Vice President - University Advancement

Summary

Saint Xavier University (SXU) was founded in Chicago by the Sisters of Mercy in 1846, making it Chicago's first Catholic university and the world's first Mercy institution of higher learning. Originally established to provide higher education for women and the poor, SXU has since evolved into a four-year, private Catholic institution that serves a diverse population, offering a Mercy education that prepares students to become successful, productive, and compassionate members of society.

Grounded in its Catholic identity, mission, and heritage, SXU is dedicated to serving a diverse learning community aligned with our core values. SXU embraces all members of its community, regardless of race, color, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender, gender identity, abilities, age, sexual orientation, nationality, or immigration status. Faculty, staff, and students are committed to fostering a climate of purposeful inclusion by promoting equity literacy and offering opportunities for meaningful connections and service among diverse people, ideas, and perspectives, all in the pursuit of truth and the common good.

Saint Xavier University is ranked among the top 10 "Best Value Schools" of regional Midwest universities in 2024, a recognition that reflects the school's academic quality and net cost of attendance. SXU has consistently earned a place on this list year after year.

Under the leadership of President Keith Elder, SXU is poised to continue its upward trajectory, fostering pathways to institutional excellence, accountability, and sustainability. The Saint Xavier Board of Trustees is committed to supporting a culture of philanthropy, ensuring SXU's fiscal future while upholding its historic commitment to underserved students.

The Opportunity

Saint Xavier University is seeking a dynamic and visionary Vice President for University Advancement to build a strong fundraising foundation and drive ambitious future growth. Reporting directly to the President, the VP will play a pivotal role in preparing the university for a comprehensive campaign and building a team of advancement professionals to enhance alumni engagement and increase fundraising efforts.

Working closely with the President, senior leadership, faculty, coaches, the Board of Trustees and the Alumni Board, the VP will play a crucial role in advancing strategic priorities and fostering a culture of alumni engagement and philanthropy, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive campaign.

The incoming VP will be responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive engagement strategy for alumni, parents, foundations, and other constituents, deepening their connections to the institution and inspiring increased alumni engagement and philanthropic support.

Ideal candidates will have a proven track record of fundraising success and the ability to lead a sophisticated higher education advancement operation. This role demands superior communication and relationship-building skills, a passion for education, and a strong commitment to SXU's heritage mission: educating individuals to search for truth, think critically, communicate effectively, and serve wisely and compassionately in support of human dignity and the common good.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of an institution with a rich history, a remarkable mission, and a future of regional and national prominence.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as the Chief Advancement Officer and oversee SXU's overall advancement efforts, including fundraising and alumni engagement.
• Develop and implement an overarching strategic advancement plan that is innovative and progressive, including activities that extend across philanthropic revenue streams, both regionally and nationally.
• Lead the effort to plan and execute a new campaign designed to realize SXU's strategic priorities and ensure that the organization's staff, processes, and infrastructure can fulfill future campaign goals that will be established.
• Lead a team of advancement professionals in the areas of alumni relations, annual giving, events, planned giving, major gifts, donor relations, corporate and foundation relations and data management.
• Set goals and measures to define success and foster a culture of achievement that values mastery of best practices, accountability, and the implementation of new ideas.
• Enhance and expand comprehensive and best-in-class alumni engagement programs.
• Enhance and expand the annual giving and planned giving programs to increase revenue, including unrestricted support.
• Collaborate with SXU's academic, athletic, administrative and volunteer leadership to develop philanthropic support.
• Using analytics, develop and implement performance metrics and assessment tools for data-informed risk taking in the Advancement office.
• Foster a culture of philanthropy across the university community.
• Instill a heightened level of engagement for prospects, donors, parents, alumni, and other stakeholders within the SXU community, preparing for the next campaign and alumni engagement expansion.
• Support the President and other senior leaders by providing strategic guidance, fostering relationships, and generating support from donors and other stakeholders.
• Manage a personal portfolio of top supporters, including trustees, foundations, corporate partners, and other individuals by identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding a select group of principal and transformational gift prospects.
• Plan and carefully manage the development budget, ensuring that resources are deployed efficiently and effectively with fundraising goals and objectives at the forefront.
• Incorporate an understanding and demonstration of diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging as core values of SXU.

Qualifications

* Ten-plus years of fundraising and managerial leadership experience demonstrating progressively increasing responsibility in a higher education advancement program.
* Bachelor's degree required
* Master's degree preferred

Additional Expectations

The preferred candidate will possess many of the following:

• Knowledge of best practices in all key areas of fundraising, alumni relations and strategic planning as a member of a senior leadership team.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, manage, and successfully close a comprehensive campaign.
• Proven management skills and experience establishing a team- and goal-oriented culture.
• Exemplary interpersonal and listening skills; impeccable attention to detail and superb follow-through; strong personal integrity, flexibility (travel and work schedule), work ethic and a sense of humor.
• Proven track record of success in personally cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major and principal gifts from individual and institutional donors.
• Demonstrated talent in developing and implementing strategies, plans, and budgets.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Proven ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Unflappable in the face of multiple challenges, highly motivated, disciplined work ethic, a competitive nature, a creative approach, and a proven ability to lead.

We inspire success by working together to provide meaningful, personalized service in a spirit of excellence. SXU seeks candidates that deliver value-added services in a responsive, collaborative, effective, and respectful manner.

The University is committed to diversity and encourages applications from individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Saint Xavier University affirms its position as a Catholic institution, inspired by the heritage of the Sisters of Mercy, and asserts its rights to employ persons who subscribe to the mission, vision and core values of the University.

Saint Xavier University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that makes all decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, promotions and all other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, creed, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status or other factors protected by law. Hiring decisions will be based on the bona fide occupational qualifications of each applicant.