Associate Dean for External Affairs

Department

Law Senior Leadership

About the Department

The University of Chicago Law School occupies a unique niche among this country's premier law schools. Located on a residential campus in one of America's great cities, UChicago Law offers a rigorous and interdisciplinary professional education that blends the study of law with the humanities, the social sciences, and the natural sciences. Students, faculty, and staff form a small, tightly knit community devoted to the life of the mind.

This position leads the University of Chicago Law School’s Office of External Affairs (OEA), which oversees and executes all aspects of alumni engagement and fundraising for the Law School. This 16-member team collaborates closely with Law School leadership, faculty, staff, and students. Through programming, visits, stewardship, and communications, the team engages with Law School graduates and connects them to opportunities that support the Law School’s mission of providing transformative legal education to its students. OEA is also part of the University’s larger Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) function and works closely with our ARD colleagues to develop and execute University strategy in a manner that resonates with Law School alumni.

Job Summary

Reporting to the Dean of the Law School, the Associate Dean for External Affairs is responsible for leading all alumni relations and development functions of the Office of External Affairs (OEA). As a senior member of the Law School Administration, this position is responsible, along with the Dean of the Law School, for determining fundraising priorities and strategy. The Associate Dean for External Affairs supervises a team of alumni relations, major gift, leadership annual giving and annual giving fundraising staff and sets goals, conducts performance reviews, and provides professional growth opportunities. The Associate Dean for External Affairs maintains strong relationships with donors, volunteers, and key constituents at the Law School, University, and other relevant institutions. This role manages a portfolio of Principal Gift prospects and drives strategy within the Law School and in conjunction with other University-wide partners, and attends Law School events, including Law School Council, Reunion, and special donor events.

Responsibilities

• Works with faculty, staff, clinicians and other internal stakeholders to develop gift opportunities and communicate those priorities to the External Affairs team. 

• Responsible for the success and strategic performance of all functional areas for the Law School’s External Affairs team, including Principal Giving, Alumni Relations, Annual Giving, Major Giving and Leadership Annual Giving. 

• Works with the Major Gifts team to create portfolios, as well as financial and visit goals for major gift officers. Oversees leadership annual giving program, including reunion fundraising and execution of other annual giving programs, focusing attention on best practices in the industry to acquire and retain new donors through a combination of approaches.  

• Oversees alumni relations function, which is responsible for all alumni engagement activities including regional programming, affinity and leadership networks, and volunteer activities.  

• Oversees all staffing and personnel matters for External Affairs team, working with managers to develop onboarding, professional development, and retention plans, build team morale, and undertake organizational initiatives. 

• Establishes, evaluates and tracks all metrics pertaining to team performance including Fundraising Progress (FRP), Annual Fund giving, participation, and expendable cash.  

• Serves on Alumni Relations and Development (ARD)-wide Senior Leadership Team that develops and implements the University-wide fundraising strategy. Communicates Law School goals and priorities to the Vice President of ARD and ensures cohesive inter-unit strategies. 

• Serves as relationship manager for approximately 40 principal gift prospects capable of making commitments of $1,000,000 and more. Works closely with the Dean of the Law School and University-wide administration to develop and implement cohesive strategies fo