Vice President for University Advancement

Vice President
University Advancement
Job # 553434
Close Date: Friday, March 6, 2026

At Cal Poly Humboldt, bold hearts and open minds shape the future.

Founded in 1913, Cal Poly Humboldt began as a small college for teachers. Today Humboldt has grown into a comprehensive university with rigorous science and liberal arts programs. Designated a polytechnic in 2022, Cal Poly Humboldt provides hands-on, impactful educational opportunities that lead to meaningful, measurable outcomes for the individual, for the state, and the world.

Cal Poly Humboldt is proud to have more than 6,000 students of all backgrounds spread across 61 majors, 13 graduate programs, and 4 credential programs - all of whom contribute passion and creativity within their fields and set the stage for a future grounded in equity and sustainability. Hands-on learning, inspired teaching, ground-breaking research, and thought-provoking creative activity happen daily at Humboldt.

Finding a better future is a task for the bold and open, the down-to-earth and visionary. Cal Poly Humboldt strives to cultivate these qualities in leaders, innovators, and scholars in every field.

(Job # 553434) Administrator IV, Vice President for University Advancement, Salary Range: $10,106 - $32,441 monthly, Anticipated Hiring Range: $19,500 - $22,900 monthly. Final salary placement is commensurate with experience, internal equity, and budget considerations. This is a full-time, benefited, exempt, 12-month, at-will position in the Division of University Advancement. This position is an Administrator IV in the California State University Management Personnel Plan (MPP). Under this plan, incumbents are subject to normal management reviews and serve at the pleasure of the University President. Additional information can be found at http://www.calstate.edu/HRAdm/policies/mpp.shtml.

This position includes a premium benefits package featuring outstanding vacation, medical, dental, and vision plans; life insurance; voluntary pre-tax health and dependent care reimbursement accounts; a fee waiver education program; membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS); and 15 paid holidays per year. Additional benefits information can be found at https://hraps.humboldt.edu/employee-benefits.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the University President and working collaboratively with colleagues across campus, the Vice President for University Advancement provides strategic leadership, vision, and oversight for the University's advancement enterprise. This includes fundraising, donor stewardship, alumni engagement, marketing and communications, special initiatives, advocacy, and government relations. The incumbent also serves as Executive Director of the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation and acts as liaison for management of KHSU public radio.

The Vice President provides executive leadership in advancing the University's reputation and brand visibility, developing strategic partnerships with corporations, foundations, and community organizations, and ensuring the integration of fundraising, alumni relations, and communications into a comprehensive advancement strategy. In addition, the Vice President partners with faculty, administrators, and external stakeholders to philanthropic initiatives related to teaching, research, and applied learning priorities that aligns with Cal Poly Humboldt's academic mission and strategic priorities.

The Vice President ensures that advancement activities align with the University's strategic plan, academic mission, and Cal Poly transformation. The incumbent is dedicated to creating and supporting a collaborative and transparent workplace that promotes shared governance, teamwork, diversity, equity, and inclusion, while ensuring accountability, sustainability, and strategic resource development in support of both philanthropy and research innovation.

Key Responsibilities:

Fundraising, Donor Engagement, & Research Growth - 35%

• Provides executive leadership for fundraising and donor engagement, including cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Takes a primary role in the cultivation and solicitation of major donors.
• Works closely with the President, executive staff, deans, Foundation Board, volunteers, corporations, and community leaders in soliciting charitable gifts, pursuing grants, and building support.
• Assists and guides University leadership in implementing strategies to increase charitable giving and grant support.
• Provides leadership and counsel in managing the Foundation's endowment and assets.
• Leads the design and execution of comprehensive fundraising campaigns (annual, capital, and special initiatives) to grow philanthropic support and advance research development initiatives.
• Partners with faculty and administrators to secure external funding that strengthens sponsored programs and fosters long-term research growth.
• Ensures transparency, accountability, and compliance in all fundraising and donor stewardship practices.

