Assistant Vice President, Development

Lindenwood University; Saint Charles (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employer-paid tuition benefits

Tuition discounts

Comprehensive benefits plan

Paid holidays

Free lunch Fridays

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

Lindenwood University is seeking an Assistant Vice President, Development to provide strategic leadership for its comprehensive fundraising programs, spanning major gifts, annual giving, and planned giving. This role will shape donor relationships, campaigns, and philanthropy growth across campus.

The AVP will manage a diverse team, collaborate with Deans, and drive stewardship to advance Lindenwood’s mission and a forthcoming comprehensive campaign.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in nonprofit fundraising.
• Experience with major gifts, planned giving, and donor stewardship preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for Lindenwood University’s development functions, including major gifts, annual giving, and planned giving.
• Lead and mentor a diverse team of development professionals across multiple units and colleges.
• Develop and execute fundraising strategies to secure philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Partner with academic leadership to advance fundraising initiatives and donor relationships.
• Oversee campaigns, portfolio management, and donor stewardship to ensure accountability and growth.
• Manage development operations, including budget, personnel, and CRM usage for reporting.

Skills

Strategic fundraising

Donor cultivation

Staff leadership

Budget management

Communication

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Raiser’s Edge NXT

Job description

Welcome to Career Opportunities at Lindenwood University.

Benefits of Being a Lindenwood Employee:

• Upon hire, employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s(employee, spouse, and dependent) and master’s degree programs(employee and spouse only).
• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only).
• Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, lifeinsurance, 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 mealon Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman DiningHall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.
• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy .

JOB TITLE SUMMARY

Job Title: Assistant Vice President, Development

Division: University Advancement

Evaluation Group: Staff Administrator

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Senior Vice President, UniversityAdvancement

Positions Supervised: Director, Development; Director, Leadership Annual Giving; Director, Corporate and Foundation Development; Director, Athletics Development; Assistant DevelopmentOfficer, Athletics

About Lindenwood University Advancement

Located in historic St. Charles, Missouri, Lindenwood University isa premier, independent comprehensive institution known forstudent-centric focus and innovation. Lindenwood is committed toproviding an exceptional, values-driven education that preparesstudents to thrive in a dynamic world. It is an exciting time tojoin the Lindenwood Advancement team. As we prepare to launch acomprehensive fundraising campaign, we are aligning our operationalinfrastructure, building high-impact philanthropic opportunities,and enhancing our engagement with alumni, donors, and regionalconstituents to support student success, experiential learning, andinnovative campus spaces. At Lindenwood, we benefit from working ata picturesque, historic campus, located in a thriving micro-urbancommunity that’s adjacent to a major metropolitan city. In fact, inBusiness Insider named St. Charles the best college town inMissouri, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recognized LindenwoodUniversity as the Best College/University.

Job Summary

The assistant vice president (AVP) of development providesstrategic leadership for Lindenwood University’s developmentfunctions, including planned giving, corporate and foundationrelations, major and principal giving, and leadership annualgiving. This is a centralized position supporting all colleges andunits across campus, including athletics. Reporting directly to theSenior Vice President for Advancement, this role serves as a keydriver of philanthropic growth and a critical partner in preparingfor the university's upcoming comprehensive campaign.

Essential Job Functions and Performance Indicators

The intent of this job description is to provide a representationof the types of duties and level of responsibility that will berequired of positions given this title. This job description shallnot be construed as a declaration of the total of the specificduties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employeesmay be directed to perform job-related tasks other than thosespecifically presented in this description.

Job Responsibilities and Execution

• Provides strategic leadership for university developmentfunctions, aligning fundraising strategies with the university’sinstitutional priorities and campaign goals
• Leads the development and execution of strategies to securephilanthropic support from individuals, corporations, andfoundations
• Leads and mentors a growing team of professionals focused on awide range of development functions, including major gifts, annualgiving, athletics giving, planned giving, and corporate andfoundation philanthropy
• Partners with Deans and other academic leaders to advancefundraising initiatives and donor relationships
• Provides leadership for campaigns and other strategicfundraising initiatives
• Maintains a personal portfolio of donor prospects, includingmajor, principal, and planned giving prospects
• Serves as the institution’s planned giving officer
• Ensures gift agreements and stewardship plans are properlycreated, reviewed and executed for all major gifts
• Oversees development’s use of Raiser’s Edge NXT, ensuring theCRM is utilized for all development work, including opportunities,substantive engagement tracking, reporting, portfolio and movesmanagement, and performance and productivity tracking
• Builds and oversees clear fundraising metrics, performancestandards, and reporting processes that guarantee accountabilityand fuel continued revenue expansion

