Assistant Vice President, Development Programs and Communications

Association of Fundraising Professionals; New York (NY); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organization in fundraising seeks an innovative Assistant Vice President for Development Programs and Communications. This role aims to enhance donor engagement, oversee strategic campaigns, and lead a team focused on maximizing fundraising efforts. Ideal for accomplished professionals eager to drive impactful fundraising initiatives.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated success in strategic communication campaigns.
• Solid background in project management.
• Experience leading teams and mentoring staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead development communications and stewardship.
• Oversee special events and annual fund activities.
• Build a donor stewardship program focusing on high-value donors.

Skills

Strategic communication

Project management

Collaboration

Data-driven decision making

Storytelling

Job description

Position Mission

The Assistant Vice President, Development Programs and Communications (AVP) is a new position that offers an exciting opportunity for an accomplished and innovative professional to lead development communications and stewardship, special events, and annual fund activities that raise critical funds for strategic priorities, drive pipeline development, and maximize donor engagement. Collaborating with colleagues across the organization, the AVP envisions, inspires, creates and delivers a best-in-class donor experience that raises HSS’s profile as the national leader in orthopedics.

The AVP, Development Programs and Communications reports to the Chief Development Officer. Other positions reporting to the Chief Development Officer include:

· Vice President, Development

· Assistant Vice President, Development Operations

· Assistant Vice President, Individual Giving

The AVP, Development Programs and Communications leads a team of 10 FTEs including the following direct reports:

· Senior Director, Development Stewardship and Communications

· Director, Annual Fund

· Director, Bike HSS

· Executive Director, Special Events

Candidate Qualifications

The successful candidate will ideally possess the following qualifications and experience:

Capabilities

· Demonstrated success designing, implementing, and evaluating strategic communication campaigns and events including message development and deployment across multiple mediums.

· A persuasive storyteller with evidence of crafting clear, action-oriented messaging to engage donors and prospects.

· Deep knowledge of industry best practices and a continuous improvement mindset to bring all perspectives to decision making, challenging self and others to think outside the box.

· Solid background in program and project management including planning, budgeting, resource allocation, stakeholder engagement, risk management, prioritization and decision-making.

· A strategic thinker with a performance and growth mindset who aligns communications and programs with broader organizational goals.

· A collaborative approach to working with executive and medical leadership, development colleagues, and staff, earning their respect through careful listening and bringing authority and expertise to solutions.

· An enlightened and transformational leader who can motivate, engage and build trust across diverse stakeholder groups.

· Data driven with a commitment to constant evaluation and using metrics and ROI to measure achievement.

· A confident and courageous leader who challenges up and sideways.

· Dedication to developing and empowering a motivated, high-performing team through effective leadership and mentoring in a culture of trust, openness, collaboration and mutual respect.

· Commitment to creating collaboration through transparently sharing information with colleagues and team members and promoting and modeling team above self-behavior.

· A superior communicator and presenter who uses data to convey a message that excites and motivates others and is easy for diverse audiences to understand.

Personal Characteristics

· High sense of purpose and urgency.· An entrepreneurial spirit.· Learning agility and intellectual curiosity.· Self-awareness and high emotional intelligence.· Creative and flexible.· Unquestionable personal integrity.· Critical thinker.· Collaborative and articulate. First-Year Aspirations

The new Assistant Vice President, Development Programs and Communications will be expected to achieve the following goals in the first twelve to eighteen months of their tenure:

· Build rapport and instill confidence with the Chief Development Officer, development team, and key stakeholders throughout the organization.

· Refine the HSS value proposition message for donors and prospects broadly, and specifically around key strategic fundraising communications, events, and programs.

· Oversee the creation of custom communications that cultivate the HSS donor and prospect base broadly, steward donors individually, and educate and inspire grateful patient prospective donors about the importance of philanthropy.

· Further define and build a donor stewardship program that utilizes best practices and creates standards across giving levels, with a particular focus on donors of $1M and above.

· Provide strategic guidance and oversight for a variety of fundraising and stewardship events that focus on advancing strategic fundraising initiatives, growing the donor pipeline, stewarding donors, and building culture.

· Oversee BIKE HSS and develop a growth plan to maximize the potential of Bike HSS, a unique peer-to-peer fundraising program that culminates in an annual New York-based cycle/walk/run event dedicated to advancing research and driving innovation to power the HSS mission. The event is the primary driver of new donors into the HSS development program each year. Conduct a brand evaluation and strategic re-brand transition for BIKE HSS.

· Guide the annual fund, which raises unrestricted support through mail and email, emphasizing renewals and strategic growth of the donor pipeline through planned giving.

· Create and execute on a robust corporate giving strategy that builds on the success of BIKE HSS and other events.

· Assess and improve development communications including refreshing the HSS Foundation website and working closely with Marketing on the area’s Web presence, the annual report, and graphic design elements.

· Ensure the appropriate alignment and allocation of resources and personnel across development programs and communications.

· Serve as a trusted strategic partner to the Chief Development Officer, Vice President Development, and executive and medical leadership in evolving development strategies.

· Incorporate HSS’s regional markets fundraising to ensure consistency and alignment with HSS development strategies.

· Partner with fundraising leadership colleagues including VP Development and AVP Individual Giving, to ensure Development Programs and Communications teams are effectively supporting their programs and strategically aligned with goals and direction of the principal gifts and major gifts programs.

· Partner with operational leadership colleagues, including AVP Operations, to ensure the operations and data team are effectively supporting development programs and communications.

· Actively participate with other development and fundraising colleagues in defining new priorities after the recent successful building campaign, focusing on wellness and prevention and leaning into new revenue models.

· Recruit, mentor, develop, evaluate, and retain an industry-leading team with a strategy and growth mindset.

· Develop and implement metrics to measure success and create accountability for assigned development activities.

· In collaboration with development leadership and the fundraising strategy team, ensure programs drive a culture of philanthropy and strategic engagement of key stakeholders.

· Passionately embody and model the purpose and mission of Hospital for Special Surgery.