Assoc. VC for Advancement

University of South Carolina; Beaufort (SC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of South Carolina Beaufort seeks an Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement, a senior leader responsible for comprehensive fundraising, donor cultivation, events, and community engagement. This role will align philanthropic priorities with USC Beaufort’s academic and strategic goals and will serve as Executive Director of the USCB Education Foundation.

The successful candidate will recruit, lead, and mentor the Advancement team while building meaningful relationships across

Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job-related field.
• Five or more years of job-related experience; advanced leadership in advancement or fundraising preferred.
• Experience in higher education fundraising and donor relations is highly valued.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for fundraising and advancement initiatives, including planning and directing campaigns and events.
• Oversee the USCB Education Foundation, governance, donor engagement, and philanthropic initiatives.
• Supervise and develop the Advancement team to align with priorities and strategies.
• Cultivate and steward relationships with donors, corporations, foundations, and community leaders.

Skills

Leadership

Fundraising

Stakeholder Engagement

Strategic Planning

Donor Cultivation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement

Lead, Build Partnerships. Advance the Future of the Lowcountry.

The University of South Carolina Beaufort ( USCB ) invites applications for an accomplished, relationship-driven, and strategic leader to serve as its Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement. Located in the heart of South Carolina’s beautiful Lowcountry, USCB serves the dynamic Beaufort, Bluffton, and Hilton Head Island communities—an extraordinary region known for its coastal lifestyle, strong philanthropic community, thriving business environment, and engaged civic leadership. This is a unique opportunity for an experienced advancement professional to help shape the next chapter of a growing university while building meaningful relationships with alumni, donors, corporate partners, foundations, community leaders, and friends of USCB.

Make an Impact

The Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement is a senior-level leader responsible for planning, directing, and advancing comprehensive fundraising strategies and activities that support USCB’s mission and institutional priorities. The Associate Vice Chancellor will provide strategic leadership for major and significant gift development, donor cultivation and stewardship, fundraising initiatives, advancement events, community engagement, and advancement operations. The position will maintain a highly visible, front-line role with current and prospective donors and key community stakeholders, including corporate, civic, state, and local leaders. Working collaboratively across the University, the Associate Vice Chancellor will partner closely with the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs & Provost and the Executive Vice Chancellor for Finance & Operations to align philanthropic priorities with USCB’s academic, operational, and strategic goals.

Lead the USCB Education Foundation

The Associate Vice Chancellor will also serve as Executive Director of the USCB Education Foundation, providing leadership for Foundation operations, governance support, donor engagement, and philanthropic initiatives. This leader will identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual, corporate, and foundation donors, while developing long-term relationships that strengthen private support for USCB. The Associate Vice Chancellor will also:

• Lead, supervise, mentor, and develop the Advancement team, establishing goals, managing performance, and ensuring the team’s work aligns with institutional priorities and fundraising strategies.
• Build and execute comprehensive fundraising strategies designed to expand USCB’s philanthropic reach and donor pipeline.
• Develop meaningful relationships with prospective and existing donors throughout Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, Beaufort, and the greater Lowcountry region.
• Engage donors through personalized cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, special events, and strategic communications.
• Partner with University leadership, faculty, staff, alumni, volunteers, community leaders, and corporate partners to identify and advance fundraising opportunities.
• Recruit, engage, train, and motivate volunteers to assist with donor cultivation, solicitation, and the successful closing of significant gifts.
• Strengthen Foundation governance and ensure Advancement and Foundation activities support the University’s strategic direction.
• Represent USCB professionally and effectively throughout the Lowcountry and beyond.

The Leader We Are Seeking

USCB is seeking a collaborative advancement professional who understands that successful fundraising begins with relationships, trust, credibility, and a compelling connection to institutional mission. The successful candidate will bring demonstrated experience in nonprofit fund development, with higher education advancement experience strongly valued. This individual should possess a strong understanding of fundraising techniques and university-level development principles, along with the leadership presence necessary to engage sophisticated donors, executives, volunteers, community leaders, and public officials. Particularly valuable is experience working with donors, corporate or business experience is also valued as a means of establishing common ground and meaningful connections with business and philanthropic leaders. Experience building or expanding a fundraising program within a nonprofit organization during an important period of growth and development is highly desirable. The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Exceptional leadership and relationship-building abilities.
• Unquestioned integrity and sound professional judgment.
• An open, accessible, and engaging interpersonal style.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills.
• Strong reasoning, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• A proven commitment to collaboration and a collegial team approach.
• The ability to establish credibility and trusting relationships across the University and surrounding communities.
• An appreciation for the important role volunteers play in building an effective development network.
• A genuine understanding of and commitment to the distinctive educational opportunities offered by USCB.

Minimum Qualifications

Requires a bachelor’s degree in a job-related field and five (5) or more years of job-related experience, which may be substituted by an equivalent combination of job-related certification, training, education, and/or experience.

