VICE PRESIDENT FOR PHILANTHROPY AND ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT

Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement

Buffalo, New York

The University at Buffalo seeks a richly experienced, highly accomplished and dynamic individual to serve as its next Vice President for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement. The ideal candidate should be able to expertly lead UB’s fundraising and alumni engagement efforts and help foster the culture of philanthropy that is critical to enhancing the university’s mission of excellence. The vice president will serve as the university’s senior officer for philanthropy and alumni engagement and will work closely with the president, provost, deans, executive director of the University at Buffalo Foundation and other university leaders and volunteers to guide the work of philanthropy and alumni engagement at UB.

Impactful research, scholarly distinction, transformative student experiences and far-reaching service to local, state, national and international communities define UB’s mission as one of the nation’s leading public research universities. UB was founded in 1846 as a private medical college located in downtown Buffalo and joined the State University of New York (SUNY) system in 1962. SUNY is the largest comprehensive university system in the United States, comprising 64 campuses with a total enrollment of approximately 463,000 students, and UB is the largest and most comprehensive public research university within the SUNY system.

Over the years, UB’s scope and mission have expanded exponentially as it has grown into a world-renowned research university that is the thriving heart of the regional community, a national leader in public higher education, and a global hub for excellence in research and education. Today, under the leadership of Dr. Satish K. Tripathi, UB currently enrolls more than 30,000 students (around two thirds undergraduate and one third graduate and professional students), and about 40 percent of UB’s undergraduates are the first in their families to earn a college degree. Visit Here is How and The List to explore examples of the university’s leading work.

While UB raises more money than most other institutions in the SUNY system, it aspires to levels of support comparable to those at its peer institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU). Therefore, the primary charge to the vice president is to increase the university’s overall fundraising outcomes, with an emphasis on developing and implementing strategies for securing more and larger major gifts, particularly from individuals, but also from corporations and foundations. The vice president will work to successfully conclude the campaign currently underway to help advance UB to the next level of excellence.

This leader is also charged with increasing participation in all alumni engagement programs and to continue effecting an attitudinal shift among alumni to engage them as lifelong and involved partners contributing to the rich student life and experiences of the university.

The vice president is responsible for leading and managing multiple units and priorities. As the top executive of this university division, this individual is responsible for a budget of $14.6 million and leading more than 125 staff, as well as fundraising activities in each of the university’s 12 academic units, the Division of Athletics and other university programs. The vice president will also lead efforts to engage volunteers at the highest level in a variety of ways to reach fund-development and alumni engagement objectives.

Reporting to President Satish K. Tripathi, the vice president serves as a member of his senior management team. Dr. Tripathi is committed to giving top priority to philanthropy and alumni engagement as key to helping UB rise in the ranks of the nation’s leading public research universities.

The ideal candidate will be a dynamic and accomplished individual with extensive leadership experience in development, campaign management and constituency engagement, as well as a track record of significant personal success in donor cultivation, solicitation and stewardship at principal gift levels. Key to success in this role will be a demonstrated ability to succinctly communicate both vision and process to the president and other key players, utilizing data and metrics as appropriate as a foundation for advancement programs. This person must be able to create a results-oriented work environment that promotes collaboration and achievement. Leading by example, the vice president will motivate team members to foster relationships with alumni, parents, donors and volunteers that inspire them to make UB one of their highest priorities. A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced degree is preferred.

The University at Buffalo has retained the services of Jack Gorman of Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in conducting this important search. For more information, to apply or to make a nomination, please visit www.imsearch.com/6319.

The University at Buffalo is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer dedicated to the goal of building a culturally diverse and pluralistic university community committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. Potential applicants who share this goal, including veterans and individuals with disabilities, are encouraged to apply.