Assistant Director/Associate Director/Director/Senior Director of Advancement - College of Vet Med
University of Illinois

Job Info

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Assistant Director/Associate Director/Director/Senior Director of Advancement - College of Vet Med

College of Veterinary Medicine

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Based in Chicago, IL with hybrid opportunities

The College of Veterinary Medicine and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement (OVCIA) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign invites applications and nominations for a full-time major gift officer. The Assistant Director/Associate Director/ Director/Senior Director of Advancement will secure private support for funding priorities within the College as determined by the Associate Dean for Advancement and the Dean. The major gift officer will play a critical role in efforts to implement an integrated approach for impact and mission driven priorities across our college, departments, and units.

Internationally recognized for its groundbreaking professional veterinary degree program, the College of Veterinary Medicine is poised to grow in all areas of its mission.

Notable assets of the College include veterinary specialists who are leaders in their fields; research faculty with NIH-funded programs; the nation's most comprehensive Clinical Skills Learning Center; research faculty with NIH-funded programs; veterinary specialists who are leaders in their fields; clinical, service, and research programs based in Chicago, the state's population center; a prominent and supportive alumni and donor base; historic ties to the agricultural industries in the state; the collaborations and other resources available as part of the world-class University of Illinois, which recently announced creation of the world's first engineering-based college of medicine; and expertise that is highly relevant to a host of societal needs, from basic biology to public health, emerging infectious disease, food safety and security, environmental toxicology, specialized medicine, wildlife and zoological medicine, and the human-animal bond.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a global, preeminent university. Since its founding in 1867, it has earned a reputation as a world-class leader in research, reaching, and public engagement. In 2022, the University successfully completed its most ambitious philanthropic campaign, "With Illinois," raising $2.7 billion during the eight-year campaign and remains resolute towards its future philanthropic efforts. Developing a robust Advancement operation to support the growth and success of the College of Veterinary Medicine is critical towards fulfilling the University's Boldly Illinois strategic plan and future fundraising campaign goals.

Organizational Relationship

The Assistant Director/Associate Director/Director/Senior Director of Advancement reports to the Associate Dean for Advancement and works closely with advancement colleagues, the dean, department heads, faculty and other college staff.

Job Summary

This position will assist the College of Veterinary Medicine and its departments in designing strategies to broaden and strengthen development activities in defined territories within the United States, with a specific emphasis on Chicago, and will require travel of varying durations, up to 30-50%, including some evenings and weekends. The successful candidate will be a collaborative team member who values inclusion and is skilled at building strong internal and external collaborative relationships. This role will support the Grateful Client Program in the Chicago area. In addition, required knowledge and engagement with the Chicago Medical District Veterinary Clinic. The primary responsibility is to identify, cultivate, and solicit prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000 or more in support of the college.

Duties & Responsibilities

Identify, assess, analyze, and design appropriate strategies for approaching prospects and donors and making the vitally important match between donors' philanthropic interests and the college's programmatic and curricular needs. Plan and implement effective outreach and cultivation activities to enhance prospect identification and move solicitation and stewardship processes forward. Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major gift prospects, including but not limited to a diverse constituency of alumni, friends, and grateful clients, with an emphasis on gifts of $25,000 or more, determining frequency of contact needed. Document all activities and interactions in the alumni/donor database and follow up activities for stewardship.

Develop and maintain close collaborative partnerships with faculty and staff to gain a strong knowledge of the academic and research programs in order to identify and define priorities to be funded through private support. Partner closely with other advancement professionals across campus/units, including gift officers and corporate relations professionals.

Determine and prioritize lists of donor prospects, alumni, and other stakeholders to be contacted for personal visits. Use independent judgment to determine appropriate use of resources to travel to priority destinations nationally to meet with alumni, friends, corporations and foundations for the purpose of building relationships leading to financial support.

Prepare faculty and other volunteers to participate in cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major gifts as needed. Includes managing volunteer advisory boards by defining roles for advisory board(s) that support the priorities of the College. Identifies and orients board members, leads board meetings, and evaluates board performance.
Impact in Your First Year

At Advancement at Illinois, we value our employees and provide resources to help you continually learn and grow. We foster a strong, collaborative community of people who are driven by their ability to make a difference.

