitate discussion among trustees and committee members to align initiatives with Advancement, the VPAC, and Pitzer leadership goals.
• Ensure continuity and capability in the volunteer pipeline; identify alumni and friends who may serve on panels, committees, boards or in other capacities.
• Demonstrate to volunteers that their service is valued and show the impact of their contributions.

Fundraising Events and Other Duties (5%)

• Support and regional engagement events, inform attendees about Pitzer programs and activities, and cultivate support for the College.
• Attend and support major campus-wide events including Orientation, Family Weekend, Alumni Weekend and Commencement.
• Participate in staff committees and campus activities as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

The individual must possess knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Ability to analyze information and think strategically, critically, and creatively; transform new ideas into action and sustainable programs; a problem-solver who can contribute to effective solutions for Advancement and the College.
• Approach to management that brings out the best in staff and fosters pride, ownership and teamwork.
• Collaborator who works across an institution and engages stakeholders in the fundraising process.
• Excellent writer, editor, and communicator.
• Strong leadership and collaboration skills with a team-based environment.
• Proficiency with MS Office, including expert-level Excel.
• Problem-solving and analytical skills to develop and implement creative solutions.
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to take initiative, meet deadlines, organize and prioritize multiple projects, think strategically, and work with numbers and data.
• Maintain integrity and handle confidential information appropriately.
• Positive attitude, strong work ethic, and sound professional judgment.

Experience/Education: Bachelors degree required and a minimum of ten years of leadership in a mature development program with strong experience in using data and analytics in fundraising.

A demonstrated ability and experience building development programs, including individual and institutional philanthropy that increases support; success in increasing program effectiveness through objectives and performance standards.

Personal success in cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major donors at six- and seven-figure levels; ability to inspire high-capacity individuals and major foundations and corporations to philanthropic leadership.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters Degree.
• Campaign planning and implementation.
• Experience with complex gift planning structures and opportunities.
• Advancement experience at a liberal arts college.
• Passion for the Pitzer mission and core values.

Licenses/Certifications: CFRE and/or CSPG a plus. Possess and maintain a valid drivers license and driving record acceptable to the Colleges automobile insurance carrier.

Supervisory Responsibility: Yes

• Staff: Yes

Time Type: Full Time

Work Schedule: This is a regular, exempt, staff position, working 12 months per year. The regular schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hours may vary depending on the operational needs of the College or department, including evenings and weekends as required.

Compensation: Budgeted Salary Range: $160,000-$175,000 per year

Pitzer College is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, and a tuition exchange program.

Work Model: Hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days remote)

• Must have access to a reliable computer and internet connection.
• Must have a dedicated workstation at a remote location with a suitable desk, chair, and safe ergonomic setup.

Physical Requirements: This is generally a sedentary position. Must be able to sit and operate a computer for prolonged periods. Ability to drive locally for events and appointments.

Application Materials: Upload the following materials to complete your application:

• Cover Letter: Indicate your reason for interest, describe how your qualifications relate to Pitzers core values.
• Resume: List relevant qualifications and dates of experience.
• Professional References: Provide at least three references with contact information and your relationship to them.

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