Job Details

SUMMARY
SUNY Brockport, a comprehensive institution within the State University of New York (SUNY) system, invites applications and nominations for the position of Vice President for Advancement.

Reporting directly to the President and serving as a member of the President's Cabinet, the Vice President for Advancement provides strategic leadership for the University's comprehensive advancement program. The Vice President will lead efforts to strengthen philanthropic support, alumni and constituent engagement, advancement communications, and relationships with individuals, corporations, foundations, government agencies, and community partners.

The Vice President will serve as a principal institutional fundraiser and strategic partner to the President, deans, faculty, senior administrators, Brockport Foundation (BF) board, Brockport Alumni Association (BAA), University Council, and other university stakeholders. The successful candidate will develop and execute a comprehensive advancement strategy aligned with the University's mission, strategic priorities, and commitment to student success.

The Vice President will lead and inspire a talented advancement team and will work closely with the BF and BAA to maximize philanthropic resources and strengthen the University's culture of philanthropy.

JOB FUNCTIONS
Essential ResponsibilitiesStrategic Advancement Leadership

• Develop, implement, and continuously assess a comprehensive advancement strategy supporting the University's strategic plan and institutional priorities.  
• Serve as the University's senior advancement strategist and principal advisor to the President on philanthropy, constituent engagement, and external relations.  
• Establish ambitious but achievable goals for annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, campaigns, alumni engagement, and advancement communications.  
• Build an institution-wide culture of philanthropy in which faculty, staff, emeriti, board members, alumni, students, and volunteers understand and participate in advancement activities.  
• Develop strategies for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major donors and prospective donors.  
• Establish effective systems for prospect management, portfolio development, moves management, donor stewardship, and advancement analytics.

Fundraising and Campaign Leadership

• Provide strategic and personal leadership for major and principal gift fundraising.  
• Partner with the President and senior leadership to identify and cultivate high-capacity individuals, corporations, foundations, and other philanthropic partners.  
• Lead the development and implementation of comprehensive fundraising campaigns, including campaign planning, goal setting, volunteer engagement, prospect strategies, and campaign communications.  
• Personally manage a portfolio of significant prospects and donors and participate in high-level solicitations.  
• Expand philanthropic support for student scholarships, academic programs, faculty excellence, research, facilities, athletics, experiential learning, and other institutional priorities.  
• Strengthen corporate and foundation relationships and identify opportunities for external funding partnerships.

President and Cabinet Partnership

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the President on donor relations, external engagement, institutional reputation, and philanthropic opportunities.  
• Prepare the President and other senior leaders for donor visits, solicitations, stewardship activities, and external engagements.  
• Develop strategies that leverage the President's relationships and visibility to advance institutional priorities.  
• Participate actively in Cabinet discussions and institution-wide strategic planning.  
• Translate institutional priorities into compelling philanthropic cases for support.

Foundation and Board Relations

• Work closely with the BF Board of Directors to advance institutional fundraising and engagement priorities.  
• Serve as a key liaison between the University and the Foundation Board.  
• Support the recruitment, orientation, engagement, and development of Foundation Board members and other advancement volunteers.  
• Develop a strong volunteer leadership structure for fundraising campaigns and major initiatives.  
• Ensure appropriate alignment among University leadership, Foundation leadership, and advancement staff.

Alumni and Constituent Engagement

• Develop a comprehensive strategy for engaging alumni and other constituents throughout their relationship with the University.  
• Strengthen alumni participation in mentoring, career development, student success, recruitment, advocacy, volunteerism, and philanthropy.  
• Expand meaningful engagement opportunities for a diverse and geographically dispersed alumni population.  
• Partner with academic units, athletics, student affairs, and other campus programs to deepen constituent relationships.

Advancement Communications and Marketing

• Provide strategic oversight of advancement communications, including donor communications, campaign materials, annual giving communications, alumni communications, stewardship, and impact reporting.  
• Ensure that fundraising communications effectively articulate the University's mission, distinctiveness, accomplishments, and aspirations.  
• Partner with University Marketing & Communications to ensure consistency of institutional messaging and brand identity.  
• Develop compelling cases for support tailored to different donor and constituent audiences.

Team Leadership and Organizational Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing advancement organization.  
• Establish clear expectations, performance measures, professional development opportunities, and accountability structures.  
• Evaluate the Advancement organizational structure and make recommendations for staffing, technology, resources, and operational improvements.  
• Promote collaboration across Giving, Alumni Engagement, Finance and Advancement Services, Donor Relations and Stewardship, Scholarships, Communications, University Events, and other advancement functions.  
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative, results-oriented culture.

Advancement Operations and Compliance

• Oversee advancement operations, including prospect research, database management, gift processing, reporting, acknowledgments, stewardship, and data integrity.  
• Establish and monitor advancement performance metrics and dashboards.  
• Ensure compliance with University, SUNY, Foundation, and applicable federal and state policies and regulations.  
• Work collaboratively with finance, legal counsel, audit, procurement, SUNY, and other administrative offices on gift agreements and complex philanthropic transactions.  
• Develop and manage the Division of Advancement annual budget and resources.

External Relations

• Serve as a highly visible ambassador for the University within the regional, state, national, and philanthropic communities.  
• Develop relationships with community leaders, business executives, elected and appointed officials, foundations, corporations, and other external stakeholders.  
• Identify opportunities to position the University as an essential economic, cultural, and educational partner within its region.  
• Represent the University at appropriate community and professional events.  
  

REQUIREMENTS
Minimum Qualifications:

• • Master's degree from an accredited institution.  
  • A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in higher education advancement, fundraising, development, philanthropy, or a closely related field, including significant leadership experience.  
  • Demonstrated success securing major philanthropic gifts and building relationships with high-level donors.  
  • Experience leading and developing advancement professionals and managing complex advancement organizations.  
  • Experience working effectively with a president, cabinet-level leaders, foundation boards, or other senior volunteers.  
  • Demonstrated understanding of comprehensive advancement, including major gifts, annual giving, alumni engagement, corporate and foundation relations, advancement communications, and advancement operations.  
  • Excellent interpersonal, written, oral, and presentation skills.  
  • Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across organizational units and with diverse constituencies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in a public higher education environment, preferably within a comprehensive university.
• Experience with a SUNY institution or another public university system.
• Successful experience planning or executing a comprehensive fundraising campaign.
• Experience working with an affiliated university foundation and volunteer board.
• Experience with principal gifts, planned giving, corporate/foundation relations, or complex gift agreements.
• Demonstrated success building advancement programs at an institution with a regional mission and broad access mission.
• Experience using advancement analytics, CRM systems, and data-informed fundraising strategies.

To apply: https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/brockport/jobs/5471483/vice-president-for-advancement-president-of-the-brockport-foundation?pagetype=jobOpportunitiesJobs