Assistant Vice President, Campaign Management

Department​
 

ARD Strategic Information, Events and Stewardship

About the Department

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Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages UChicago’s global community of nearly 190,000 alumni, current students, parents, and friends through intellectual, professional, and social activities on campus, around the world, and virtually. ARD generates over $600 million annually to advance UChicago’s mission and values and to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. As a comprehensive and integrated advancement enterprise, our work supports the goals and priorities of every division, school, department, and institute.

This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.

Job Information​
 

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Events, and Stewardship, the Assistant Vice President, Campaign Management (AVP) leads and manages a comprehensive program that includes oversight of campaign operations, prospect development, applied learning, continuous improvement and knowledge management functions in ARD. With the Vice President for ARD and ARD’s senior leadership team, the AVP is the strategist and leader who ensures the complex initiatives, projects, and activities that comprise the University’s next comprehensive campaign effort are aligned across the institution, advance effectively, and reflect the University’s ambition and eminence. Foundational to the success of this role is the development of strong relationships with leaders and staff across the organization and the ability to view issues and priorities from multiple perspectives. In leading a team of 30+ staff members, the AVP will establish and foster an environment that encourages inclusion, creativity, collaboration and innovation.

Responsibilities:

• Oversees strategic and operational efforts that support the University’s next comprehensive fundraising campaign, in close partnership with the Vice President, the ARD senior leadership team, and leaders across campus.
• Leads the activities to prepare for UChicago’s next comprehensive fundraising campaign. Ensures the campaign’s various workstreams meet objectives, deadlines and budget constraints.
• Leads the development of infrastructure that deepens staff engagement in campaign efforts, including departmental education efforts and change initiatives, such as educational resources focused on fundraising, engagement processes, campaign content, systems and technology.
• Designs and leads strategy to promote operational excellence in the campaign. Develops infrastructure that ensures campaign activities are efficient and maximizes organizational resources.
• Sets annual and long-term activity goals and short-term operating plans for prospect development lifecycle. Creates and executes strategies and programs to increase the size and value of the qualified prospect pool through aggressive collection, maintenance, and analysis of information for the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of prospective donors. Analyzes and forecasts the University’s fundraising trajectory.
• Leads managers responsible for building fundraising capacity and executing ARD’s fundraising and engagement goals. Establishes performance goals, allocates resources and applies policies for direct reports.
• Provides leadership and coordination across ARD, navigating challenges and complexities and providing creative solutions. Facilitates communication across the University and serves as a resource and point of contact.
• Develops and maintains a broad understanding of ARD, the University, and fundraising priorities to represent the campaign’s objectives in a variety of venues. Has a deep appreciation for UChicago’s mission and its contributions to society.
• Helps create a culture where effective teamwork, collaboration, and innovation are expected, recognized, and rewarded; leads by example regarding appropriate risk-taking, cross-organizational cooperation, and clear standards of conduct.
• Facilitates interdepartmental cooperation to maximize productivity. Provides policy advice and decision-making strategies for ARD. Analyzes organizational issues, identifies ARD-wide impacts, and makes sound recommendations.
• Ensures expectations are clear, well communicated, and relate to the goals of ARD. Ensures direct reports receive frequent, constructive feedback. Uses individualized conversations to coach and counsel employees in their job performance and support their professional development.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions and with a