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Elmira College
Vice President of Advancement and
Alumni Engagement
Academic Career & Executive Search is pleased to assist Elmira College in its search for Vice
President of Advancement and Alumni Engagement.
For full consideration, please apply by August
16th
This is an exciting time to join the Elmira team as the College prepares to launch a new capital campaign. The
next Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Engagement (VPAAE) is a strategic, results-focused fundraiser and relationship cultivator with
demonstrated experience developing successful, long-term relationships with external and internal key constituents as well as the ability to
run a successful capital campaign. The ideal candidate desires an opportunity to shape the future of advancement and leave a lasting
and positive impact on Elmira College.
The Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Engagement is responsible for the strategic
planning and execution of fundraising and alumni engagement priorities for the institution, including management of the fundraising campaign
and direct supervision of teams responsible for corporate, foundation, and individual major gifts. In addition, the VPAAE is responsible for
personally managing a portfolio of principal gift donors. Reporting to the President, the successful candidate will take an active role in
attracting talent to the organization and investing in the professional development of the entire development and alumni engagement team.
The next Vice President will set goals for staff and administration serving in the department that are in line with the College’s
strategic plan.
The Vice President of Advancement and Alumni Engagement is the chief advancement and alumni relations officer
of the College, responsible for the oversight of the Offices of Advancement and Alumni Engagement, and for working with the President to
provide strategic leadership in these operational areas. The VPAAE serves as a key member of the College’s senior leadership team and
President’s Cabinet. Additionally, the VPAAE will build and cultivate positive relationships across campus, including close
partnerships with Academic Affairs, Admissions, Campus Life, and Athletics.
This position is an onsite position offering generous
benefits.
Essential Functions & Responsibilities
- Senior advisor to the President on
fundraising and alumni engagement. - Staff to the Board of Trustees Advancement & Alumni Engagement Committee, attending meetings
and reporting on activities as needed. - Collaborate on major initiatives to advance the mission of the College.
- Lead the
College’s work in identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors, governmental agencies, and philanthropic
foundations to secure financial support for the College. - Lead the College’s work in stewarding the relationship between the
College and its alumni, including oversight of the College’s annual alumni reunion and the Alumni Association Board of Directors
meetings and activities. - Provide oversight and leadership for the upcoming capital campaign.
- Oversee donor relations and
advancement services, including responsible stewardship protocols, such as timely gift acknowledgment and accurate donor records management,
and efficient and transparent financial tracking and reporting processes. - Oversee departmental activities related to the
College’s strategic plan, including evaluating progress and implementing needed strategies and initiatives to ensure optimal progress
toward goals. - Evaluate the performance of department staff.
- Manage the department’s budget.
- Travel may be
required. - Other duties as assigned by the President.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution; master’s preferred.
- Significant experience in fundraising with
most experience in higher education development. - Track record of success as a major gift and/ or principal gift fundraiser with
demonstrated responsibility and success in the supervision of a professional fundraising staff. - Experience expanding and
cultivating existing donor relationships over time. - Strong organizational and time-management skills with exceptional attention to
detail. - Proven ability to build a team and unite individual contributors with strong personalities and varying levels of experience
into a cohesive unit. - Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, across various audiences including college
administration and leadership, alumni, donors, foundations, and corporations. - Ability to engage and cultivate a wide range of
donors and build long-term relationships. - Valid U.S. driver’s license.
Preferred
Qualifications:
- Experience using Raiser’s Edge or similar fundraising and donor management programs.
- Experience securing significant corporate philanthropic support from a diverse set of donors and industries for higher education
priorities and missions. - Experience with organizing a major capital campaign.
About the
Institution
Elmira College is a private, coeducational, Phi Beta Kappa college located in Elmira, New York. Founded in 1855,
Elmira was the first college for women with a course of study equal in rigor to the best men’s colleges. Becoming coeducational in 1969,
today Elmira College offers rigorous academic programs with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 800 full-time, mostly residential
students. The College also offers advanced certificates, master’s degree programs, and non-credit courses for professional
development.
Elmira was named by U.S. News & World Report 2020 as sixth among the Best Regional Colleges and second among
Best Value in the Northeast. The Best Value Colleges list also considers a school’s academic quality. The College also ranked fifth in the
Most Innovative Schools and Top Performers on Social Mobility lists. Other accolades include Princeton Review, Best 385 Colleges in the
nation; Washington Monthly, #17 on the list of the Top 200 Bachelor’s Colleges; and Forbes, list of America’s Top Colleges.
As
the guardian of Quarry Farm, where Mark Twain summered for twenty years and wrote many of his most iconic novels, Elmira College is home to
the Center for Mark Twain Studies, one of four nationally recognized Twain sites which serves as a research center for visiting Twain
scholars.
Vision: Elmira College will be recognized as a leader in broad-based, interdisciplinary education, offering
innovative programs that combine experiential learning, on- and off-campus leadership opportunities, and community engagement. The
College’s curricular and co-curricular programs will demonstrate a commitment to diversity, inclusion, and global awareness with a
strong emphasis on the interconnectedness of world cultures and the historical exchange of ideas.
Living in the
Area
With a population of nearly 35,000, Elmira, New York, is located in the Southern Finger Lakes. The City of Elmira
and surrounding Finger Lakes region offer opportunities for skiing, golf, hiking, water sports, bike touring, museums, restaurants,
wineries, and breweries. The area is surrounded by scenic hills and hardwood forests and boasts a cost of living more than 25% less than the
national average. There are museums, farmers markets, a performing arts center, a downtown community, and even a historic baseball field.
Throughout the year, Elmira Downtown Development hosts events in the City such as outdoor concerts, a weekly farmers market, street painting
festivals, outdoor movie nights, and more. Elmira is 90 minutes south of Rochester and about 4 hours from Philadelphia, New York City and
Toronto.
To Apply
For full consideration, please apply by August 16th
To be viewed by the search firm, you must apply directly at: https://acesrch.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a21esjyxcgn8
Please apply through the
application link and do not email applications.
Applications will be reviewed as they are received and should include a cover letter
and curriculum vitae. Ideally cover letters should not exceed two pages. All applications are treated confidentially.
Inquiries,
referrals, and nominations are also treated confidentially.
Inquiries and questions: Please send to [email protected]
Nominations and
referrals: Please send the nominees’ name, title, and contact information if available to [email protected].
Institution’s EEO
Statement
In compliance with Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the
Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and all other applicable non-discrimination laws, Elmira College does not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran’s status, or genetic information in its
educational programs and activities, admissions, and with regard to employment.
