"Vice President, Medical and Health Sciences Advancement"

Position Overview

Ohio State is seeking a talented leader to elevate the advancement office at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center to new heights - capitalizing on the existing, successful development efforts and coalescing them into greater success. In addition to leading fundraising efforts for the entire medical center, including the James Cancer Center, this individual will oversee all advancement efforts taking place in the seven health colleges of the University; this includes the Colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, Nursing, Optometry, Public Health, Pharmacy, Social Work, and Veterinary Medicine. The Vice President (VP) serves as a key member of both the medical center CEOs leadership team and the Advancement executive team. In this dual capacity, the VP provides strategic guidance and leadership for a high-performing principal gifts program, focused on the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of prospects capable of making transformational gifts of $5 million or more. This individual will be a key strategist for the building and cultivating of relationships with individuals, foundations, and corporations who can contribute at the targeted level.

Duties and Responsibilities

• 40% Serves as a key strategist for the building and cultivating of relationships with individuals, foundations, and corporations who can contribute at the targeted level; Provides visionary leadership for fundraising efforts across the entire medical center, including the James Cancer Center, and health science colleges; Creates strategies to identify, qualify and develop a robust pipeline of donors while managing a complex portfolio of top donors and prospects at the $500,000 to the principal gift level ($5M+); Supervises and supports a high-performing team of development professionals working across multiple units and disciplines; Leads strategy sessions, drives performance, and champions best practices in donor cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and prospect strategy with all team members; Maximizes partnerships with central service providers such as Estate and Planned Giving, Principal Gifts, Corporate Relations and Foundation Relations, Donor Experience, Stewardship, Prospect Research and Business Intelligence to align and support the achievement of goals; Facilitates collaboration in support of interdisciplinary projects and related fundraising; Advocates for area with regard to resources in order to accomplish goals; Works to build cohesiveness within Advancement and across units to enhance overall fundraising for Ohio State; Cultivates meaningful relationships with alumni, grateful patients, volunteers, foundations, and corporations to deepen engagement and increase giving; Drives the integration of alumni and donor relations efforts, ensuring alignment with philanthropic strategy; Recruits, trains and inspires alumni leaders and volunteers.
• 30% Partner closely with deans, faculty, medical center leadership, and advancement peers to align fundraising priorities with institutional goals; Builds effective relationships with medical center, including the James Cancer Center, health science colleges and advancement leadership; Serves as a key advisor in campaign planning and capital project fundraising, helping shape compelling cases for support; Leads strategy to grow and activate an engaged network of alumni and grateful patients, serving as advocates, donors, and volunteers; Provides counsel and guidance to align strategies and priorities to compelling fundraising opportunities with high-impact prospects; Communicates the vision, goals and accomplishments to alumni and donors; Guides the development of strategic stewardship initiatives that ensure lasting donor satisfaction and retention; Recruits, trains, evaluates, motivates, and coaches employees of various backgrounds and identities; Establishes and monitors goals, provides performance feedback and coaching, and supports professional development; Completes annual performance management procedures; Manages performance issues; Is responsible for using independent, consistent and fair judgement in exercising authority; Develops procedures, assigns and prioritizes work, and ensures that the resources needed to accomplish work are provided.
• 20% Personally manages a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects, including direct responsibility for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors at the $5M+ level; Develops creative, customized strategies to engage and inspire transformative philanthropic investment.
• 10% Serves as a key member of fundraising leadership in the medical center, including the James Cancer Center, health science colleges and Advancement; Completes other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree or equivalent combination of education/experience
• 10 years of progressive leadership experience
• 15+ years of experience in advancement, development or fundraising, preferably in a medical or academic setting

Desired Qualifications

• Masters degree
• At least 15 years of professional fundraising experience raising the highest level of philanthropic gifts at an organization (preferably six and seven figures and above)
• Experience serving high-level leadership such as Presidents cabinet members
• Experience overseeing other advancement departments such as alumni/donor relations and stewardship or donor communications

You Need to Know

Aside from the unparalleled benefits of working for The Ohio State University and working in the vibrant, smart, enjoyable, and growing city of Columbus, Ohio, this opportunity will provide exceptional rewards that arise from working for an institution doing worldwide life-changing teaching and research. Learn more here.

In accordance with the Disaster Preparedness and University State of Emergency Policy 6.17 this position has been designated as an essential position.

Posted: 07-Oct-25

Type: Full-time

Categories: Executive, Provost/Vice President

Internal Number: R138525