Job Details

Vice President for Growth and Advancement

Position Category: Staff (Exempt)
FLSA: Exempt
FTE: 1
Location: Thousand Oaks

University Background:

The mission of California Lutheran University is to educate leaders for a global society who are strong in character and judgment, confident in their identity and vocation, and committed to service and justice. Founded in 1959 in beautiful Ventura County, the university has an enrollment of about 4,000 undergraduate and graduate students who come from across the nation and around the world from a diversity of backgrounds, cultures and faiths. As a federally recognized Hispanic-Serving Institution, Cal Lutheran is looking for candidates with a dedication to and success in working in diverse communities. The university is committed to an inclusive learning and work environment that values individual differences and respects each person's dignity.

Basic Function:

Reporting to the Chief Strategy and Growth Officer, the Vice President for Growth and Advancement serves as a senior leader responsible for advancing California Lutheran University's enrollment strategies and leading institutional growth through fundraising, partnerships, and external engagement.

Working closely with the President, Cabinet, and academic leadership, the Vice President leads enrollment planning and execution across undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, advances philanthropic support for the University by cultivating donor relationships, expanding the base of support, and strengthening alumni, corporate, community, and foundation partnerships that support both recruitment and institutional priorities.

The Vice President serves as a strategic leader who brings a data-informed and growth-oriented approach to institutional growth and advancement leadership that identifies new opportunities for philanthropic engagement and partnerships, responds to emerging student markets, develops recruitment approaches that are aligned with broader institutional goals, and drives sustainable growth in enrollment, philanthropic giving, and endowment support.

Representative Duties:

Enrollment Strategy and Growth

• Partner with the Chief Strategy and Growth Officer to develop and advance institutional strategies that support sustainable enrollment growth across undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.
• Utilize data analytics and competitive intelligence to identify opportunities to expand the University's enrollment pipeline through new recruitment channels, student markets, and program positioning.
• In partnership with marketing and academic leaders, translate complex data, demographic trends, and market intelligence into actionable strategies that inform enrollment planning, program development, and institutional decision-making.
• Develop and implement strategic initiatives designed to increase applications, improve yield, and expand student engagement.
• Provide leadership for Financial Aid strategy and operations to ensure alignment between aid packaging, accessibility goals, and enrollment objectives.
• Collaborate with academic and student success leadership to align enrollment strategies with retention, persistence, and student success outcomes.
• Monitor key enrollment performance indicators including application volume, admission yield, enrollment trends, and financial aid leveraging strategies.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and performance management for staff and foster a high-performance, results-oriented culture within the team.
• Promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement in enrollment growth initiatives.
• Lead initiatives that increase enrollment and strengthen the University's long-term enrollment pipeline across undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.

Advancement Strategy and Execution

• Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive university advancement strategy that includes annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate and foundation relations.
• Leverage data, analytics, and prospect insights to inform fundraising strategies and initiatives that align with institutional priorities.
• Partner with the President and senior leadership to develop and execute strategies for engaging major donors and securing transformational gifts.
• Utilize data and performance metrics to guide decision-making, track progress, and improve fundraising outcomes.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and performance management for staff and foster a high-performance, results-oriented culture within the team.
• Promote a culture of learning and continuous improvement in advancement growth initiatives.
• Strengthen donor stewardship and long-term engagement to increase retention and lifetime giving.
• Develop a renewed focus on planned giving and endowment growth.
• Develop and implement strategies to increase philanthropic giving, expand the endowment, and diversify the University's sources of philanthropic support.
• Work cross-functionally with enrollment, marketing, and academic leadership to align engagement and support campaign planning and execution.
• Identify and pursue new opportunities for philanthropic growth, partnerships, and engagement that expand the University's base of support.
• Lead strategies to strengthen alumni engagement and philanthropic participation.
• Build relationships with community, corporate, and foundation partners.
• Represent the University in external partnerships that enhance visibility and support enrollment through scholarships, experiential learning, and student career readiness opportunities.
• Manage a portfolio of high-capacity donors and prospects, with responsibility for cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and principal gifts.