Assistant Vice President, Strategic Engagement

The Assistant Vice President, Strategic Engagement develops and leads an integrated engagement strategy that aligns constituent communications, events, and volunteer engagement with institutional fundraising goals, strengthening the donor pipeline and advancing a culture of philanthropy. In partnership with Institutional Advancement and campus leaders, the Assistant Vice President, Strategic Engagement develops compelling cases for support and engagement strategies that communicate the impact of philanthropy and inspire donor investment.

The Assistant Vice President, Strategic Engagement leads the Alumni & Parent Engagement and Annual Giving teams and collaborates closely with the College’s Office of Marketing & Communications to ensure aligned messaging, branding, and engagement strategies. The ideal candidate is an innovative engagement leader with exceptional communication, relationship-building, and management skills and a demonstrated ability to translate institutional priorities into effective fundraising strategies and measurable philanthropic outcomes.

Job Duties

• 40% - Strategic Engagement Leadership - The AVP-SE fosters collaboration across IA and campus departments to deliver an integrated, constituent-centered experience that drives awareness and volunteer engagement toward philanthropic support and growth of the donor pipeline. - Provide strategic leadership and oversight for IA communications, branding, Annual Giving, Alumni & Parent Engagement, and events management and programming. Create a strong bridge between Alumni & Parent Engagement, Annual Giving, and prospect strategy to develop the donor pipeline. Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement. Use data and constituent insights to inform strategy, measure impact, and continuously improve results. Align communications, engagement, events, and annual giving strategies to strengthen the donor pipeline and support fundraising goals. Partner closely with the College’s Office of Marketing & Communications to ensure a cohesive Institutional Advancement brand, consistent messaging, and coordinated constituent experiences. Collaborate with the VPIA to establish annual goals, develop and implement cross-functional strategies, assess progress, and ensure alignment across teams to deepen constituent engagement and advance philanthropic priorities. - (Essential)
• 40% - IA Communications & Event Strategies - The AVP-SE provides strategic leadership for cohesive Institutional Advancement communications and event programs, developing an integrated communications strategy that advances fundraising priorities, strengthens constituent relationships, and highlights the impact of philanthropy. The AVP-SE ensures consistent, compelling messaging and storytelling that inspire engagement, build trust, and support a seamless donor experience across the advancement lifecycle. - Lead an integrated IA communications plan and content strategy that connects institutional priorities, philanthropic goals, and constituent engagement efforts targeting alumni, parents, donors, volunteers, and key stakeholders. Lead the strategy for IA’s on- and off-campus events, creating meaningful experiences that strengthen alumni and volunteer engagement, inspire philanthropy and advocacy, and advance the College’s mission. Establish a unified messaging framework that communicates the impact of philanthropy, reinforces gratitude, strengthens donor retention, and inspires future investment. Partner with IA leadership, the Office of Marketing & Communications, and senior campus leaders to ensure alignment in voice, brand positioning, and institutional messaging. Oversee storytelling strategies that elevate philanthropic impact and showcase the College’s priorities through digital, print, events, and other engagement channels. Leverage data, audience insights, and performance metrics to refine communications and event strategies and enhance constituent engagement. - (Essential)
• 10% - Alumni & Parent Engagement - Support strategic leadership of the Alumni & Parent Engagement team, ensuring a comprehensive approach to building lifelong relationships and purposeful volunteerism that leads to giving and advocacy. Provide coaching and management to the Director. Support the development of volunteer engagement expectations and goals rooted in affinity, resulting in positive advocacy and fundraising outcomes for Oxy. Establish and track measurable goals that benchmark success and ensure programs reflect Oxy’s mission and strategic priorities. Align volunteer and event engagement strategies with donor pipeline growth by partnering with Development and Prospect Research teams to identify prospects and support early-stage cultivation for future major and planned gifts. - (Essential)
