Associate Vice President, Development and Alumni Engagement - Camden

Rutgers University Foundation; Camden (NJ); Hybrid; USD 144,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Office-centric hybrid

Medical insurance

Dental and vision insurance

403(b) plan with match

Vacation time & holidays

Tuition reductions

Professional development

Cell phone reimbursement

Job summary

Rutgers University Foundation seeks an Associate Vice President, Development and Alumni Engagement to advance philanthropic support and alumni engagement for Rutgers University – Camden. The role reports to the Foundation President and works closely with the Chancellor and RU-C leadership to realize fundraising and engagement goals.

The incumbent will lead a team, oversee major gifts ($1M+), and partner with RU-C leaders to expand the donor pipeline while leveraging resources across the

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and/or 10+ years of professional experience in fundraising, alumni relations, non-profit organizations, event planning, higher education, or related fields.
• Experience leading major gifts and donor relations initiatives.
• Experience in higher education fundraising and working with senior university leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead RU-C fundraising initiatives and major gifts partnerships, with a focus on $1M+ gifts.
• Supervise development officers and collaborate with RU-C senior leadership.
• Coordinate with Rutgers University Foundation leadership on strategy and resources.
• Expand donor pipeline by strengthening relationships with existing donors and cultivating new ones.
• Align donor intent with university priorities and manage cross-functional fundraising initiatives.

Skills

Fundraising leadership

Major gifts strategy

Donor relations

Alumni engagement

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

Reporting to the Foundation President, and in partnership with the Rutgers University – Camden Chancellor, the Associate Vice President, Development and Alumni Engagement, Rutgers University – Camden, will work collaboratively with Rutgers University Foundation (RUF) and directly with the Chancellor of Rutgers University – Camden to take philanthropic support and alumni engagement to new heights.

Essential Functions

• Partners with the Chancellor to realize the vision for Rutgers – Camden through philanthropic support, alumni engagement, and is an active member of the Chancellor’s Executive Leadership Team.
• Proactively engages the Rutgers University – Camden (RU-C) community and the broader community as a representative of RU-C and the Rutgers University Foundation to advance the mission of Rutgers through building meaningful relationships and actively participating in a thriving campus community.
• Provides senior-level leadership, management, staff supervision, and support for the Rutgers University Foundation (RUF) division of unit development, Rutgers University – Camden (RU-C).
• Supervises all development officers and partners with Corporate & Foundation Relations colleagues to identify donors and close gifts for RU-C.
• Personally responsible for new philanthropic gifts and commitments supporting the active fundraising areas at RU-C.
• Actively collaborates with RUF Central Engagement, Central Fundraising, Operations, Administration, and Finance to leverage the full breadth of resources available to support and complement the efforts of the division of unit development, RU-C
• Expand the pipeline of donors – deepening relationships with existing and discovering new donors – with a view to broadening support for active fundraising areas.
• Manage a pool of targeted major and principal gifts prospects ($1M+) to gain support through direct funding, gifts-in-kind, or other collaborative agreements; partner externally with senior leaders to maintain and establish regular avenues of communication and identify areas of mutual interest. Work similarly with corporate and foundation donors.
• Actively engage in shared leadership as a member of the RUF Executive Leadership Team.

Leadership Attributes

This role requires a comprehensive understanding of the institution and its departments, with expertise that spans multiple functions. The incumbent will align donor intent with university priorities, demonstrating a strong grasp of university values and a commitment to advancing them. With excellent communication skills, they will simplify complex concepts for others while demonstrating high emotional intelligence and political awareness. Proactive and strategic, they will excel in prioritization and negotiation, providing constructive feedback to shape the organization's future. The incumbent will demonstrate critical thinking, challenge accepted norms and consistently assert their voice. They will lead their teams with confidence, leveraging institutional experience to ask the right questions and foster a cross-functional, multiplier leadership approach. Their decisions will reflect organizational awareness, considering the broader impact across departments. A coaching leadership style will be evident in their interactions with staff, leaders, volunteers, and partners, as they serve as a confident and strategic partner to university leadership.

Competency Aptitudes

Leadership

• Lead a team effectively and execute a comprehensive department/project/program strategy
• Serve as a member of the organization’s management team
• Present and represent projects to university leadership
• Demonstrate ability to successfully manage and lead a team (and/or staff volunteers) in a way that maximizes the potential of each team member
• Ability to lead, assess, and reimagine new initiatives
• Begin to demonstrate the abilities and capacity to serve as a senior leader of the organization

Autonomy

• Manage teams who are responsible for delivering resources and revenue from a major gift donor/prospect portfolio at or above an established level and meet a personal fundraising goal
• Bring new best practices and innovation to the organization
• Manage a team, volunteers, relationships, or projects, with minimal oversight
• Set goals, manage budgets, and meet deadlines for themselves and the team
• Drive area forward to achieve goals within their job purview

Complexity

• Demonstrate specialized knowledge, experience, and skill set
• Effectively collaborate with senior leadership, your supervisor, and University partners across the enterprise
• Create, deploy, and execute increasingly complex projects and proposals
• Set direction and approach in partnership with assigned RU leader’s vision
• Adapt and anticipate changing situations and serve as a thought partner on leadership changes
• Effectively work and manage others in ambiguity

Strategy

• Create, lead, and execute University-wide fundraising related initiatives
• Develop strategy with input of cross-functional teams to negotiate and influence solutions
• Demonstrate an ability to set priorities and determine strategy for multiple units/departments, including staffing and budgets
• Elevate the employee experience for multiple departments/programs leading to retention, innovation, and ownership

Education And/or Experience

Bachelor's degree and/or 10+ years of professional experience in fundraising, alumni relations, non-profit organizations, event planning, higher education, or related fields.

Working Conditions

This position requires clarity of focus while juggling complex projects or deadlines with little physical effort. Will work evenings, weekends, or odd hours to meet resource-raising commitments. Typical working conditions with an absence of disagreeable elements. This position requires some early mornings and late evenings to accommodate meetings, travel, events, and external constituents’ schedules.

Workplace Arrangements

This is classified as an office-centric hybrid position. Colleagues working under an office-centric hybrid arrangement have a primary workstation in a university or foundation location and are in the office between one and five days a week. The frequency with which they are present in the office depends on their role and function and the interdependency of other functions.

Compensation And Benefits

The position is budgeted for an annual salary of $160,000. In addition to salary, Rutgers University Foundation offers:

• Office-centric hybrid work schedule
• Comprehensive medical
• Comprehensive no cost dental, and no cost vision insurance for employee and dependents
• 403(b) plan with matching employer contribution
• Accrual of five weeks of annual vacation time, in addition to five wellness days and fifteen sick days per year
• Nine holidays, as well as four floating holidays
• Significant tuition reductions
• Professional development is highly valued at the Rutgers University Foundation, where employees are encouraged to look across the organization to develop new skills and abilities for professional career progression.
• $40 monthly cell phone reimbursement

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is Foundation policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants. The Foundation prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, genetic information, and any other characteristics protected by applicable state, federal and/or local laws. Equal employment opportunity applies to hiring, placement, transfer, promotion, demotion, recruitment, advertising or solicitation for employment, treatment during employment, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, selection for training, layoff, or termination.