"Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development - 152744"

Position Summary:

The primary location of this position is the Cullowhee, NC campus.

The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development will play a leadership role in the successful completion of Fill the Western Sky: The Campaign for Western Carolina University. The campaign will launch publicly in October of 2024 has already met key milestones for academic support and immediate use gifts. The public phase will focus primarily on athletics facilities capital needs and immediate use athletics gifts.

The Assistant Vice Chancellor will directly supervise the Senior Director of Development, the Director of Donor Relations, the Director of Prospect Management and Research, the Director of Development for Health and Human Sciences, and the Director of Development and Corporate Partnerships. The Assistant Vice Chancellor, in partnership with the Vice Chancellor and development officers for the various colleges, will be responsible for developing fundraising strategies for increasing the base of philanthropic support for Western Carolina University.

The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development will be responsible for the management and direction of the operations and programs of Western Carolina Universitys fundraising efforts. This includes the full span of the donor cycle from prospect management data, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and donor relations programming. The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development will be knowledgeable about higher education fundraising best practices, trends, and campaign planning and execution.

This position has indirect supervision of the unit-based directors of development through the Senior Director. The Assistant Vice Chancellor will create, execute, and monitor activities which support the fundraising priorities of the division and the University.

The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development will serve as a member of the leadership team for the Division of Advancement, will advise the Vice Chancellor for Advancement on strategic and operational aspects of development and will effectively promote internal and external understanding of the universitys mission and vision as correlated with philanthropic priorities and giving goals.

The Assistant Vice Chancellors primary responsibilities are to (1) implement university-wide and unit-specific strategies for development including any comprehensive and/or project- or program-specific major campaigns; (2) build and lead the necessary staff infrastructure to support these efforts including research and prospect management, gift officers, and donor relations management ; (3) serve as the lead, in collaboration with the Vice Chancellor, for traditional and complex planned gifts; (4) serve as the coordinator for corporate and foundation relations among gift officers and collaborate with campus partners including Sponsored Research staff to increase corporate and foundation gifts; (5) Serve as the point person for all real estate gifts; (6) staff the Vice Chancellor for Advancement and other key internal leaders in their work with top prospects, donors and volunteer boards; (7) manage a personal portfolio of principal, planned, and/or corporate and foundation gift prospects; and (8) serve as a strategic partner to the advancement services team, the engagement team, and the athletics development team.

The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development will perform evening and weekend work as appropriate, travel extensively and accept and execute other duties as assigned

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Required for this position:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Candidate must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for employment sponsorship or any immigration-related assistance.
• A Bachelors degree and between seven to ten years of experience in nonprofit finance, development, and/or fundraising, with a preference for experience in a higher education setting. Experience in both the nonprofit and for-profit sectors will be considered.
• Proven success in the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major and leadership gifts, with specific examples of meeting fundraising goals.
• At least two years of experience managing full-time staff, with a preference for those who have supervised development officers, including major and planned gift staff.
• Knowledge of current best practices in higher education fundraising and donor relations, with a demonstrated ability to apply these practices in a professional setting.
• Proven supervisory and mentorship abilities, including experience supporting professional development plans and using measurable performance metrics for staff supervision.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with documented examples of effective communication in professional settings.
• Demonstrated experience in using research, data, and quantifiable outcomes to inform decision-making and reporting.
• Proficiency in the use of technology and its applications in development work, including CRM systems.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Willingness to work on-site at the Cullowhee, NC campus, travel as needed, and work after hours, including weekends.
• Experience with a CRM database system, including consistent documentation of work and data-driven decision-making for goal setting.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A Masters degree in a related field is preferred.
• Seven to ten years of advancement experience in a public higher education institution is preferred, with specific examples of successful fundraising initiatives.
• Proven experience in program planning and evaluation, with demonstrated outcomes and measurable success indicators.
• Documented experience in planning, developing strategies, and executing a comprehensive fundraising campaign, including meeting campaign goals and timelines.
• Proficiency in using Blackbaud Raisers Edge NXT, with specific examples of database management and reporting to support fundraising efforts.
• Experience in capital or facilities fundraising, with demonstrated success in securing funding for infrastructure or facility projects.
• Experience working in Athletics fundraising in a higher education environment, including examples of successful campaigns or initiatives.

Position Type:

Permanent Full-Time

Special Instructions to Applicants:

To be considered, you must apply online.

Please include a cover letter, resume, and a listing of at least three professional references to complete the application process. Please include the complete contact information of your references.

For questions or additional information, please contact Ben Pendry, Vice Chancellor for Advancement, at bjpendry@wcu.edu

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate has been selected for hire.