Vice Chancellor of Advancement

Vice Chancellor of Advancement

Department: 11007 - UCB Development Administration

Requisition Number: 29446 Location: Boulder, Colorado Employment Group: University Staff Schedule: Full-Time

Posting Date: 03/19/2021

Posting Close Date:

Job Summary

The Vice Chancellor for Advancement serves as a dynamic, data-informed, results-oriented fundraising operations leader. This leader will be responsible for the success of Advancement strategy, operations, and the inspiration to unlock the full potential of a strong team of Advancement professionals.

Reporting to the Chancellor and sitting on the Chancellor's executive leadership team, this position will take the lead role for the University as it plans for its 150th Anniversary in 2026. The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) is in the planning phase of a potential comprehensive campaign for the Boulder campus. This will be the first campus-level campaign in CU Boulder’s history, with the public launch anticipated in 2022, and the campaign concluding in 2027, coinciding with the campus’ sesquicentennial anniversary.

The University of Colorado Boulder is a research-intensive, global leader and the only institution in the Rocky Mountain region that is a member of the Association of American Universities. CU Boulder regularly ranks among the nation’s top 20 public universities in federally funded research expenditures and attracts significant philanthropic investments from individual, corporate, and philanthropic foundations in support of its research, teaching, scholarly, and creative works. The Boulder campus has nine schools and colleges offering over 150 academic programs and enrolling 35,000 degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students.

CU Boulder proudly claims more than 300,000 alumni living in all 50 states in the U.S. and more than 100 countries around the world. We shape tomorrow’s leaders by recognizing and engaging graduates who consistently demonstrate CU Boulder values and apply intellectual curiosity, rigor and collaboration to creatively address complex issues and opportunities. Leaders include three U.S. Supreme Court justices, five Nobel prize winners, five National Medal of Science winners, nine MacArthur ‘genius grant’ fellows, 18 CU Boulder affiliated astronauts, and 51 Fulbright fellows since 2006. Top Graduate Schools rankings from the U.S News and World Report 2020 include #2 for Atomic/Molecular/Optical Physics, #5 in Ceramics, #6 in Quantum Physics, #8 in Environmental Law, #9 in Geology, and #10 in Aerospace Engineering Sciences. We serve as a nexus for innovation by facilitating collaboration and the sharing of diverse perspectives among universities, industry, laboratories, and communities to elucidate and address complex issues and opportunities.

Who We Are

Lead. Innovate. Impact.

We shape tomorrow’s leaders by recognizing and engaging graduates who consistently demonstrate CU Boulder values and apply intellectual curiosity, rigor and collaboration to creatively address complex issues and opportunities.

We serve as a nexus for innovation by facilitating collaboration and the sharing of diverse perspectives among universities, industry, laboratories, and communities to elucidate and address complex issues and opportunities.

We broaden research, scholarship, and creative work, and articulate our positive impact on humanity. We collaborate to produce graduates who apply their CU Boulder experience to make meaningful contributions to society.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

  • Provide forward-thinking leadership for the Advancement team.
  • Foster operational excellence to engage the team and drive outstanding performance to achieve fundraising and engagement goals.
  • Serve as a highly collaborative and strategic leader and chief fundraising officer to develop and successfully lead CU Boulder’s multi-year, multi-million-dollar capital campaign.
  • Ensure all Advancement units and support functions are integrated and coordinated effectively in support of the university’s priorities and mission. Oversee the Alumni Association which is responsible for providing meaningful experiences and valuable resources to over 300,000 alumni.
  • Continuously increase fundraising through progressive initiatives in principal gifts, major gifts, corporate and foundation giving, planned giving, alumni and parent giving, and engagement experiences.
  • Manage a team of approximately 170 advancement and alumni professionals with specific responsibilities.
  • Develop and lead a multi-unit budget and effectively manage financial resources. Interact closely with the Chancellor, the Provost, Chief Operating Officer, deans, vice-chancellors, athletics director, and campus constituents as well as other leaders at the University of Colorado System and the University of Colorado Foundation.
  • Represent the Chancellor and campus perspective at System-level meetings to ensure strategic alignment.
  • Work closely with the Chancellor to align key donors’ philanthropic objectives with the university’s vision, strategies, and operational plans.
  • Support the Chancellor’s development activities, leading engagement of prospects for major university priorities, providing research, and conferring on strategies.
  • Maintain collaborative partnerships with academic affairs, enrollment management, athletics, research and innovation, student affairs, finance, and other campus units whose active participation and engagement are crucial to an effective development program.
  • Collaborate with strategic relations and communications to employ communication and social media strategies to maintain a strong online and print presence to engage current and potential donors.
  • Maintain a portfolio of principal gift prospects and key CU Boulder community members and leaders.
  • Develop and execute strategies toward principal gift solicitations for prospects and donors, spearhead the direction, and bring to bear the maximum philanthropic potential of each prospect.
  • Serve as an exemplary advocate for CU Boulder in building external relationships that closely link the community with the university.
  • Demonstrate inspirational leadership, a strong commitment and experience, and a vision to advise and implement diversity, equity, and inclusion within Advancement as well as the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion plans.

What We Can Offer

The hiring range for this position is $300,000.00-$395,000.00. Relocation is available per department guidelines.

What We Require

  • A graduate degree or equivalent combination of education and experience. Minimum of 8 years of progressively responsible job-related management experience with a consistent record of success in soliciting principal and major gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
  • Leadership experience in motivating and developing a team with emphasis on coaching and mentoring.

What You Will Need

  • 8 years of executive-level Advancement experience.
  • Executive level skills vital to lead planning and implementation of advancement priorities and operations.
  • Exceptional leadership, interpersonal, communication skills that demonstrate the ability to mentor and develop staff to enhance excellent fundraising and operational performance.
  • Proven success in cultivating, soliciting, and closing principal gifts ($3M) level; leadership experience planning and executing a comprehensive campaign.
  • Knowledge of the legal requirements and standard methodologies of fundraising stewardship with donors and the ability to apply them in innovative ways.
  • A highly flexible nature, sophisticated and professional demeanor, and the ability to think quickly and react effectively to unanticipated circumstances, opportunities, and complex situations.
  • History of, and desire to work in a collaborative team-based environment. An ability to navigate complex environments with evolving priorities and communication plans.
  • Willingness to travel and work a flexible schedule.
  • A demonstrated record of results-oriented action and leadership.
  • Proven skills with collecting and using data to assess programs, innovate, and increase shared accountability.
  • Knowledge of data systems used for donor and alumni cultivation and stewardship. A demonstrated ability to assess fundraising performance and implementation strategies for improvement.
  • A proven track record of cultivating highly engaged alumni, parents, university friends, and donors.
  • Demonstrated cross-cultural competencies, including emotional intelligence, influencing skills, and the ability to engage and build relations with university constituencies and underrepresented communities.
  • Evidence of excellent judgment and the ability to understand nuance. Ability to navigate politically charged situations to resolve problems, build consensus, and reconcile competing interests.
  • Forward-thinking, strategic active listener who can mediate diverse opinions to address shared needs.

For first consideration, please apply by April 19, 2021. Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.