SUNY Brockport
Salary: $197,000.00 - $215,000.00 Annually
Location: SUNY Brockport
Job Type: Management Confidential Full-Time
Job Number: 2600465
Division: Advancement
Department: Advancement
Opening Date: 09/08/2026
Closing: 9/29/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Founded in 1835, State University of New York (SUNY) Brockport is an exceptional regional comprehensive public university that offers high-quality undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the arts, business, education, health, humanities, social sciences, and STEM. The University's curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and emphasizes experiential learning.
Located only a few miles from Lake Ontario in a quaint "Village on the Erie Canal," SUNY Brockport is conveniently situated between the cities of Rochester and Buffalo - the fourth and second largest cities in New York State. Inspiring excellence through growth, engagement, and transformation is our mission. Join the inclusive community of dedicated faculty, staff, and students who together are Building a Better Brockport!
SUNY Brockport has a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an affirmative action equal opportunity employer. We welcome individuality and encourage you to utilize your unique talents and bring your skills as we collaboratively strive to build meaningful lives and vibrant communities.
SUMMARY
SUNY Brockport, a comprehensive institution within the State University of New York (SUNY) system, invites applications for the position of Vice President for Advancement, President of the Brockport Foundation.
Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President's Cabinet, the Vice President for Advancement provides strategic leadership for the University's comprehensive advancement program. The Vice President will lead efforts to strengthen philanthropic support, alumni and constituent engagement, advancement communications, and relationships with individuals, corporations, foundations, government agencies, and community partners.
The Vice President will serve as a principal institutional fundraiser and strategic partner to the President, deans, faculty, senior administrators, Brockport Foundation (BF) board, Brockport Alumni Association (BAA), University Council, and other university stakeholders. The successful candidate will develop and execute a comprehensive advancement strategy aligned with the University's mission, strategic priorities, and commitment to student success.
The Vice President will lead and inspire a talented advancement team and will work closely with the Brockport Foundation and Brockport Alumni Association to maximize philanthropic resources and strengthen the University's culture of philanthropy.
JOB FUNCTIONS
Essential Responsibilities
Strategic Advancement Leadership
- Develop, implement, and continuously assess a comprehensive advancement strategy supporting the University's strategic plan and institutional priorities.
- Serve as the University's senior advancement strategist and principal advisor to the President on philanthropy, constituent engagement, and external relations.
- Establish ambitious but achievable goals for annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, campaigns, alumni engagement, and advancement communications.
- Build an institution-wide culture of philanthropy in which faculty, staff, emeriti, board members, alumni, students, and volunteers understand and participate in advancement activities.
- Develop strategies for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors and prospective donors.
- Establish effective systems for prospect management, portfolio development, moves management, donor stewardship, and advancement analytics.
Fundraising and Campaign Leadership
- Provide strategic and personal leadership for major and principal gift fundraising.
- Partner with the President and senior leadership to identify and cultivate high-capacity individuals, corporations, foundations, and other philanthropic partners.
- Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive fundraising campaigns, including campaign planning, goal setting, volunteer engagement, prospect strategies, and campaign communications.
- Personally manage a portfolio of significant prospects and donors and participate in high-level solicitations.
- Expand philanthropic support for student scholarships, academic programs, faculty excellence, research, facilities, athletics, experiential learning, and other institutional priorities.
- Strengthen corporate and foundation relationships and identify opportunities for external funding partnerships.
President and Cabinet Partnership
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the President on donor relations, external engagement, institutional reputation, and philanthropic opportunities.
- Prepare the President and other senior leaders for donor visits, solicitations, stewardship activities, and external engagements.
- Develop strategies that leverage the President's relationships and visibility to advance institutional priorities.
- Participate actively in Cabinet discussions and institution-wide strategic planning.
- Translate institutional priorities into compelling philanthropic cases for support.
Foundation and Board Relations
- Work closely with the Brockport Foundation Board of Directors to advance institutional fundraising and engagement priorities.
- Serve as a key liaison between the University and the Foundation Board.
- Support the recruitment, orientation, engagement, and development of Foundation Board members and other advancement volunteers.
- Develop a strong volunteer leadership structure for fundraising campaigns and major initiatives.
- Ensure appropriate alignment among University leadership, Foundation leadership, and advancement staff.
Alumni and Constituent Engagement
- Develop a comprehensive strategy for engaging alumni and other constituents throughout their relationship with the University.
- Strengthen alumni participation in mentoring, career development, student success, recruitment, advocacy, volunteerism, and philanthropy.
- Expand meaningful engagement opportunities for a diverse and geographically dispersed alumni population.
- Partner with academic units, athletics, student affairs, and other campus programs to deepen constituent relationships.
