Assistant Vice President, Development

Lindenwood University • Saint Charles, MO

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Located in historic St. Charles, Missouri, Lindenwood University is a premier, independent comprehensive institution known for its student-centric focus and innovation. Lindenwood is committed to providing an exceptional, values-driven education that prepares students to thrive in a dynamic world. It is an exciting time to join the Lindenwood Advancement team. As we prepare to launch a comprehensive fundraising campaign, we are aligning our operational infrastructure, building high-impact philanthropic opportunities, and enhancing our engagement with alumni, donors, and regional constituents to support student success, experiential learning, and innovative campus spaces. At Lindenwood, we benefit from working at a picturesque, historic campus, located in a thriving micro-urban community that’s adjacent to a major metropolitan city. In fact, Business Insider named St. Charles the best college town in Missouri, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recognized Lindenwood University as the Best College/University.

The assistant vice president (AVP) of development provides strategic leadership for Lindenwood University’s development functions, including planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, major and principal giving, and leadership annual giving. This is a centralized position supporting all colleges and units across campus, including athletics. Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President for Advancement, this role serves as a key driver of philanthropic growth and a critical partner in preparing for the university's upcoming comprehensive campaign.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in related field
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in non-profit fundraising
• Experience utilizing Raiser’s Edge NXT or another Advancement CRM for portfolio management, reporting, etc.
• Proven experience with major and principal giving cultivation, solicitation, and closure
• Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
• Ability to work effectively at a computer for extended time daily
• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time
• Adequately mobile in order to travel to visit donors as well as to attend events on and off campus
• Ability to carry up to 20 pounds, set up, work, and break down events
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures
• Comprehensive knowledge of comprehensive advancement concepts and principles
• Ability to drive strategic direction
• Management skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including persuasive communication skills
• Portfolio and moves management skills
• Knowledge of general office hardware and Microsoft Office Suite
• Knowledge of Raiser’s Edge fundraising software
• Excellent creative, interpersonal, and organizational skills
• Ability to exercise good judgment, think critically, and multitask
• Strong professional integrity and ability to maintain strict confidentiality
• Ability to understand and implement general principles of accounting and best practices in gift management
• Ability to establish and maintain effective and collaborative relationships with faculty, staff, alumni, students, community, and media partners

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree preferred
• Campaign experience preferred
• Experience with planned gift and non-cash gift solicitations preferred
• Experience developing strategic fundraising plans and managing donor portfolios and relationships preferred
• Experience in comprehensive fundraising reporting, goal setting, and performance management preferred

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for university development functions, aligning fundraising strategies with the university’s institutional priorities and campaign goals
• Leads the development and execution of strategies to secure philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, and foundations
• Leads and mentors a growing team of professionals focused on a wide range of development functions, including major gifts, annual giving, athletics giving, planned giving, and corporate and foundation philanthropy
• Partners with Deans and other academic leaders to advance fundraising initiatives and donor relationships
• Provides leadership for campaigns and other strategic fundraising initiatives
• Maintains a personal portfolio of donor prospects, including major, principal, and planned giving prospects
• Serves as the institution’s planned giving officer
• Ensures gift agreements and stewardship plans are properly created, reviewed and executed for all major gifts
• Oversees development’s use of Raiser’s Edge NXT, ensuring the CRM is utilized for all development work, including opportunities, substantive engagement tracking, reporting, portfolio and moves management, and performance and productivity tracking
• Builds and oversees clear fundraising metrics, performance standards, and reporting processes that guarantee accountability and fuel continued revenue expansion
• Orchestrates the cross-functional alignment of fundraising strategies with long-term institutional priorities, translating high-level vision into actionable campaign milestones
• Collaborates with the AVP of Advancement Operations and the Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations to develop a strategy to steward and engage previous donors, requalify and cultivate prior donors, and ensure all donors receive stewardship touch points after gift closure
• Pioneers innovative approaches to donor acquisition and pipeline expansion, leveraging advanced analytics and market insights to anticipate philanthropic trends and secure transformational support
• Drives institutional agility by designing scalable development frameworks that empower academic leaders and advancement staff to capitalize on emerging opportunities
• Champions a culture of strategic accountability and continuous improvement, deploying data-informed decision-making to optimize resource allocation and maximize return on investment across all fundraising verticals.
• Keeps current on tax regulations and planned giving policies to expertly advise development officers and donors on complex, tax-wise charitable giving strategies
• Establishes long- and short-term strategic goals based on assessment data and ensures standards for the department and its field are met or exceeded
• Manages budget, personnel, prospect research, and proposal development
• Maintains relationships with current and potential donors
• Supports the mission of the University and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence
• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University’s values
• Recruits, interviews, recommends, welcomes, observes, and monitors performance of department staff
• Sets clear performance expectations and holds employees accountable
• Conducts annual employee evaluations based on evidence, observation, and feedback
• Manages human resources reporting for the department, including time keeping and other personnel matters
• Determines metrics used to evaluate performance of advancement officers

Benefits

• Employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s (employee, spouse, and dependent) and master’s degree programs (employee and spouse only)
• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only)
• Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement options
• Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break (Wednesday – Friday), and winter break (Dec. 23 – Jan. 1)
• Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free meal on Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.
• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy

What This Job Offers

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