• 10% - Annual Giving - Support strategic leadership for Oxy’s Annual Giving program, ensuring a donor-centered, multi-channel fundraising strategy that strengthens donor acquisition, retention, and pipeline development while achieving Oxy Fund fundraising goals. - Provide coaching and management to the Director of Annual Giving, supporting their establishment of clear goals, performance expectations, and annual giving team accountability. Oversee the development and execution of a comprehensive annual giving strategy, including digital campaigns, Day For Oxy, parent giving, student philanthropy, and peer-to-peer volunteer fundraising initiatives. Champion innovative, data-informed fundraising strategies and communications that leverage segmentation, personalization, testing, and donor journey management to improve donor engagement and giving outcomes. Ensure annual giving strategies are fully integrated with Alumni & Parent Engagement programming and partner closely with Development, Advancement Operations, and other IA teams to create a seamless donor experience and strengthen the pipeline for major and planned giving. - (Essential)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, public relations, fundraising/development, marketing, communications, leadership, business administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Twelve years of progressively responsible leadership experience in advancement communications, alumni engagement, annual giving, donor relations or related fields. Proven success designing and implementing strategic communications for fundraising initiatives.
• Experience successfully working with volunteers or advisory boards.
• Deep knowledge of fundraising principles and philanthropic trends.
• Demonstrated expertise leading integrated communications and marketing strategies that advance fundraising priorities, strengthen institutional brand, and inspire philanthropic engagement across diverse constituent audiences.
• Demonstrated record of delivering measurable results, including donor participation, pipeline development, strategic volunteer deployment and engagement.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing, collaborative teams through a management approach grounded in accountability, coaching, and results.
• Proven ability to design and execute integrated engagement strategies that translate constituent connection into institutional outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage volunteers and volunteer boards/committees.
• Strong executive presence and communication skills, with the ability to influence senior leadership, boards, volunteers, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to use data, analytics, and performance metrics to guide strategy, decision-making, and disciplined execution.
• Willingness and ability to travel and work evenings and weekends as required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Google Suite, Salesforce or other CRMs, and modern digital communication tools.
• Ability to thrive in complex, high-volume environments while managing multiple priorities, exercising sound judgment, and building collaborative relationships across diverse teams and constituencies.
• Experience in leading change in complex organizations or teams.
• Experience with fundraising systems and relational databases; Salesforce preferred.
• Uphold Occidental College’s cornerstones of excellence, equity, community and service to advance its mission to provide a gifted and diverse group of students with a total educational experience of the highest quality—one that prepares them for leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent and pluralistic world.
• Commit to the Occidental College Institutional Advancement team’s mission: We inspire powerful philanthropy and purposeful engagement that advances Occidental College’s mission today and tomorrow. By building and strengthening lifelong relationships with our many partners, we foster giving and support that enhances the Oxy experience, expands opportunity, and empowers transformative impact for generations to come.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in relevant field.
• Significant experience in higher education advancement.
• Proven ability to build credibility and partnerships across academic leadership.
• Experience leading integrated alumni and parent engagement, annual giving, and/or donor stewardship functions.
• Familiarity with CASE engagement metrics and advancement best practices.
• Experience with enterprise CRM platforms, preference for Salesforce or similar systems.
• Experience supporting or leading comprehensive campaign efforts.

EXPECTED HIRING RANGE: $142,000/yr-$175,000/yr

If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition to those factors, Occidental complies with applicable pay equity laws and considers internal equity among current employees when developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a generous compensation and benefits package.

Organization

Nestled in Eagle Rock, between downtown Los Angeles and historic Pasadena, Occidental gives you the best of both worlds: small-town charm and L.A.’s rich cultural life. You'll find a collegial and intimate academic work environment, and our students, faculty and staff make up a diverse, close-knit community of peers.

Oxy offers excellent health, dental, vision, life and retirement benefits, along with many other extras. These include a tuition exchange program, special discounts, use of our new swimming pool and tennis courts, weight room and gym facilities, plus all the perks that Southern California and a small liberal arts school have to offer.

Company info

Website: https://www.oxy.edu/
Telephone: 3232591432
Location: 1600 N. Campus Road, Los Angeles, CA 90041, United States