Alumni, Community, and External Partnerships - 25%

• Provides executive leadership for Alumni Relations and engagement strategies to strengthen lifelong connections with graduates.
• Develops strategic goals and initiatives to expand community partnerships and stakeholder relationships.
• Strengthens collaborations with external partners to expand opportunities for student success, applied learning, and faculty excellence.
• Represents the University to alumni, families, community leaders, businesses, donors, board members, and government representatives.
• Maintains familiarity with important issues related to higher education and public policy.

Marketing, Communications, and Brand Management - 15%

• Provides executive leadership for university marketing and communications in support of advancement priorities.
• Oversees brand management to build visibility and strengthen the University's reputation regionally, nationally, and internationally.
• Ensures strategic alignment of marketing and communications with fundraising and alumni engagement.
• Provides counsel and executive oversight in crisis communications to protect and uphold the University's values and reputation.

Government Relations and Advocacy - 10%

• Directs the University's government relations strategy, building relationships with elected officials and agencies at local, state, and federal levels.
• Advances University priorities through advocacy and public policy engagement, aligning with CSU system initiatives.
• Secures public support for university priorities, including student success, academic innovation, and applied learning expansion.

Leadership, Strategy, and Administration - 10%

• Leads the Division of University Advancement, including Alumni Relations, Development, Government Relations, Initiatives, Sponsored Programs, and Marketing & Communications.
• Builds and motivates a high-performance advancement team; ensures professional development, succession planning, and a culture of service excellence.
• Serves as Executive Director of the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation.
• Serves as Ex-Officio Director of the Cal Poly Humboldt Sponsored Programs Foundation Board, aligning advancement and sponsored programs to strengthen research development and growth.
• Serves as liaison for management of KHSU.
• Provides executive leadership for Advancement staff, ensuring units function optimally, support the campus community, provide excellent service, and adhere to policies and laws.

Other duties as assigned - 5%

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Associated with this Position Include:

• Strong analytic and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated experience in effective written and oral communication.
• Ability to build and lead strong, collaborative teams.
• Ability to foster relationships with diverse stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and racial equity in decision-making and workplace culture.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a shared governance environment with faculty, staff, administrators, labor unions, and system leadership.
• Ability to ensure compliance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures.
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, including major gifts and campaigns.
• Knowledge of donor databases, prospect research, and CRM systems.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with key partners at various levels to meet the goals of the organization.
• Experience working with volunteer boards and major donors from corporations, foundations, alumni, and friends.
• Ability to integrate fundraising, alumni engagement, marketing, and communications into a unified advancement strategy.
• Ability to manage challenging situations with a fact-based approach.
• Commitment to transparency and accountability in donor stewardship and advancement operations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build effective working relationships with diverse constituencies.
• Understanding of compliance, accountability, and stewardship requirements across a variety of funds.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
• At least 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in advancement or related areas.
• Minimum 5 years of executive-level experience (e.g., Executive Director, AVP, or VP) overseeing fundraising, alumni relations, marketing/communications, or government/external relations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in business, public administration, communications, nonprofit management or a field relevant to the duties of the position is strongly preferred.
• CFRE certification or CASE membership.
• Experience managing a university foundation, including endowment investment and reporting.
• Demonstrated success in endowment growth, investment oversight, and donor compliance.
• Executive-level experience in public relations, brand management, or crisis communication.
• Advanced degree in a field relevant to advancement.
• Demonstrated experience with sponsored program administration, including compliance, external funding development, and federal/state grant management.
• Proven success in planning and executing capital campaigns and comprehensive fundraising initiatives that support institutional priorities.
• Experience working in a public higher education system, preferably the CSU or Cal Poly system, with understanding of system-level policies and shared governance structures.
• Experience building strategic partnerships with corporations, foundations, and government agencies.
• Knowledge of trends in higher education advancement philanthropy, and/or research growth at regional, national, and global levels.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire innovation, collaboration, and accountability in a complex university setting.

Application Procedure:

To apply, qualified candidates must electronically submit the following materials by clicking the Apply Now button:

• Letter of Interest
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae
• Contact information for at least three supervisory references

Application Deadline: The deadline to submit application materials is 11:55 p.m. on Friday, March 6, 2026. Any inquiries about this recruitment can be directed to careers@humboldt.edu or Cal Poly Humboldt's Human Resources Office at (707) 826-3626.