Vice President, Advancement

WGU; Salt Lake City (UT); On-site; USD 222,000 - 445,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonuses

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Wellbeing program

Tuition discount

Paid time off

Job summary

WGU is seeking a Senior Advancement Leader to drive an ambitious, university-wide fundraising strategy. You will recruit and mentor a diverse team, oversee major gifts, annual giving, and donor relations, and ensure rigorous stewardship.

You will lead grants, budgets, and analytics to optimize impact while partnering with Trustees and faculty. You will engage high-net-worth donors, foundations, and corporate partners, and translate metrics into actionable fundraising plans that support growth

Qualifications

• Proven success in securing major and principal gifts (5–7 figures).
• Deep understanding of higher education fundraising and alumni engagement.
• Experience managing multi-million dollar advancement budgets.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute an Advancement strategy aligned with university priorities.
• Recruit and retain a diverse, high-performing Advancement team.
• Provide leadership across major gifts, annual giving, and donor engagement.
• Oversee grants administration, reporting, and compliance.
• Optimize resources and use data analytics to drive performance.
• Collaborate with university leaders and stakeholders to advance fundraising goals.
• Cultivate relationships with high-net-worth donors and foundations.
• Oversee operating budgets and provide strategic guidance to leadership.

Skills

Leadership

Major gifts

Fundraising strategy

Cross-functional collaboration

Alumni engagement

Donor stewardship

Data analytics

CRM systems

Budget management

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

CRM systems

Fundraising analytics

Job description

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

Pay Range: $222,300.00 - $444,600.00

ResponsibilitiesPrimary Responsibilities

Develop and execute a bold and ambitious Advancement strategy to support WGU’s growth, long term sustainability, and transformative philanthropic partnerships and expansion in alignment with the organization's priorities. Recruit, develop, and retain a diverse, high-performing Advancement team by modeling values driven leadership, setting clear expectations, and fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, professional growth, and cross-functional collaboration. Provide visionary leadership across all fundraising domains—including major gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, and donor engagement—ensuring a cohesive and high-impact fundraising ecosystem. Oversee the grants administration team, ensuring a streamlined and efficient grant lifecycle—from identification and application to compliance and reporting. Establish and maintain best practices in donor stewardship, recognition, and engagement. Optimize the allocation of Advancement resources, ensuring investments align proportionally with generated funds. Manage the advancement services team to enhance donor management, gift processing, and fundraising analytics. Champion the strategic use of technology, CRM systems, and data analytics to inform fundraising strategy, personalize donor engagement, monitor performance, and drive continuous improvement. Collaborate closely with WGU leaders, Trustees, and faculty, fostering a university-wide commitment to philanthropy and shared fundraising goals. Cultivate relationships with high-net-worth individuals, foundations, and corporate partners to build a strong philanthropic pipeline. Oversee the preparation and implementation of operating budgets to optimize resource allocation and impact. Serve as a trusted advisor to the President and senior leadership, contributing to enterprise-level planning and championing Advancement’s role in achieving institutional goals. Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

QualificationsKnowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Exceptional leadership and organizational acumen with a proven ability to lead high-performing, cross-functional teams in complex, mission-driven environments. Proven success in securing major and principal gifts (5-, 6-, and 7-figure), driving multi-channel fundraising strategies, and exceeding ambitious philanthropic targets. Deep understanding of best practices in higher education fundraising, alumni engagement, and donor stewardship. Expertise in grant management, including full lifecycle development, reporting, and compliance. Proficient in using advancement technology, CRM systems, and fundraising analytics to optimize donor engagement and strategic decision-making. Proficient in using advancement technology, CRM systems, and fundraising analytics to optimize donor engagement and strategic decision-making. Ability to foster a culture of philanthropy across the organization and engage stakeholders at all levels. Inspirational, collaborative, and entrepreneurial leadership style that fosters innovation, accountability, and team empowerment. Skilled relationship-builder with a strong network and ability to engage high-net-worth individuals, corporate partners, and philanthropic institutions. Results-driven and analytical, with the ability to translate metrics into actionable fundraising strategies and performance improvements. Strong financial acumen with experience overseeing multi-million dollar Advancement budgets, ensuring responsible stewardship and high-return investment in fundraising initiatives. Managerial courage and willingness to tackle challenges and innovate in a rapidly evolving environment. Excellent judgment and adaptability, making strategic decisions that drive impact.

Education Bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution.

Experience10+ years of progressive senior leadership experience, including leading teams of directors and multiple managers.

10+ years of progressive leadership in fundraising, with a proven ability to develop and implement successful strategies. Demonstrated success in securing 5-7 figure gifts from high-net-worth donors. Experience in an entrepreneurial business, political fundraising, or education-related environment.

Preferred QualificationsMaster’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution.

Existing relationships with high-net-worth individuals capable of $100,000+ donations.

This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements.

Additional Information

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours):

• eligible for bonuses
• medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare
• health savings account and flexible spending account
• basic and voluntary life insurance
• disability coverage
• accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages
• legal and identity theft coverage
• retirement savings plan
• wellbeing program
• discounted WGU tuition
• flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

• Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.
• Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [e-mail].
• Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.