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VICE PRESIDENT, Development & Alumni Relations

Boston University

VICE PRESIDENT, Development & Alumni Relations

Boston, MA
Full Time
Paid
  • Responsibilities

    Boston University (BU), an international, comprehensive, private research university, is seeking a dynamic and experienced vice president for development to manage a thriving development team. Reporting to the Senior Vice President for Development & Alumni Relations (DAR), Karen Ann Engelbourg, the vice president will partner with an engaged and passionate leadership team and an experienced and dedicated staff in building upon an outstanding record of success. This success has transpired during BU’s first-ever comprehensive campaign, Choose to Be Great, which culminated in September 2019, raising $1.85 billion, 85% above our initial campaign goal of $1 billion.

     

    Working closely with the deans and development and alumni relations officers, the vice president will ensure that the deans and development officers are efficiently, effectively and productively engaging in their fundraising work, assuring that each school and college’s top prospects are effectively being cultivated, solicited and stewarded. The vice president will actively carry a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects. The VP will lead a large, diverse team that currently includes oversight of the school based fundraisers, special initiatives, leadership gifts, foundation relations, and potentially others as the division grows. The following departments report to the VP:  School Development (17 schools and colleges and development and alumni relations staff therein); Special Initiatives, Foundation Relations, and Leadership Gifts.  This includes 6 direct reports and an additional 72 staff for a total of 78 FTE’s.  The VP will also be a key influencer and strategist across the division with other senior staff in the areas of Planned Giving, Principal Gifts, and International.

     

    Boston University will rely on its relatively unique, but well-tested, centralized organizational structure and planning process to further develop and support our ongoing fundraising efforts and set the stage for a second comprehensive campaign. As are all our core functions, development and alumni relations operations are centrally budgeted. Almost 90% of the development and alumni staff are directly funded through the DAR budget. The university’s priorities are set in a comprehensive strategic planning process led by our university provost and chief academic officer, to whom all academic deans (except those on the Medical Campus) report directly. A new strategic plan, reflecting the university’s extraordinary progress during the past decade, is being developed and will articulate new priorities and inform the university’s development efforts in the next decade. This plan will be ready in early 2020.

    Required Skills

    The vice president will first and foremost possess the attributes of a seasoned fundraiser. They will be able to demonstrate a proven track record of success in development, with an acute sense of strategy at the individual donor level.

    • A minimum of 10 years of direct fundraising and engagement experience is required, with a strong preference for leadership experience at a higher education institution in a comprehensive campaign
    • A bachelor’s degree is required and an advanced degree is preferred
    • The particular ability to develop and execute strategy at both the departmental- and prospect-level and will be a proven planner and executor of those plans, especially while in a comprehensive campaign
    • Leadership experience in an institution of considerable organizational complexity typified by matrix relationships of power and influence
    • An understanding of school-based development and previous experience working closely with deans or department chairs

     

    PLEASE DO NOT APPLY USING THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY WEBSITE.

    Inquiries, nominations and applications should be sent electronically via e-mail to Mercedes Chacón Vance and Sarah Miller at BUVPDev@wittkieffer.com.

     

    Please apply via the email above.

     

    You can download the full position description PDF at the link below:

    https://www.wittkieffer.com/positionfiles/u1793346/BU+VPDev+Leadership+Profile+Oct2019.pdf

     

     

    Boston University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

    Required Experience

  • Qualifications

    The vice president will first and foremost possess the attributes of a seasoned fundraiser. They will be able to demonstrate a proven track record of success in development, with an acute sense of strategy at the individual donor level.

    • A minimum of 10 years of direct fundraising and engagement experience is required, with a strong preference for leadership experience at a higher education institution in a comprehensive campaign
    • A bachelor’s degree is required and an advanced degree is preferred
    • The particular ability to develop and execute strategy at both the departmental- and prospect-level and will be a proven planner and executor of those plans, especially while in a comprehensive campaign
    • Leadership experience in an institution of considerable organizational complexity typified by matrix relationships of power and influence
    • An understanding of school-based development and previous experience working closely with deans or department chairs

     

    PLEASE DO NOT APPLY USING THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY WEBSITE.

    Inquiries, nominations and applications should be sent electronically via e-mail to Mercedes Chacón Vance and Sarah Miller at BUVPDev@wittkieffer.com.

     

    Please apply via the email above.

     

    You can download the full position description PDF at the link below:

    https://www.wittkieffer.com/positionfiles/u1793346/BU+VPDev+Leadership+Profile+Oct2019.pdf

     

     

    Boston University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

  • Industry
    Education