Associate Vice President, Development

Texas State University • San Marcos, TX

9h

About The Position

The Associate Vice President of Development ( AVP ) serves as the senior development officer within University Advancement, reporting directly to the Vice President for University Advancement ( VPUA ). The AVP is responsible for the strategic leadership and operational management of the university’s development program, encompassing principal gifts, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate and foundation engagement. The AVP maintains a personal portfolio of principal gift prospects while providing direct oversight of the development team, including supervision of frontline gift officers and unit directors. The position functions as the VPUA’s primary deputy for development operations and serves as a senior spokesperson for the university’s fundraising program with donors, volunteers, and institutional leadership. This position operates within the framework of UA 3.0, the university’s multi-year advancement transformation initiative, and is accountable for the execution of that framework’s performance standards, portfolio management protocols, and gift officer accountability structures. University Advancement at Texas State University employs approximately 60 staff and is organized into functional units covering development, alumni engagement, donor engagement, and strategic operations. Current annual philanthropic production is approximately $30 million, with a stated institutional goal of $50 million or more. The development function includes multiple primary business units: Principal and Planned Giving; Corporate and Foundation Engagement; and Major Gifts and Campaigns. The AVP has supervisory authority over the leadership and staff of each unit. The AVP of Development exercises direct supervisory authority over development unit leaders and may supervise senior gift officers depending on the organizational structure. Indirect supervisory responsibility extends to all gift officers and development support staff within the supervised units.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree or equivalent advanced degree.
• Ten or more years of experience specifically within higher education advancement.
• Experience managing a development team during a period of organizational growth, restructuring, or campaign launch.
• Familiarity with Texas higher education or with major university advancement operations.
• Experience as a direct participant in a comprehensive campaign at the $100 million level or above.
• Experience with principal gift strategies and donor engagement at the seven-figure or above level.
• Comprehensive knowledge of major and principal gift fundraising principles, practices, and methodologies.
• Strong working knowledge of moves management, portfolio management, and pipeline development.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain relationships with high-capacity donors, including individuals, corporate representatives, and foundation officers.
• Ability to analyze fundraising data and use metrics to drive program decisions and staff accountability.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce and present formal briefings, proposals, and reports.
• Ability to exercise sound independent judgment and to act as an institutional representative in the absence of the VPUA .
• Demonstrated ability to manage, coach, and develop professional staff.
• Familiarity with advancement CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce/Ascend, Ellucian Advance, or comparable platforms).
• Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously and meet deadlines in a fast-paced institutional environment.

Responsibilities

• Strategic leadership and operational management of the university’s development program
• Maintaining a personal portfolio of principal gift prospects
• Direct oversight of the development team
• Supervision of frontline gift officers and unit directors
• Serving as a senior spokesperson for the university’s fundraising program
• Execution of UA 3.0 framework’s performance standards, portfolio management protocols, and gift officer accountability structures
• Supervisory authority over development unit leaders and senior gift officers

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees