Senior Director, Leadership Engagement
Department
ARD Change Management
About the Department
Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional, and social activities on campus, around the world, and online. ARD raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.
The Leadership Engagement Team (LET) engages University leaders in development activities to enhance donor involvement and optimize fundraising outcomes. As the crucial link between fundraising strategy and operational execution, our team collaborates with departments across the University to ensure the seamless execution of a cohesive strategy. Working with partners across the institution, we work to optimize the fundraising activities of University leaders, engage top-tier donors, and achieve fundraising excellence.
Job Summary
This position manages a team of professional staff responsible for planning all development activities; typically within the undergraduate college, a large academic department or professional school, or the central development office. Leads fundraising projects and cultivation programs for prospective donors and for visiting committees.
Responsibilities
- Collaborates with key partners to design and execute a comprehensive strategy to engage and leverage University leaders to drive fundraising success. Ensures these efforts are tightly tied to campaign objectives and activities, creating a seamless alignment that maximizes impact and advances the overarching goals of the campaign.
- Monitors, assesses, and reports on the forward momentum of engagement strategy for University leaders. Makes recommendations to improve progress with the AVP to align these strategies with the overarching campaign objectives, ensuring a cohesive and integrated approach.
- Oversees the development of and ensures the quality of briefing materials and correspondence required by the President, Provost, Vice President and other senior leadership. Oversees the overall scheduling and request process for Presidential development activities. Represents the Leadership Engagement team and the President's development interests in settings across the University.
- Leads the stakeholder management efforts for the Leadership Engagement team, ensuring effective communication, collaboration, and relationship-building to ensure the team has relationships that are effective and supportive of our overall goals. Oversees liaison relationships with offices across campus.
- Facilitates transparency and consistency between the Vice President’s office and partner offices by leading initiatives that enhance and streamline communication, fostering a unified and efficient operational environment.
- Drives effective and meaningful processes and standards for the Vice President’s office, ensuring high-quality execution and alignment with the campaign’s goals and standards.
- Provides strategic support to the AVP in the development and execution of the campaign cabinet and BOT engagement strategies, playing a key role in campaign-related efforts and ensuring robust engagement and support from these critical groups.
- Identifies and addresses opportunities to enhance the team’s efficiency and effectiveness. Implements technological solutions, refines reporting processes, and streamlines operations to drive continuous improvement.
- Provides recommendations on how best to organize the VP office and Leadership Engagement team for project management efficiency and maximum productivity. Advises the Assistant Vice President in determining the goals and objectives of the team based on University needs and staff resources.
- Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, and building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
- Networks with high-level prospects through visits, events, correspondence, and regular calls. Maintains relationships with top donors, various volunteer committees, and top administrators. Solicits gifts and may negotiate gift discussions.
- Develops annual and long-term activity goals and short-term operating plans for alumni fundraising programs. Recommends and manages the annual operating budget.
- Performs other related work as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
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Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.
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Certifications:
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Preferred Competencies
- Excellent management skills. Organize and align work and people towards shared objectives.
- Outstanding leadership skills. Empower staff, recognize and develop talent, and inspire the best work from direct reports and partners across the organization.
- Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively. Explain complex ideas clearly and simply.
- Proficiency in formulating, executing, and refining comprehensive strategies that align with organizational goals. Capable of analyzing qualitative and quantitative information, identifying opportunities, and devising innovative solutions to drive fundraising growth and achieve long-term objectives.
- Creative, flexible, and resilient.
- Synthesize information with a high degree of quality, developing key messages from large sets of detailed quantitative and qualitative information.
- Develop and execute on a long-term plan, while balancing short term unexpected priorities.
- Strong document design skills. Develop documents and presentations that meet University brand standards and deliver key messages effectively.
- High degree of attention to detail.
- Correctly enter and audit information using a sophisticated database, appropriately using system reports to access, understand, and share information.
- Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
- Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
- Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
- Self-motivated and take initiative.
- Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through.
Working Conditions
- This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence.
- Standard office environment.
- Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
- Work evenings and weekends as needed.
- This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.
Application Documents
- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter, addressed to Hiring Committee (preferred)
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family
Alumni Relations & Development
Role Impact
People Manager
FLSA Status
Exempt
Pay Frequency
Monthly
Scheduled Weekly Hours
37.5
Benefits Eligible
Yes
Drug Test Required
No
Health Screen Required
No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.
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