Vice President of Development, Alumni, and Community Engagement

Southern New Hampshire University•Manchester, NH

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President of Development, Alumni, and Community Engagement provides strategic leadership for philanthropic giving, alumni engagement, and community engagement at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), unifying these functions in a strategy that advances the university’s mission and growth. The role builds and sustains long-term relationships with donors, alumni, community leaders, board members, and university partners, and serves as a compelling ambassador for the institution. As a member of the Office of External Affairs and Communications leadership team, the Vice President reports to the Executive Vice President and Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer, and leads advancement and alumni and community engagement professionals. The Vice President develops a comprehensive, multi-year fundraising strategy encompassing major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, and campaign initiatives. The role also builds alumni engagement and strengthens community partnerships and service-learning opportunities, ensuring SNHU is a trusted partner in Manchester and beyond. The Vice President oversees advancement services, including database management, gift processing, prospect research, and reporting, and builds sustainable grant-management capacity. The position integrates strategic planning, data-informed decision-making, and inclusive practices to increase philanthropic capacity and deepen the university’s ties to the communities it serves. The position is partially based in Manchester, New Hampshire. For hybrid roles, employees must be able to commute to Manchester regularly. The posting also includes the designation “#LI-Remote.”

Requirements

10 or more years of progressive experience in fundraising, advancement, development, or related fields, including success building and scaling fundraising programs and teams.
Bachelor’s degree in nonprofit management, higher education administration, business, public administration, or a related field.
Proven track record of closing significant philanthropic gifts and cultivating long-term donor relationships that result in sustained philanthropic investment.
Demonstrated experience leading and developing diverse, multifunctional teams, with a record of building collaborative, accountable, and high-performing cultures.
Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation communication skills, with the ability to engage donors, community leaders, board members, and institutional partners.
Strong strategic planning and organizational skills, including the ability to set vision, prioritize resources, and translate strategy into measurable outcomes.
Genuine understanding of and appreciation for service and community work.
Systems-thinking orientation and ability to understand how data, technology, and operational infrastructure enable advancement strategy.
Ability to unify a broad, diverse team around a shared strategy spanning philanthropy, alumni engagement, and community work.
Commitment and alignment with SNHU’s mission of accessible, affordable, and transformative education.

Responsibilities

Develop a unified strategy across philanthropy, alumni engagement, and community engagement that reflects SNHU’s mission; establish a vision and measurable goals, align institutional resources with priorities, and advise senior leadership on institutional advancement.
Lead development efforts to identify, cultivate, and secure philanthropic support, and build and refine fundraising strategies for annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving.
Distribute donor relationships and fundraising responsibilities across the team, set performance expectations, and provide the tools, data, and support needed for success.
Provide strategic direction for donor relations, stewardship, recognition, and donor connection to SNHU’s mission and impact.
Oversee alumni engagement programs, events, and other opportunities for alumni to contribute as donors, volunteers, advocates, and community leaders.
Strengthen community giving and partnerships, promote service-learning, oversee community giving and programming, and connect community work to the university’s mission.
Oversee advancement services, including database management, gift processing, prospect research, and reporting; promote accurate, actionable data and use it to identify opportunities, track progress, support decisions, and communicate impact.
Build sustainable grant-management capacity through clear processes, compliance infrastructure, and institutional policy.
Serve as a strategic liaison between the advancement team, university leadership, and institutional partners; foster cohesive engagement of alumni, donors, volunteers, and community partners in support of student success.
Build, inspire, and unify a diverse advancement division; establish expectations for accountability, collaboration, and professional excellence; and promote team cohesion, knowledge-sharing, staff development, and an inclusive, mission-centered culture.
Oversee efforts to leverage the engagement, expertise, and generosity of alumni, donors, foundation and community partners, and volunteers to secure external support for SNHU’s priorities.