Within 3 months, you'll:

Become familiar with the strategic vision and priorities of the College of Veterinary Medicine

Meet your assigned Prospect Development Analyst and begin to dig into your portfolio

Attend professional development and networking activities for newcomers within Advancement

Be introduced to fundraising fundamentals terminology adopted from Plus Delta Partners

Within 6 months, you'll:

Begin cultivating relationships with key prospects/donors/alumni in an effort to create and implement solicitation strategies

Partner with stewardship and donor relations, events, alumni relations, and communications colleagues on department and College-wide initiatives

Be able to share multiple meaningful impact stories of transformative gifts

By the end of the first year, you'll:

Cooperatively set annual goals with your supervisor and portfolio management team

Continue portfolio growth of qualified prospects and successful solicitation strategies

Receive one-on-one coaching from People & Culture to help your transition to your new role

Build a robust network of colleagues across campus

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• For the title of Assistant Director, a minimum of two years of successful advancement experience or three years of experience in a closely related field which requires strong relationship-building and outcome-driven components. For the title of Associate Director, a minimum of three years of successful advancement experience or more than six years of experience in a closely related field which requires strong relationship-building and outcome-driven components. For the title of Director , a minimum of five years of successful advancement experience or ten years of experience in a closely related field which requires strong relationship-building and outcome-driven components. For the title of Senior Director , a minimum of seven years of successful advancement experience
• Experience working in a collaborative, team-oriented environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Documented success as a major gift fundraiser
• Advancement experience in an academic unit that produces degrees and conducts rigorous academic research
• Experience managing alumni and/or student programs and devising innovative programs to engage alumni and/or donors to support academic priorities
• Experience working with faculty leaders
• Knowledge and/or experience working in the major components of advancement including development, communications and public relations, alumni engagement, and special events.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated understanding of major donor prospect qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, preferably in a higher education environment
• Superb oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with an emphasis on engaged, active listening
• Demonstrated ability to represent an organization in visits with key constituents
• Strong relationship management skills
• Knowledge of planned giving fundraising vehicles.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after the close date. Salary is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also considering internal equity. The budgeted salary range for the position is $65,000 to $75,000 at the Assistant Director level, $75,000 to $85,000 for the Associate Director level, $85,000 to $105,000 at the Director level, and $105,000 to $125,000 at the Senior Director level.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on October 25, 2024. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting and upload a resume, cover letter, and the names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of three professional references. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Zsayla Brummett at zbrummet@illinois.edu and/or visit our Application FAQ site for tips . For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

Please note: Immigration sponsorship is not available for this position.

The Illinois Advancement community is committed to an ongoing, proactive process to foster and achieve diversity and inclusion in its development, alumni relations and communication activities. We will respect and encourage different voices, perspectives and ideas as we strive to represent individuals of all backgrounds and cultures which includes but are not limited to the following: nationality, ethnicity, race, gender, sexuality, spirituality, age and ability who represent our alumni, donors and friends of the University of Illinois.

CAMPUS AND COMMUNITY:

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a comprehensive and major public land-grant university (Doctoral/Research University-Extensive) that is ranked among the best in the world. Chartered in 1867, it provides undergraduate and graduate education in more than 150 fields of study, conducts theoretical and applied research, and provides public service to the state and the nation. It employs about 3,000 faculty members who serve over 33,000 undergraduates and 17,000 graduate and professional students. More information about the campus is available at www.illinois.edu.

The university is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana (total population 226,000) in east-central Illinois, and is situated about 140 miles south of Chicago, 125 miles west of Indianapolis, and 170 northeast of St. Louis. The University and its surrounding communities offer a cultural and recreational environment ideally suited to the work of a major research institution. For more information about the community, visit: Living in Champaign-Urbana , Experience Champaign Urbana , or Champaign County Chamber of Commerce .

Health insurance is available to employees (with the option to purchase coverage for spouse and dependents), required participation in State Universities Retirement System (SURS), with several options for participation in additional retirement plans. Learn more about employee benefits at the University of Illinois . Newly hired employees are covered by the Medicare portion of Social Security and are subject to this deduction.

The University of Illinois has a strong commitment to work-life balance and family-friendly programs for faculty and staff: Work-Life Balance & Family-Friendly Programs and Other Work-Life Programs .

When you pursue a career with Illinois Advancement, you'll join our tight-knit community of professionals who treat each other with as much care and respect as we treat our donors. At Illinois, we invest in you. Our leaders are eager to partner with you on the next phase of your career and have the tools and experience to help you succeed. Illinois Advancement values creativity and fosters a collaborative, flexible environment to develop new ideas that become best practices - and we're looking for your unique skills. Learn more about what others have to say about their experiences: Opportunity Awaits .

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify .

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal , or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu .

Requisition ID: 1027228
Job Category: Administrative
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu

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