Advancement Communications and Marketing
- Provide strategic oversight of advancement communications, including donor communications, campaign materials, annual giving communications, alumni communications, stewardship, and impact reporting.
- Ensure that fundraising communications effectively articulate the University's mission, distinctiveness, accomplishments, and aspirations.
- Partner with University Marketing & Communications to ensure consistency of institutional messaging and brand identity.
- Develop compelling cases for support tailored to different donor and constituent audiences.
Team Leadership and Organizational Development
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing advancement organization.
- Establish clear expectations, performance measures, professional development opportunities, and accountability structures.
- Evaluate the Advancement organizational structure and make recommendations for staffing, technology, resources, and operational improvements.
- Promote collaboration across Giving, Alumni Engagement, Finance and Advancement Services, Donor Relations and Stewardship, Scholarships, Communications, University Events, and other advancement functions.
- Foster an inclusive, collaborative, results-oriented culture.
Advancement Operations and Compliance
- Oversee advancement operations, including prospect research, database management, gift processing, reporting, acknowledgments, stewardship, and data integrity.
- Establish and monitor advancement performance metrics and dashboards.
- Ensure compliance with University, SUNY, Foundation, and applicable federal and state policies and regulations.
- Work collaboratively with finance, legal counsel, audit, procurement, SUNY, and other administrative offices on gift agreements and complex philanthropic transactions.
- Develop and manage the Division of Advancement annual budget and resources.
External Relations
- Serve as a highly visible ambassador for the University within the regional, state, national, and philanthropic communities.
- Develop relationships with community leaders, business executives, elected and appointed officials, foundations, corporations, and other external stakeholders.
- Identify opportunities to position the University as an essential economic, cultural, and educational partner within its region.
- Represent the University at appropriate community and professional events.
REQUIREMENTS
Minimum Qualifications:
- Master's degree from a college or university accredited by the U.S. Department of Education or an internationally recognized college or university
- Minimum of ten years of progressively responsible experience in higher education advancement, fundraising, development, philanthropy, or a closely related field, including significant leadership experience
- Experience leading and developing advancement professionals and managing complex advancement organizations
- Experience working effectively with a president, cabinet-level leaders, foundation boards, or other senior volunteers
- Demonstrated success securing major philanthropic gifts and building relationships with high-level donors
- Demonstrated understanding of comprehensive advancement, including major gifts, annual giving, alumni engagement, corporate and foundation relations, advancement communications, and advancement operations
- Excellent interpersonal, written, oral, and presentation skills
- Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across organizational units and with diverse constituencies
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in a public higher education environment, preferably within a comprehensive university
- Experience with a SUNY institution or another public university system
- Successful experience planning or executing a comprehensive fundraising campaign
- Experience working with an affiliated university foundation and volunteer board
- Experience with principal gifts, planned giving, corporate/foundation relations, or complex gift agreements
- Demonstrated success building advancement programs at an institution with a regional mission and broad access mission
- Experience using advancement analytics, CRM systems, and data-informed fundraising strategies
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Work Schedule:
40 hours/week: Monday-Friday, 8 am-5 pm
Benefits:
This position is benefits eligible. Find out more about benefits at Careers@Brockport.
Application Instructions:
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
Visit jobs.hr.brockport.edu to apply. Review of applications will begin immediately. Interested applicants should submit an application including your cover letter addressing how you meet the required and preferred qualifications, a resume, and contact information for three professional references. References will be contacted for finalists with prior approval from the applicant. A background and credit check will be conducted on the selected candidate.
Please note, if you have retired from a New York State Public Employee Retirement System (Teachers Retirement System or Employees Retirement System), you may be subject to an earnings limitation. Please familiarize yourself with the rules and regulations when applying for this position.
Background Investigation Statement:
All applicants are subject to a pre-employment background check.
Pre-Employment Drug Testing:
Pre-employment drug test and DOT physical may be required for positions requiring a valid Class A or B CDL driver's license with passenger endorsement.
Non-Discrimination Statement/Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer:
SUNY Brockport does not discriminate. SUNY Brockport is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction. Employees, students, applicants or other members of the university community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law, or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.
Diversity Statement:
SUNY Brockport is committed to creating and maintaining an equitable environment that welcomes, values, and supports individuals and communities who affirm human dignity. The University provides opportunities for engagement, learning, growth, and transformation to foster a diverse, equitable, and inclusive institution.
Reasonable Accommodations:
SUNY Brockport provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, veterans, or wounded warriors where appropriate. If you need reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Office of Human Resources or email your request to Tamara Gouger, AVP for Human Resources and ADA Coordinator, at tgouger@brockport.edu. Determinations or requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
SUNY Brockport is an AA/EEO/ADA employer. The University actively seeks applications from women, veterans, individuals with a disability, members of underrepresented groups or anyone that would enrich the diversity of the University.