Assistant Vice President, Campaign Management

Department ​
 
ARD Strategic Information, Events and Stewardship

About the Department

​

Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages UChicago’s global community of nearly 190,000 alumni, current students, parents, and friends through intellectual, professional, and social activities on campus, around the world, and virtually. ARD generates over $600 million annually to advance UChicago’s mission and values and to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. As a comprehensive and integrated advancement enterprise, our work supports the goals and priorities of every division, school, department, and institute.
This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.

Job Information ​
 

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Events, and Stewardship, the Assistant Vice President, Campaign Management (AVP) leads and manages a comprehensive program that includes oversight of campaign operations, prospect development, applied learning, continuous improvement and knowledge management functions in ARD. With the Vice President for ARD and ARD’s senior leadership team, the AVP is the strategist and leader who ensures the complex initiatives, projects, and activities that comprise the University’s next comprehensive campaign effort are aligned across the institution, advance effectively, and reflect the University’s ambition and eminence. Foundational to the success of this role is the development of strong relationships with leaders and staff across the organization and the ability to view issues and priorities from multiple perspectives. In leading a team of 30+ staff members, the AVP will establish and foster an environment that encourages inclusion, creativity, collaboration and innovation.

Responsibilities:

• Oversees strategic and operational efforts that support the University’s next comprehensive fundraising campaign, in close partnership with the Vice President, the ARD senior leadership team, and leaders across campus.
• Leads the activities to prepare for UChicago’s next comprehensive fundraising campaign. Ensures the campaign’s various workstreams meet objectives, deadlines and budget constraints.
• Leads the development of infrastructure that deepens staff engagement in campaign efforts, including departmental education efforts and change initiatives, such as educational resources focused on fundraising, engagement processes, campaign content, systems and technology.
• Designs and leads strategy to promote operational excellence in the campaign. Develops infrastructure that ensures campaign activities are efficient and maximizes organizational resources.
• Sets annual and long-term activity goals and short-term operating plans for prospect development lifecycle. Creates and executes strategies and programs to increase the size and value of the qualified prospect pool through aggressive collection, maintenance, and analysis of information for the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of prospective donors. Analyzes and forecasts the University’s fundraising trajectory.
• Leads managers responsible for building fundraising capacity and executing ARD’s fundraising and engagement goals. Establishes performance goals, allocates resources and applies policies for direct reports.
• Provides leadership and coordination across ARD, navigating challenges and complexities and providing creative solutions. Facilitates communication across the University and serves as a resource and point of contact.
• Develops and maintains a broad understanding of ARD, the University, and fundraising priorities to represent the campaign’s objectives in a variety of venues. Has a deep appreciation for UChicago’s mission and its contributions to society.
• Helps create a culture where effective teamwork, collaboration, and innovation are expected, recognized, and rewarded; leads by example regarding appropriate risk-taking, cross-organizational cooperation, and clear standards of conduct.
• Facilitates interdepartmental cooperation to maximize productivity. Provides policy advice and decision-making strategies for ARD. Analyzes organizational issues, identifies ARD-wide impacts, and makes sound recommendations.
• Ensures expectations are clear, well communicated, and relate to the goals of ARD. Ensures direct reports receive frequent, constructive feedback. Uses individualized conversations to coach and counsel employees in their job performance and support their professional development.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions and with an eye towards broadly diversifying the advancement profession.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Competencies:

• Outstanding organizational skills exhibiting insight, innovation, transparency, persuasiveness, and commitment to mission.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.
• Proven ability to identify stakeholders and build strong, collaborative relationships with them across departments and units within a large, multi-faceted organization.
• A sense of urgency and commitment to priorities, with proven ability to adapt changing priorities in an emerging and dynamic environment.
• Proven ability to work with and inspire confidence and trust from senior leaders, faculty, and staff, and to manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• A collegial management style and the ability to motivate, energize, and focus leaders and staff.
• Proven ability to build, lead, mentor, and motivate a diverse team, and to encourage change and growth in both people and programs. A strong commitment to personal and professional development, and the ability to foster a collaborative, diverse and inclusive team environment.
• Strong leadership qualities, including the ability both to delegate and to execute, thereby leading by word and example required.
• Flexibility to adapt in an emerging and changing environment required.

Additional Requirements ​​
 

Education, Experience, or Certifications:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Advanced degree preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum ten years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales, or similar professional work experience preferred.
• Minimum five years of experience working closely and collaboratively with senior leadership preferred.
• Minimum five years of successfully managing, coaching, and motivating staff preferred.
• Minimum three years of experience developing, and monitoring budgets preferred.

Technical Knowledge or Skills:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development including Phoenix, the University’s donor relationship management system, and the Microsoft Windows environment.

Working Conditions and Physical Requirements:

• This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence.
• Standard office environment.
• Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
• Work evenings and weekends as needed.
• This position is located at 5235 South Harper Court in Hyde Park.

Required Documents:

• Resume/CV
• Cover Letter

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Benefit Eligibility ​
 
Yes

Requires Compliance with University Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement
 

No

Pay Frequency ​
 
Monthly

Pay Range
 
Depends on Qualifications

Scheduled Weekly Hours ​
 
37.5

Union ​
 
Non-Union

Job is Exempt
 
Yes

Drug Test Required
 
No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
 
No

Health Screen Required
No

Posting Date ​
 
2024-03-09

Remove from Posting On or Before ​
 
2024-09-09

Posting Statement: ​​
 

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

 

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

 

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