Leadership and Strategic Thinking

• Orchestrates the cross-functional alignment of fundraisingstrategies with long-term institutional priorities, translatinghigh-level vision into actionable campaign milestones
• Collaborates with the AVP of Advancement Operations and theDirector of Stewardship and Donor Relations to develop a strategyto steward and engage previous donors, requalify and cultivateprior donors, and ensure all donors receive stewardship touchpoints after gift closure
• Pioneers innovative approaches to donor acquisition andpipeline expansion, leveraging advanced analytics and marketinsights to anticipate philanthropic trends and securetransformational support
• Drives institutional agility by designing scalable developmentframeworks that empower academic leaders and advancement staff tocapitalize on emerging opportunities
• Champions a culture of strategic accountability and continuousimprovement, deploying data-informed decision-making to optimizeresource allocation and maximize return on investment across allfundraising verticals.
• Keeps current on tax regulations and planned giving policies toexpertly advise development officers and donors on complex,tax-wise charitable giving strategies
• Establishes long- and short-term strategic goals based onassessment data and ensures standards for the department and itsfield are met or exceeded
• Manages budget, personnel, prospect research, and proposaldevelopment
• Maintains relationships with current and potential donors

Employee Management and Development

• Supports the mission of the University and serves as an ambassadorof the Q2 culture of service excellence
• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University’s values
• Recruits, interviews, recommends, welcomes, observes, andmonitors performance of department staff
• Sets clear performance expectations and holds employeesaccountable
• Conducts annual employee evaluations based on evidence,observation, and feedback
• Manages human resources reporting for the department, includingtime keeping and other personnel matters
• Determines metrics used to evaluate performance of advancementofficers

Job may require other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

An equivalent combination ofeducation, training, and experience will be considered. Additionalrequirements may be designated by position.

• Bachelor’s degree in related field
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in non-profit fundraising
• Master’s degree preferred
• Experience utilizing Raiser’s Edge NXT or another AdvancementCRM for portfolio management, reporting, etc.
• Proven experience with major and principal giving cultivation,solicitation, and closure
• Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
• Campaign experience preferred
• Experience with planned gift and non-cash gift solicitationspreferred
• Experience developing strategic fundraising plans and managingdonor portfolios and relationships preferred
• Experience in comprehensive fundraising reporting, goalsetting, and performance management preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

May be representative,but not all inclusive, of the knowledge, skills, and abilitiesnecessary to perform this job competently.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals fromdiverse communities and cultures
• Comprehensive knowledge of comprehensive advancement conceptsand principles
• Ability to drive strategic direction
• Management skills
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, includingpersuasive communication skills
• Portfolio and moves management skills
• Knowledge of general office hardware and Microsoft OfficeSuite
• Knowledge of Raiser’s Edge fundraising software
• Excellent creative, interpersonal, and organizationalskills
• Ability to exercise good judgment, think critically, andmultitask
• Strong professional integrity and ability to maintain strictconfidentiality
• Ability to understand and implement general principles ofaccounting and best practices in gift management
• Ability to establish and maintain effective and collaborativerelationships with faculty, staff, alumni, students, community, andmedia partners

Work Environment

Environmental or atmospheric conditionscommonly associated with the performance of this job’s functions. Please click here to view Lindenwood University’s flexible work designation descriptions.

• General office setting
• Some travel required
• Evening and weekend work required as needed
• Non-Standard Flex

Physical Abilities

The physical demands described beloware representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job’s essential functions. Reasonableaccommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Ability to work effectively at a computer for extended timedaily
• Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time
• Adequately mobile in order to travel to visit donors as well asto attend events on and off campus
• Ability to carry up to 20 pounds, set up, work, and break downevents
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer. TheUniversity complies with appropriate federal, state, and local lawsand provides equal employment opportunities and access toeducational programs without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status to allqualified applicants and employees. Lindenwood University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive discrimination-free educational workenvironment.