Assistant Dean for Advancement (Chief Advancement Officer)

University of Washington • Seattle, WA

8d • Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Washington's School of Pharmacy is seeking an Assistant Dean for Advancement (Chief Advancement Officer) to lead and direct its advancement program. This full-time permanent position plays a crucial role in advancing the School's mission and supporting the Dean's strategic goals. The Assistant Dean will serve as a strategic advisor to the Dean, overseeing fundraising, stakeholder engagement, and marketing and communications strategies. This role involves deep collaboration across diverse departments, centers, and programs to inspire philanthropic support, enhance visibility and reputation, strengthen partnerships, increase individual giving, and deepen alumni engagement. The Assistant Dean reports jointly to the Dean of the School of Pharmacy and the Assistant Vice President for Health Sciences Advancement.

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree AND a minimum of eight years of professional advancement experience in institutional development/advancement, with an emphasis on cultivating and soliciting major gifts.

Nice To Haves

• Five or more years of supervisory experience, including talent acquisition, performance management, goal setting, workflow oversight, employee development and conflict resolution.
• Experience leading or overseeing strategic marketing, communications and stakeholder engagement initiatives.
• Demonstrated success as an inclusive and effective leader with the ability to translate organizational priorities into action, execute strategic goals and drive measurable results through collaboration and relationship building.
• Demonstrated learning agility and intellectual curiosity, with the ability to quickly understand complex academic, research, scientific, or technical environments and communicate their impact to a variety of audiences.
• Exceptional interpersonal, relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences, navigate complex situations and communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust and productive relationships with faculty, academic leaders, volunteers, donors, corporate and foundation partners and other key stakeholders to advance institutional priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, take initiative, manage competing priorities, and deliver results in a complex and dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to higher education and extensive knowledge of fundraising principles, donor engagement strategies, philanthropic trends and advancement best practices.
• Demonstrated creativity, resourcefulness, organizational effectiveness, and attention to detail, with the ability to make sound decisions in complex and evolving environments.
• Proven ability to achieve exceptional results while fostering a collaborative, high-performing culture among staff, volunteers and cross-functional partners.
• Demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive and equitable work environment.
• Ability to lead in a manner consistent with the University’s mission, vision, values and culture, while inspiring others to do the same.
• Demonstrated integrity and discretion, including the ability to handle confidential information and model the highest ethical standards.
• Demonstrated commitment to higher education and extensive knowledge of fundraising principles, philanthropic trends and advancement best practices.
• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with faculty, academic leaders, volunteers, donors and other key stakeholders to advance institutional priorities.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee all aspects of the school’s advancement program, including annual, major, and planned giving; corporate and foundation relations; donor stewardship and recognition; alumni engagement; communications and publications; and external relations, with a focus on growing philanthropic support.
• Provide strategic leadership for advancement-related marketing, communications, and internal engagement initiatives that advance the school’s goals and priorities.
• Develop and manage the Advancement unit budget; monitor financial performance; and prepare regular reports on advancement results, trends, and philanthropic activity for school and University leadership.
• Lead, manage, and develop a high-performing Advancement team, providing supervision, coaching, performance management, and professional development.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Dean and an active member of the School's Executive Council and the University Advancement Development Leadership Team, contributing to strategic planning, institutional decision-making, fundraising priorities, and advancement initiatives that support both School and University goals.
• Manage a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects, developing and executing individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies; prepare proposals, agreements, and related materials; and actively utilize the University’s prospect management systems.
• Lead the planning and execution of school-based and university-wide fundraising campaigns, including campaign strategy, infrastructure, volunteer leadership recruitment, prospect prioritization, case development, and stakeholder engagement.
• Develop strategies to grow and diversify the donor base, with a focus on major gifts, current use and endowment funding, and other strategic funding opportunities; coordinate fundraising activities across departments and programs in alignment with the Dean’s priorities.
• Partner with University Advancement, the Health Sciences cohort and other schools and units to coordinate fundraising efforts, leverage institutional resources and campaigns, meet established performance metrics, and maximize philanthropic support for the school and University.
• Lead campaign strategy, planning, and execution, including case development, prospect prioritization, volunteer engagement, communications, and organizational readiness to support transformational fundraising initiatives.
• Leverage the full advancement enterprise to strengthen stakeholder engagement, expand philanthropic support, and position the school for successful future campaigns and long-term advancement growth.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Access to regular and reliable transportation for local travel and willingness to travel when necessary.
• Benefits: For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager