Senior Vice President, Advancement and Alumni Relations at Lindenwood University

Welcome to Career Opportunities at Lindenwood University.PLEASE READ: For all applications please include your resume and cover letter. You may skip the Quick Apply page by simply clicking Next at the bottom of the page. When you arrive at the Experience page you may upload all desired documents using the upload box labeled Resume/CV. This is the appropriate box to upload all documents.Benefits of Being a Lindenwood Employee:Upon hire employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelors (employee spouse and dependent) and masters degree programs (employee and spouse only).Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only).Comprehensive benefits plan: medical dental vision life insurance disability insurance and retirement options.Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day Good Friday Memorial Day Juneteenth Independence Day Labor Day Thanksgiving break (Wednesday Friday) and winter break (Dec. 23 Jan. 1).Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free meal on Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included. Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy.Do not use the apply button on this page. For further consideration materials should be submitted in PDF format and emailed to with the position title in the header.Job Title: Senior Vice President Advancement and Alumni RelationsDivision: Advancement and Community EngagementEvaluation Group: Staff AdministratorFLSA Status: ExemptEssential Job Functions and ResponsibilitiesThe successful candidate will embody proven leadership traits a collaborative spirit and have a results-oriented mindset. Lindenwood values accountability and action especially at a time when student enrollment is highly competitive and the value of higher education is closely scrutinized. Delivering an exceptional experience remains central to the institutions mission. The essential skills areas are described below:Strategic LeadershipWe seek an experienced seasoned Advancement Executive who has honed their skills in comparable or larger dynamic and growth-oriented higher education or non-profit environments. The ideal candidate will have:A. A demonstrated track record of scaling philanthropic programs and driving significant revenue growthB. Experience progressing from smaller to larger institutions or learning systems and assuming increasing responsibility across all core fundraising functionsC. A history of elevating campaigns from single-digit to double-digit million-dollar outcomesKey responsibilities include:Develop and execute a comprehensive advancement strategic plan aligned with board approved institutional prioritiesSet ambitious yet achievable fundraising goals with direct accountability for achieving resultsProvide strategic counsel to the President and Board of Trustees on key philanthropic opportunitiesBuild a campus-wide culture of philanthropyCollaborate with marketing and communications teams to amplify Lindenwoods mission impact and messageFundraising and DevelopmentThis is a proactive entrepreneurial institution that values disciplined planning and execution. We seek a datadriven detail-oriented communicator who will engage at any level of the organization and community to ensure priorities metrics and milestones are met with excellence.Manage a personal portfolio of major gift prospects and donorsDesign and execute programs for major gifts planned giving corporate and foundation relations and annual givingDevelop and drive innovative fundraising strategies and tactics supporting capital projects endowment growth and annual operationsDeliver measurable fundraising growth annually with clearly defined performance targetsAlumni Relations and Engagement With a large and diverse student and alumni population Lindenwood seeks a leader who can:Strengthen alumni loyalty and philanthropic participationDevelop dynamic programs that keep alumni engaged beyond traditional eventsLeverage alumni networks and organizations for student recruitment career services internships and institutional visibilityEstablish modern engagement platforms and communications that connect multi-generational alumni communitiesAdvancement OperationsThe successful SVP will be a data-driven dashboard-savvy operator who ensures the effectiveness and integrity of all advancement systems.Oversee advancement services including gift processing CRM optimization prospecting research reporting and board-level metricsEnsure adherence to the highest ethical standards and ensure compliance with all applicable (fundraising) regulationsLead continuous improvement and implement best practices in donor stewardshipManage the advancement budget to ensure effective as well as efficient resource allocationsEmployee Management & Organizational CultureThe chosen candidate will step into the 192-year history and legacy that is Lindenwood. Pride in the past and great energy around an even brighter future as established by the Lindenwood board and leadership sets the tone.Recruit mentor and lead a high-performing advancement team that embodies the universitys mission and valuesFoster a culture of collaboration transparency and innovationImplement performance-based evaluations aligned to measurable outcomesProvide professional growth opportunities that enhance team capacity and retentionMeasures of Success (KPIs & Impact)Performance will be evaluated through quarterly progress reviews and comprehensive assessments at 90 days 6 months and annually.First 90 days full assessment and recommendations across people process systems and donor pipeline180 days strategic implementation of key initiatives; establish/update KPIs dashboards and reporting rhythms365 days demonstrate making sustainable measurable impact across fundraising alumni engagement and advancement operationsSample success metrics:Fundraising 10-25% growth in total giving; 15 plus major gift solicitations closed annually (includes $100K to over $1M) 10-15 % growth in total number of donors expanded pipeline including growth in the $500K plus qualified prospectsAlumni Engagement 10 to 15% increase in alumni event engagement/participation 3-5% increase in alumni giving participation measurable expansion in the mentor/internship networkOperational Excellence 95% CRM completeness and accuracy; quarterly advancement dashboards; donor experience scorecards programLeadership Increased team stability skills growth capacity and reduced unwanted turnover; performance based evaluations fully deployed It is expected that this role/team will deliver double digit growth in donations with milestones of $10M/$15M/$20M serving as early benchmark targetsEducational Background and QualificationsAn equivalent combination of education training and experience will be considered. Additional requirements may be designated by position.Masters degree in Business Administration Accounting Finance or a related fieldMinimum of 15 years of progressive advancement and fundraising leadership experience in higher education. Minimum of 3 years at the VP (no. 1) or higher level at a comparable or larger institutionDocumented expertise and success in major gift fundraising with personal solicitations resulting in six and seven-figure individual commitmentsExperience in planning and executing $25M capital campaignsComprehensive knowledge of major gifts planned giving corporate/foundation relations annual giving and multi-generational alumni relationsProven leadership and communications skills with any audience while balancing coaching and managing duties of a high-performance teamStrategic thinker who is adept at translating vision (the WHAT) into actionable plans (the WHY and HOW)Relocation to the greater St. Louis area is a pre-requisiteA very competitive compensation package will be offered to the successful candidate who best meets the criteria as presented herein combined with online and in-person interviews and added assessments.Additional Knowledge Skills and Abilities desiredExperience at another private established comprehensive university of at least comparable size and complexityTrack record leading advancement through growth turn around or transformational changeCFRE or comparable certificationEstablished networks across the mid-west/central region including the greater St. Louis area or similar metropolitan marketsStrong relationships with corporate civic non-profit and government partnersEqual Opportunity EmployerLindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer. The University complies with appropriate federal state and local laws and provides equal employment opportunities and access to educational programs without regard to race color religion gender age sexual orientation gender identity national origin veteran status disability or any other protected status to all qualified applicants and employees. Lindenwood University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive discrimination-free educational work environment.Required Experience:Senior Exec Key Skills Business Development,Risk Management,Financial Services,Management Experience,Profit & Loss,Banking,Regulatory Reporting,Analysis Skills,Relationship Management,Financial Analysis,Leadership Experience,negotiation Employment Type : Full-Time Experience: years Vacancy: 1