Chief Advancement Officer (Manager V- Administrative Leadership)

Kentucky Community & Technical College System; Lexington (KY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Job summary

Kentucky Community & Technical College System (KCTCS) seeks a Chief Advancement Officer to lead the system’s advancement and serve as Executive Director of the KCTCS Foundation, Inc. The CAO interfaces with the President’s Executive Leadership Team and guides major and planned giving across 16 colleges and their foundations.

The role emphasizes donor engagement, fundraising strategy, financial accountability, and regulatory compliance, with onsite leadership of system-wide fundraising

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree; four (4) years of relevant experience or equivalent.
• Preferred: Bachelor's degree with 3 years’ relevant work experience or equivalent.
• CFRE designation and Raiser's Edge certification are preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic direction to chief advancement officers and staff to meet annual fundraising goals and campaign strategies.
• Lead system-wide Advancement Services functions, ensuring policies, processes, and data infrastructure support fundraising and engagement.
• Direct philanthropy programs including major and planned giving and capital campaigns to secure gifts of $10,000 and above.
• Oversee donor identification, research, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and gift processing for KCTCS and colleges.
• Manage budget and financial controls for institutional advancement in coordination with finance and governance bodies.
• Represent KCTCS and the Foundation in meetings and events, ensuring governance distinctions and accountability.

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Job description

Job Summary

The Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) serves as KCTCS’s advancement executive and a member of the KCTCS President’s Executive Leadership Team. The CAO provides strategic direction, guidance, and support to the 16 colleges and their recognized foundations, with a focus on developing and implementing comprehensive major and planned giving programs.

The CAO also serves as the Executive Director of the KCTCS Foundation, Inc., overseeing and coordinating with each of the colleges institutional advancement efforts across the system. Key responsibilities includes: donor and prospect identification, research, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, scholarship administration, financial accounting, gift processing, and advancement communications, including case statements, donor engagement strategies, and fundraising proposals.

In addition, the CAO ensures that all advancement and foundation activities are conducted in compliance with applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and KCTCS policies and procedures.

Positions with the KCTCS System Office located in Versailles, KY are term-contract positions, with the expectancy of continuance based on performance.

This position is fully onsite five days per week at the KCTCS System Office, located at 300 North Main Street, Versailles, KY 40383.

Job Duties

Strategic Advancement Leadership

• Provide leadership and guidance to chief advancement officers and advancement staff across the system, clarify roles and responsibilities, and support the development and achievement of annual fundraising goals and campaign strategies while maintaining appropriate separation of authority and responsibilities between KCTCS and affiliated foundations.
• Provide leadership for all Advancement Services functions across KCTCS, ensuring the systems, policies, technology, financial processes, and data infrastructure necessary to support comprehensive fundraising and constituent engagement. Establish operational standards, policies, and procedures that promote consistency while supporting local college fundraising efforts.
• Lead, serve, and support a system-wide peer team of chief advancement officers and their respective recognized foundations to achieve philanthropy and development goals.
• Develop a data-informed culture that supports fundraising success, strategic decision-making, and organizational effectiveness. Establish fundraising metrics, dashboards, and performance reporting for college leadership, chancellors, foundation boards, and the KCTCS Board of Regents, ensuring timely and reliable information for decision making.
• Direct system-wide fundraising programs including the planning, budgeting, design, implementation, and evaluation of annual, major, and planned giving functions to secure gifts of $10,000 and above as well as management of any comprehensive, capital, and special project fundraising campaigns.
• Manage constituent identification, research, evaluation, and oversee strategy development and implementation for prospective donors to KCTCS and the colleges and coordinate the solicitation of major and planned gifts among KCTCS, the colleges, and their respective related foundations.
• Plan, develop, and execute system-wide staff training and professional development activities for institutional advancement officers and related staff to implement fundraising and campaign processes.
• Provide executive oversight of philanthropic financial operations and collaborate with finance, legal counsel, auditors, and foundation leadership to maintain strong internal controls, financial accountability, and regulatory compliance. Oversee gift acceptance, gift processing, fund administration, endowment management, planned giving documentation, and donor intent compliance.
• Ensure related foundations, staff, and volunteers comply with KCTCS Board Policy 7.4 and all associated policies and procedures.
• Develop, administer, and monitor the annual operating budget for KCTCS Institutional Advancement.

KCTCS Foundation Executive Leadership and Governance

• Serve as the Executive Director of the KCTCS Foundation, Inc., providing strategic leadership and oversight for all philanthropic initiatives, fundraising activities, and development programs of the KCTCS System Office and Foundation.
• Partner with the KCTCS Foundation Board of Trustees to advance the Foundation’s mission, strategic priorities, and fundraising objectives.
• Strengthen board governance and effectiveness by supporting board meetings, committee operations, policy compliance, strategic planning, and trustee engagement.
• Assist the board with planning, operations, administration, and information dissemination.
• Prepare and implement the annual budget for the KCTCS Foundation, Inc.
• Oversee and execute the process of the KCTCS Foundation annual external audit and mandatory reporting to the IRS (IRS Form 990) in conjunction with Administrative Services.
• Foster productive collaboration among Foundation leadership while maintaining clear governance distinctions and accountability among the Board of Trustees, Board Chair, and Executive Director.

Staff Leadership, Donor Engagement, and Administration

• Lead and develop staff to support advancement objectives through effective hiring, training, performance management, coaching, succession planning, and employee development.
• Develop and oversee donor stewardship and recognition programs that promote donor engagement, retention, and appreciation while ensuring compliance with KCTCS policies and procedures and applicable IRS requirements.
• Delegate responsibilities appropriately, monitor progress, provide performance feedback, and communicate expectations to ensure accountability and operational effectiveness.
• Provide counsel on best practices to the Senior Vice President, External Affairs and/or the KCTCS President.
• Advise and support the KCTCS President in developing and executing donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies, including direct engagement with key prospects and donors.
• Represent KCTCS and the Foundation at meetings, conferences, and events as needed and perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree and four (4) years of relevant experience or equivalent.

Preferred Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree with 3 years’ relevant work experience or equivalent.

Additional Skills Requested

Bachelor's Degree in higher education administration, non-profit administration, business administration, or communications.

Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) designation, which is internationally recognized as the baseline credential for the fundraising profession.

Certification in Blackbaud's Raiser's Edge

Will require the ability to help set up and prepare for events. Moving table, carrying boxes with handouts, etc.