Senior Director of Leadership Programs

The Senior Director of Leadership Programs for Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) plays a pivotal role in the university’s comprehensive volunteer leadership ecosystem with a strategic focus on high level engagement of Vanderbilt’s top community members of parents, alumni, and friends who have significant expertise and networks.

The Senior Director of Leadership Programs will have three main functions: 1) provide oversight, guidance, strategy, interconnectivity, and enhancement in the advisory council space across the university including leading the Council of Chairs – a leadership summit of all school and unit chairs, 2) be a key leader of the Chancellor’s Circle building meaningful consulting projects in partnership with university leadership and the Executive Director of Donor Relations and Events, and 3) build new strategic initiatives in the volunteer leadership space, including more robust data tracking, trainings, and resources.

About the Work Unit: 

The Department of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) assists Vanderbilt University in securing the resources, both human and financial, that are required to achieve its mission and goals. The Department is responsible for the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of individuals and organizations whose charitable objectives are consistent with those of Vanderbilt University’s teaching and research programs. Learn more about our department at https://www.vanderbilt.edu/dar/

Key Functions and Expected Performance: 

The Senior Director is expected to have experience in higher education with a broad knowledge in volunteer leadership, strategic advising, consulting, facilitation, presentation development, research and benchmarking, program management, and writing. Intellectual curiosity and collaboration across the university are important aspects of this position. The position’s key functions will include:

Provide oversight, guidance, strategy, interconnectivity, and enhancement in the advisory council space across the university. 

• Maintain, update, communicate, and implement university-wide guidance, best practices, and templates for advisory councils.

• Create additional resources to enhance and build efficiencies for common efforts across all school and unit councils.

• Build and facilitate trainings and provide them on an ongoing basis in both DAR and across the university.

• Provide ongoing consultation to schools and units on best practices and enhancements.

• Support a strong partnership and collaboration with the Office of the Board of Trust related to trustee council members and other interconnected efforts.

• Create networking events and opportunities for advisory councils across campus.

• Collaborate with the Family and Next Generation team in support of Next Generation volunteer efforts.

• Plan and help facilitate the Council of Chairs a leadership summit for the chairs of all school and unit advisory councils hosted by the Board of Trust chairman.

Be a key leader of the Chancellor’s Circle building meaningful consulting projects in partnership with university leadership and the Executive Director of Donor Relations and Events.

The Chancellor’s Circle is an initiative that leverages the expertise of 40 of Vanderbilt’s top community members. Members participate in consulting projects that help inform opportunities or challenges that are university priorities.

• Plans and implements the Chancellor’s Circle ensuring successful outcomes for everyone involved.

• Partners with university leadership, DAR management and other stakeholders to ensure exceptional volunteer experience for participants in the Chancellor’s Circle.

• Oversees tracking and maintaining key projects, with data, metrics, and outcomes, enabling program impact to ensure achievement of goals.

• Plans and facilitates a Chancellor’s Circle annual gathering.

Build new strategic initiatives in the volunteer leadership space, including more robust data tracking, trainings, and resources.

• Work closely with the Research and Prospect Development team to create processes for tracking and maintaining data in the council ecosystem. 

• Train coordinators and other staff across DAR who are involved with council data input.

• Lead a biannual effort to track and coordinate movement within the volunteer leaders