Vice Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, Penn’s School of Nursing

University of Pennsylvania; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 167,000 - 235,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is seeking a Vice Dean for Development and Alumni Relations at Penn Nursing. You will lead private and corporate fundraising and alumni relations for the School, reporting to the Dean and Associate VP, and supervising a team of six while coordinating with university development leaders.

The role focuses on growing a robust donor pipeline, coaching staff, and advancing fundraising programs that align with Penn Nursing’s mission and impact, including

Qualifications

• Master’s degree and 7–10 years of successful fundraising experience.
• Proven track record in securing 6-, 7- and 8-figure gifts with increasing leadership duties.
• Experience collaborating with boards and senior volunteers.

Responsibilities

• Lead multi-year strategic fundraising planning for the School of Nursing.
• Develop cases for support and write compelling donor narratives.
• Grow leadership annual giving and major gift pipeline.
• Manage a team of six and oversee budget.
• Collaborate with Central DAR and Penn leadership to maximize DAR capacity.

Skills

Major gifts fundraising

Strategic planning

Donor relations

Leadership & team management

Prospect research

Stakeholder collaboration

Education

Master’s degree

7–10 years fundraising experience

Job description

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023. Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play. The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Vice Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, Penn’s School of Nursing

Job Profile Title

Executive Director School/Center Development

Job Description Summary

About Penn Nursing: Penn Nursing is currently ranked as the top school of nursing in the world and consistently leads the field in its innovative approaches to nursing science, education, practice, policy-making and innovative approaches that impact millions of people across the globe. Its cutting edge research continues to drive meaningful change in health care and health science and its undergraduate and graduate programs are consistently amongst the top-rated programs in nursing education. The School boasts a very strong footprint in translating its research into practice and policy at the local, national and global levels.

Position Summary: Reporting jointly to the Dean of the School of Nursing and the Associate Vice President for University Development (DAR), the Vice Dean for Development and Alumni Relations at Penn’s School of Nursing is responsible for the conceptualization, strategy and implementation of a comprehensive program of private and corporate source fundraising and alumni relations for the School. Working closely in support of the Dean and in collaboration with colleagues across DAR and the School of Nursing, the Vice Dean will serve as one of the lead fundraisers for the program, responsible for growing and maintaining a robust overall pool and an individual pipeline of prospects, donors and volunteer leaders on the school’s behalf. Leading a team of 6 colleagues, they will provide training, coaching and mentoring to ensure the team is functioning at the highest level.

The Vice Dean serves as an integral member of the Dean's Advisory Group and plays a key leadership role across the School, working closely with their team, the Dean, faculty, the Board of Advisors, volunteer groups, alumni and students, promoting active involvement in the fundraising and alumni relations programs, as well as furthering alumni engagement and public awareness.

As part of the University of Pennsylvania’s hybrid centralized/decentralized DAR structure, the Vice Dean also serves as a senior member of Central DAR’s University Development team and will be included in leadership and campaign planning within the program. Within this structure, the Vice Dean has responsibility for cultivating and sustaining deeply collaborative relationships with Central DAR programs and colleagues in order to fully activate the additional capacity of the University’s centralized functions.

Responsibilities include leadership and management, mentoring and professional development of a staff of who manage alumni relations, annual giving, board relations, major gift fundraising, stewardship, development events and DAR communications efforts for the School.

Both Penn Nursing and Penn DAR are committed to cultivating a workplace that values equity, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and collaboration. We seek talented individuals who will help lead our efforts to create a more inclusive workplace in a community with a substantive institutional commitment to equity and justice. Diversity is prized at Penn as a central component of our mission and helps create an educational and working environment that best supports the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship.

Specific Responsibilities

• Development and implementation of multi-year strategic planning with focus on program health, growth and sustainability;
• Analysis and utilization of constituent data to inform strategic planning;
• Creation of compelling cases for support of school priorities and writing of impactful narrative for multiple, constituent audiences;
• Building robust volunteer and alumni engagement opportunities in partnership with the School, at-large and the University.
• Oversight of a multi-faceted, annual giving program focused on growth of leadership annual giving and complex modeling to determine growth trajectory;
• Organization of events in partnership with board members, donors and alumni, to identify new prospects and grow pipeline;
• Planning and oversight of comprehensive campaigns, as needed;
• Management of team finances and budget

Manage a targeted portfolio of prospects with the capacity to make 6 and 7+ figure gifts and commitments, developing thoughtful and sophisticated strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospective donors. Engage the Dean, faculty, staff, Board of Advisors and volunteers in cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activities to advance the School’s quest for gift and grant support, as well as bolstering public awareness. Strengthen and expand the school’s fundraising pool and pipeline of potential new donors via creative methods of prospecting including data analysis, internal prospect research, collaboration with the Central DAR teams, sourcing leads through board members and other volunteers, etc…With the Dean, and in collaboration with both Central DAR and the Office of the University Secretary, establish a plan to manage, engage and expand the School’s Board of Advisors, its premier volunteer organization. Responsibility for managing and staffing the Chair of the Board and key Board leaders in a timely and efficient manner. Lead and manage a team to achieve optimum results by:

• Communicating financial and key performance indicators and results to direct reports
• Establishing priorities and goals for the overall team and each staff member
• Managing staffing needs and identifying areas for organizational development updates or changes
• Guiding the talent identification and professional development needs, processes and outcomes within the department and for all team members
• Setting clear performance expectations and holding staff accountable for outcomes through frequent feedback and coaching
• Ensuring open communication among staff, engaging in team building efforts and holding regular staff meetings that embrace and support the group’s diversity
• Inspiring and motivating staff to achieve optimum results
• Working to evaluate the need for new or different infrastructure on an ongoing basis and establish plans for integrating new roles and structure, as funding allows;
• Supervise and coach the Development and Alumni Relations staff to achieve departmental and individual goals, foster a strong team culture and professionally develop individual team members.

Serve as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Group and participate in key school-wide initiatives where Development and Alumni Relations is a meaningful partner. Collaborate with other senior Penn Nursing leaders on schoolwide priorities. Collaborate with colleagues and partners throughout the University’s Central Development and Alumni Relations departments, as well as other schools and centers across Penn, to communicate school priorities, collaborate around key strategies and solicitations, provide data, coordinate external activities and otherwise maximize the University’s DAR capacity in support of the school’s development and alumni relations efforts.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree and 7-10 years of successful fund-raising experience including a proven record of success in securing 6,7 and 8-figure gifts with increasingly more responsible fundraising and leadership duties, preferably at a major research university comparable to Penn or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Familiarity and appreciation of the role and mission of the School of Nursing and its relationship to the University, capacity to articulate that role and interact comfortably with those individuals and constituency groups crucial to the advancement of Penn Nursing.
• Demonstrated track record in the identification, cultivation closure and stewardship of leadership and major gifts ($250,000+).
• Strong management and program administration skills and the ability to establish objectives, set performance standards, and organize and motivate staff, faculty and volunteers to achieve fund-raising goals.
• Demonstrated experience and credibility in establishing effective relationships with leadership volunteers, including boards of trustees.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Adaptability, flexibility and diplomacy.
• High motivation and a capacity for hard work within the context of a goal-driven environment.
• A demonstrated ability to analyze funding sources and relate their potential to the School's long range goals; more particularly, to organize practical strategies to bring closure to gift and grant opportunities is required.
• Ability to function well independently, yet relate comfortably to a centralized framework for fundraising, participating in and contributing to a total team effort.
• Travel and evening work required.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Development and Alumni Relations

Pay Range

$167,379.00 - $235,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements

Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.