Associate Vice President, Principal Giving

Wayne State University•Detroit, MI

41d

About The Position

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Associate Vice President, Principal Giving at its Detroit campus location. Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society. Job Purpose Provide vision, strategy and leadership for principal and transformational giving at Wayne State University. Personally manage a prospect portfolio to achieve ambitious fundraising goals annually. Develop, coordinate and manage fundraising strategies and initiatives to secure principal ($1 million+) and transformational ($10 million+) gifts from the university’s highest potential prospective donors to fund university priorities, enhance the university’s philanthropic support and meet aggressive fundraising goals. Coordinate the cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of principal and transformational gift donors. This position reports to the Vice President of Development and Alumni Affairs.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in marketing, public relations, business administration or related field. Master's degree preferred.
Extensive knowledge, understanding and experience with university policies and procedures.
Expert (established subject matter expert, 7+ years experience)
Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in the planning, development and implementation of fundraising strategies, policies and procedures for highly sophisticated individual giving programs. Candidate should have at least 5 years of senior-level management responsibility in a complex organization, preferably higher education. Minimum of 5 years experience managing personnel.
Proven ability to qualify, cultivate and solicit high level donors and prospects. Track record of closing seven-figure gifts.
Professional understanding of, and interest in, Development and Alumni Affairs best practices and general operations. Understanding of trends and best practices within higher education fundraising.
Positive and collaborative professional philosophy, recognizing that this position is integral to the achievement of the goals and objectives of Development and Alumni Affairs.
ANALYTICAL AND PRESENTATION SKILLS: Ability to evaluate, interpret, and present complex information effectively in professionally prepared documents or presentations. Must possess a demonstrated attention to detail in order to achieve a high degree of accuracy.
COLLABORATION: Exhibits a willingness to partner with units across the university with integrity and high character to reach unified goals. Possesses the ability to navigate difficult situations with grace and understanding.
COMMUNICATIONS SKILLS: Ability to communicate clearly, concisely and professionally both orally and in writing. Strong interpersonal skills are a must. Demonstrates the ability to plan and deliver oral and written communications that are impactful and persuasive including presentations to university management and committees.
LEADERSHIP SKILLS: Demonstrated strong leadership skills to influence and motivate individuals and groups to achieve results. Maintain accountability for the university's and division’s mission, vision and values. Inspire your team to uphold these core values.
LEARNING AGILITY: Independent and innovative self-starter who displays an ability to learn quickly and easily adapts to changing situations. Experience researching topics to gain knowledge and understanding when information gaps exist.
PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION: Ability to manage several projects simultaneously, prioritize and plan work activities while meeting respective deadlines. Strong organizational, project and time-management skills required. Maturity, sound judgment and ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in a deadline-oriented environment.
TEAMWORK: Ability to collaborate effectively with colleagues within the division and other units to gain full understanding of the project and desired outcome; ability to produce high quality and consistent results with assistance of team members; provide support to teammates when tackling complex projects.
TECHNICAL SKILLS: Proficient in the use of complex administrative systems software, preferably in the higher education environment. Proficient with Microsoft Office suite, especially Word, Excel and Teams. Ability to understand and translate complex concepts into lay terms.
Normal office environment.
Adhere to confidentiality and data usage policy for the division.
This position requires a high level of commitment and enthusiasm. Due to travel requirements, evening meetings and special events, etc., candidate must be willing to work consistently on an extended and flexible schedule.

Nice To Haves

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in marketing, public relations, business administration or related field. Master's degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Personally manage a prospect portfolio to achieve ambitious annual fundraising and visit goals. Establish and implement prospect qualification, cultivation, and solicitation strategies focusing on securing commitments of $1,000,000+. Draft and negotiate highly complex gift and pledge documentation.
Establish and implement prospect qualification, cultivation, and solicitation strategies for the university’s highest-level gift donors and prospects. Devise and oversee the creation of highly customized, robust solicitation materials for principal and transformational gift donors and prospects. Work closely with the university President, Vice President of Development, and other executive leadership to secure principal and transformational gifts to fund university priorities and meet aggressive fundraising goals.
Collaborate and support school- and college-based fundraising and academic colleagues on implementing strategies for principal and transformational gift donors and prospects; ensure coordination across multiple departments. Lead and convene effective and productive principal gift strategy sessions on a scheduled cadence.
Supervise staff, effectively manage performance to meet individual and team initiatives; foster a collegial and highly productive work environment. Recruit, interview, hire, train, coach, evaluate, and discipline staff. Establish and communicate performance expectations in a manner that motivates and empowers staff to fulfill job duties. Encourage, support, and ensure employee participation in training and development programs.
Manage unit's annual budget. Develop expense projections, approve expenditures at unit level, and monitor transactions for compliance with university policies and procedures.
Network with outside professional groups and organizations to keep abreast of current industry trends and best practices related to principal gift fundraising. Represent Development & Alumni Affairs at industry or community meetings at the request of leadership. Special projects and other duties as assigned.

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