Build the Future at USCB

At the University of South Carolina Beaufort, advancement is about more than fundraising—it is about building relationships that create opportunities for students, strengthen academic programs, expand the University’s impact, and connect USCB even more deeply with the communities we serve. With campuses and programs positioned throughout one of the Southeast’s most distinctive and rapidly evolving coastal regions, USCB offers an exceptional opportunity for an advancement leader to build upon existing relationships while creating new philanthropic partnerships throughout Beaufort, Bluffton, Hilton Head Island, the greater Lowcountry, and beyond. If you are an experienced advancement leader who can bring together strategy, philanthropy, community engagement, and relationship building, we invite you to consider joining USCB and helping lead the University into its next era of growth and impact.

Join USCB. Build relationships. Inspire generosity. Advance the future of the Lowcountry.

Job Related Minimum Required Education and Experience

• Ability to command credibility and respect in forming trusting relationships across the University. Unquestioned integrity. Open and accessible interpersonal style.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills.
• Unrelenting commitment to a collegial team approach.
• Exceptional reasoning, problem-solving and analytical skills.

Job Duties

Job Duty Provide strategic leadership for fundraising and advancement initiatives, including planning and directing comprehensive fundraising strategies, campaigns and events for USC Beaufort.

Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 30

Job Duty Serve as Executive Director of the USCB Education Foundation overseeing foundation operations, governance support and coordination with the VC for Advancement and EVC for Finance and Operations.

Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 15

Job Duty Supervise, mentor and direct the advancement team, establishing goals, managing performance and ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and fundraising strategies.

Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 30

Job Duty Lead identification, cultivation solicitation and stewardship of perspective and current individual, corporate and foundation donors with frontline engagement of key community stakeholders and public officials.

Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 15

Job Duty Collaborate with the university leadership and campus partners to integrate advancement efforts across units, including support for planned giving , donor communications, and advancement related events.

Perform other related duties as assigned to support the university’s advancement, fundraising and foundation operations consistent with the mission and strategic priorities of USC Beaufort.

Essential Function Yes Percentage of Time 10

Position Attributes

Employees in Safety-Sensitive or Security-Sensitive positions will be subject to pre-employment and post-employment drug testing in accordance with University policy HR 1.95 Drug and Alcohol Testing. Safety Sensitive or Security Sensitive.

Hazardous weather category Non-Essential.

Posting Detail Information

• Number of Vacancies 1
• Desired Start Date Job Open Date 10/02/2026
• Job Close Date Open Until Filled
• Open Until Filled
• Positions will remain posted on our employment website for a minimum of five (5) business days. After this period, postings may be closed at the department’s discretion. Our site is updated regularly, and the length of the recruitment and screening process may vary depending on the position and related factors. If your qualifications are selected for further consideration, you will be contacted directly by phone or email.
• Location of Vacancy USC Beaufort supported area
• Part/Full Time
• Part/Full Time Full Time
• Hours per Week 37.5
• Work Schedule Standard working schedule: Monday – Friday 8:30am – 5:00pm Must be willing to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the department. Can include nights and weekends.
• Basis 12 months
• Job Search Category Other Professional
• About USC About University of South Carolina
• From the Upstate to the Lowcountry, the University of South Carolina system is transforming the lives of South Carolinians through the impact of our eight institutions and 20 locations throughout the state. More than 50,000 students are enrolled at one of eight institutions, including the research campus in Columbia and comprehensive four-year universities in Aiken, Upstate and Beaufort. In addition, our Palmetto College campuses in Salkehatchie, Union, Lancaster and Sumter enable students to earn associate or bachelor’s degrees through a combination of in-person, online or blended learning. All of our system institutions place strong emphasis on service — helping to build healthier, more educated communities in South Carolina and beyond.
• Veterans' Preference Statement The University of South Carolina is committed to equal opportunity and proudly values the skills and experience military veterans bring to our workforce. Across South Carolina, we are making veterans a priority for employment and recognize their vital contributions to our state and our communities.
• Benefits for FTE Positions The University of South Carolina (USC), through the State of SC and Public Employee Benefit Authority (PEBA), offers employees a valuable benefits package, including health and life insurance, generous paid leave and retirement programs. To learn more about USC benefits, access the "Working at USC" section on the Applicant Portal at https://uscjobs.sc.edu. Research Grant or Time-limited positions may be eligible for all, some, or no benefits, based on the grant or project funding.
• EEO Statement The University of South Carolina does not discriminate in employment opportunities or decisions for qualified persons on the basis of age, ancestry, citizenship status, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, military status, national origin, pregnancy, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, or any other protected category under applicable law.

The University of South Carolina offers a valuable benefits package including but not limited to:

• Health and Life Insurance
• Retirement Programs
• Paid Tuition
• Dependent Scholarships
• Annual Leave
• Sick Leave
• 13 Paid Holidays (including an extended December holiday)
• Paid Parental Leave

Anticipated Hiring Range Commensurate with experience and education.