Vice President for Advancement

The Vice President for Advancement (VPA) leads Southern Arkansas University’s efforts in alumni engagement, fundraising, and stewardship/management of resources through the SAU Alumni Association, Office of Development, and SAU Foundation. This position provides strategic leadership, vision, and management of the University’s overall institutional advancement efforts, including annual and major gift fundraising and capital campaigns, alumni relations, advancement services, donor relations, stewardship, planning, and continuous improvement efforts. The VPA engages multiple internal and external stakeholders to enhance the University’s impact and advance the University’s strategic vision. The VPA is an executive team member, ex-officio on several committees and boards, and reports directly to the President of SAU. The VPA oversees a diverse team of professionals across engagement, fundraising, athletic development, scholarships, finance, stewardship, and governance.Primary Duties and Responsibilities:Provide leadership, supervision, budget planning, and accountability for each area within the Division of Advancement.Create a culture of caring, compliance, collaboration, and continuous improvement for the Division of Advancement and all related organizations.Facilitate professional development and implementation of best practices throughout the Division of Advancement.Empower, facilitate, and develop the staff of the Division of Advancement through communication, education, and delegation.Serve as a liaison for the University with the activities of the SAU Foundation Board of Governors and SAU Alumni Board of Directors.Work with the Foundation’s Executive Director and Foundation Board of Governors to build and sustain a dynamic philanthropic organization and promote a thoughtful and productive relationship between the Foundation and the University.Work with the Alumni Association Executive Director to promote comprehensive programming that strengthens the connections of alumni, former students, and friends by fostering meaningful engagement opportunities, increasing awareness and support of SAU, and increasing overall participation.Oversee the management of the Alumni Center, a high-use event venue.Work directly with the Director of Development to identify University Fundraising goals in coordination with the President, University administration, Deans, and Directors in establishing and attaining the University’s priorities for fundraising and Advancement goals and objectives consistent with the University’s mission.Manage a comprehensive portfolio of principal prospects, including personal solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship of gifts for 100 or more constituents.Secure, plan, and engage in in-person, virtual, or phone, donor visits with the prospects under management. Travel could consist of 40-60% of the time throughout the year.Works closely with the President, Vice Presidents, Deans, and Directors to cultivate and solicit the University’s donors under management in coordination with the University’s fundraising goals and objectives.Coordinate strategic and staff resources with the Athletic Director to meet university athletic development needs.Follow industry best practices in the daily operations of the advancement services functions, including the oversight of complex systems and processes to ensure accurate alumni data, donor records, gift tracking, reporting, stewardship, and compliance.Serve as the primary contact and leader for SAU’s next comprehensive capital fundraising campaign, which is designed to benefit and touch each area of the University.Qualifications :The successful candidate will possess the following qualifications:Required :Thorough understanding of the development process, including advancement, alumni affairs and stewardshipStrong leadership and team management skills, goal setting, supervision, budgeting, and evaluationExcellent written and verbal communication skills – public speaking experience a plusAbility to travel and attend evening and/or weekend activities, meetings, events, seminars and workshopsAffinity for Southern Arkansas UniversityPreferred :Experience in higher educationAt least 3+ of experience in progressively responsible positions in advancementDemonstrated experience in all phases of fundraisingCapital campaign planning and execution experienceLarge scale event (200+ people) planning and execution experienceAbility to develop, cultivate, and maintain purposeful and positive relationshipsSuccessful record of fundraising and cultivating donorsExperience working with and/or leading volunteers, foundations, campaigns, and and/or alumni boardsExperience with Blackbaud (Raiser’s Edge/NXT) or similar CRM software, Encompass, Live Alumni, Research Point, Thankview, and Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

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