Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership
- In partnership with the Ross Dean, develop and execute a
compelling strategic philanthropic and engagement plan that
supports the Ross mission to build a better world through business,
including a comprehensive roadmap for the school’s success in the
upcoming U-M capital campaign that will officially launch in Fall
2024. - As a member of the school’s executive leadership team, be an
active contributor: build effective working relationships with
associate deans, chief officers, area chairs, center/institute
directors, and faculty across the school to understand priorities
and opportunities; ensure that advancement activities are aligned
with the school’s priorities; provide key insights from the
donor/alumni community to inform school-level strategic decisions.
- Champion the engagement of alumni to build essential
connections and provide lifelong value that leads to engagement and
philanthropy. Develop meaningful and compelling meetings,
experiences and communications for the school Alumni Board and the
Ross Alumni Board of Governors. Attend all Board meetings and
oversee individual relationships with Board Members. - Oversee the development and implementation of priorities,
objectives, goals and operating plans for the advancement team in
alignment with the school’s strategic goals and priorities.
Implement a fundraising program to maximize transformational
philanthropy over short, medium and long-term horizons. Provide
leadership and mentoring to ensure the team is performing at the
highest levels while supporting them in their professional
development. - As an essential internal and external ambassador for the
school, communicate the school’s mission, priorities, reach and
impact to capture the interest and imagination of our faculty,
alumni, donors, corporate and other external partners. - Ensure that goals, programs, and activities are systematically
tracked and evaluated. Foster a sense of continuous improvement
within the team, and encourage innovation. - Partner with the U-M Office of University Development to plan
and execute fundraising efforts for the school and contribute to
university campaign planning.
Effective Operational Management
- Contribute to our positive and inclusive work community by
building trusting partnerships across the school, continually
learning, creating impactful experiences, and working with a sense
of ownership for outcomes. Approaches this work with a commitment
to diversity, equity, and inclusion in mind; treating others with
respect, dignity, and in a manner where individuals feel they
belong; listens, values feedback, and learns from the perspectives
of others. - Organize and manage the day-to-day operations of the team.
Provide direction to staff to align planning and activities with
top-level objectives. Lead, mentor, and develop the team. Share
information and make important connections to support team
performance and impact. - Ensure the Dean is strategically engaged with advancement
activities, and is well-prepared for all development and alumni
events, activities, and engagements to produce desired
results. - Actively manages a portfolio of the school’s highest-level
donors (20-30 people), personally participating in their
cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. - Select, supervise, develop and evaluate staff; establish and
model performance expectations and standards to foster a positive,
high-service, and innovative culture; provide leadership for the
training and motivation of staff that enables them to realize their
full potential and meet the school’s goals; and advance the
school’s efforts to build a diverse, equitable, and inclusive
community. - Actively engages in the school’s performance process; providing
guidance on priorities and expected outcomes and encouraging
learning and growth through ongoing reflection and
conversation. - Manage and allocate human, financial and physical resources
prudently, responsibly and within budget constraints. Ensure
effective reporting of all school fundraising results, including
all cash receipts, life income gifts, bequests and other
expectancies, pledges, gifts-in-kind, and all other fundraising
progress.
Partnerships
- Is a present and visible ambassador and champion within the
team, within and across the school, within and across U-M, and with
alumni and donors. - Establish and sustain effective working relationships within
the school and the U-M community to advance the school’s
fundraising and alumni engagement and stewardship initiatives. - Foster a spirit of partnership between the advancement team and
key collaborators to build support for and engagement with the
development of new programs and initiatives. - Establish and sustain partnerships with external corporations,
foundations, and other universities and organizations working on
related efforts. - Represent the school within the network of leading business
schools and peer institutions.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of
education and experience. - Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience
leading major gifts, alumni relations and stewardship, including
supervisory experience with a professional staff and the ability to
manage performance. - A record of success in developing and implementing fundraising
(principal, legacy, major and annual gifts) and alumni engagement
strategies. - Ability to effectively engage with, and articulate the value
and impact of philanthropy to, executive level business leaders and
in the context of business generally. - Outstanding verbal and written communication skills.
- A demonstrated ability to use data and analytics strategically
to identify philanthropic opportunities and to assess
organizational effectiveness and promote learning and continuous
improvement. - Experience developing alumni engagement, donor retention, and
corporate relations strategies. - Significant or large-scale campaign planning and execution
experience. - Proven success in building productive, long-term relationships
with key constituents such as organizational partners,
institutional boards, volunteers, alumni, and donors. - Proven success in working closely with senior leaders and
providing the support necessary to ensure their success in
development activities. - Leadership experience and proven track record of empowering and
managing a high-performing team. - Proven ability to handle multiple initiatives simultaneously in
a fast-paced environment. - Familiarity with philanthropic regulations and best practices
in a large research university.