Vice President of Development, Alumni, and Community Engagement

Southern New Hampshire University; Manchester (NH); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental & vision plans

Paid time off

Employer-funded retirement

Tuition assistance

Parental leave

Mental health resources

Job summary

Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester, NH seeks a visionary Vice President of Development, Alumni, and Community Engagement to unite philanthropy, alumni relations, and community programs under a single strategy. You will build lasting donor relationships, guide fundraising, and serve on the External Affairs leadership team.

You will lead a multi‑disciplinary team, advance a metrics‑driven culture, and collaborate with university partners to expand impact, strengthen stewardship, and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of progressive fundraising experience and building scalable programs.
• Proven track record closing significant gifts and cultivating donor relationships.
• Experience leading diverse, cross-functional teams and strategic planning.

Responsibilities

• Develop a unifying strategy across philanthropy, alumni engagement, and community engagement.
• Lead development and annual giving programs, major gifts, and planned giving.
• Provide donor relations direction and meaningful stewardship.
• Oversee alumni engagement programs and community partnerships.
• Oversee advancement services, data reporting, and prospect research.
• Lead a high-performing, mission-driven team within SNHU.

Skills

Fundraising strategy

Donor relationships

Team leadership

Strategic planning

Communication skills

Analytics and reporting

Grant management

Education

Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, higher education administration, business, public administration, or related field

Job description

Southern New Hampshire University - About Us

Southern New Hampshire University is a team of innovators. World changers. Individuals who believe in progress with purpose. Since 1932, our people‑centered strategy has defined us — and helped us grow a team that now serves over 180,000 learners worldwide. Our mission to transform lives is made possible by talented people who bring diverse industry experience, backgrounds and skills to the university. And today, we’re ready to expand our reach. All we need is you.

This position will be partially based in the following office location: Manchester, NH. For hybrid roles, employees must be able to commute to Manchester, NH on a regular basis.

The opportunity

As the Vice President of Development, Alumni, and Community engagement, you will provide strategic leadership for philanthropic giving, alumni engagement, and community engagement at Southern New Hampshire University, unifying these functions into a single strategy that advances the university's mission and growth. For all three areas, you will build and sustain authentic, long‑term relationships with donors, alumni, community leaders, board members, and university partners, serving as a compelling ambassador for the institution. As a key member of the Office of External Affairs and Communications leadership team, you will bring bold, mission‑driven leadership to each of these areas. Reporting to the Executive Vice President and Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer, you will lead a team of advancement and alumni and community engagement professionals and model a culture of excellence, collaboration, accountability, and continuous development.

What you’ll do

Strategic Planning & Prioritization

You will develop a unifying strategy across philanthropy, alumni engagement, and community engagement that reflects SNHU's mission. You will establish a clear vision, set measurable goals, and ensure institutional resources and energy are aligned with the university's highest priorities. You will serve as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on all matters of institutional advancement.

Development and Annual Giving

You will lead the development team to identify, cultivate, and secure philanthropic support for SNHU's institutional priorities. You will build and continuously refine a comprehensive fundraising strategy encompassing annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving. You will distribute donor relationships and fundraising responsibility across the team in a way that maximizes reach, deepens portfolio depth, and builds institutional resilience. You will set clear performance expectations and ensure the team has the tools, data, and support to succeed.

Donor Relations

You will provide strategic direction for donor relations, ensuring existing and prospective donors experience exceptional stewardship, meaningful recognition, and a genuine connection to SNHU's mission and impact.

Alumni Engagement

You will oversee a robust and innovative alumni engagement program that cultivates meaningful, lifelong relationships with alumni. Lead the development of programs and events that promote engagement and give alumni purposeful and varied ways to invest in SNHU's success, as donors, volunteers, advocates and community leaders.

Community Engagement and Service

You will strengthen and expand community giving and partnerships, promote service‑learning opportunities, and oversee community giving and programming that reflect SNHU's mission and values. You will ensure SNHU is a deeply embedded and trusted partner in the New Hampshire community and beyond, and champion the connection between SNHU's community work and its overarching mission.

Advancement Services

You will oversee all advancement services functions, including database management, gift processing, prospect research, and reporting. You will champion a data‑informed culture within the team, ensuring accurate and actionable data is available to support donor strategy, decision‑making, and accountability. You will leverage advancement data to identify opportunities, track progress against goals, and communicate impact to internal and external stakeholders.

Grant Management and Capacity Building

You will build and institutionalize sustainable grant management capacity, including clear processes, compliance infrastructure, and institutional policy to reduce single point of failure risk and strengthen the university's ability to pursue and steward external grant funding effectively.

Stakeholder Collaboration

You will serve as a trusted connector and strategic liaison between the advancement team and university leadership and other institutional partners. You will strengthen the university's capacity to engage alumni, donors, volunteers, and community partners cohesively and in support of student success. You will model a collaborative, cross‑functional leadership approach that breaks down silos and amplifies institutional impact.

Team Leadership & Culture

You will build, inspire, and unify a diverse advancement division spanning philanthropy, alumni engagement, and community programs. You will set clear expectations for accountability, collaboration, and professional excellence. You will create structures and practices that promote team cohesion, cross‑functional knowledge, sharing, and staff development. You will cultivate a division culture that is mission‑centered, inclusive and resilient, one in which every team member understands how their work connects to SNHU's broader purpose and the learners it serves.

What we’re looking for

• 10+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, advancement, development or related fields, including success building and scaling fundraising programs and teams.
• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, higher education administration, business, public administration, or a related field.
• Proven track record of closing significant philanthropic gifts and cultivating long‑term donor relationships that result in sustained philanthropic investment.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing diverse, multi‑functional teams with a track record of building collaborative, accountable, and high‑performing team cultures.
• Exceptional communication skills — written, verbal, and presentational — with the ability to inspire and engage donors, community leaders, board members, and institutional partners.
• Strong strategic planning and organizational acumen, with the ability to set vision, prioritize resources, and translate strategy into measurable outcomes.
• Curious mindset, with a genuine understanding of and appreciation for service and community work.
• Demonstrated systems thinking orientation, with the ability to understand how data, technology, and operational infrastructure connect to and enable advancement strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to unify a broad, diverse team around a shared strategy spanning philanthropy, alumni engagement, and community work.
• Demonstrated commitment and alignment with SNHU's mission of accessible, affordable, and transformative education.

Target Hiring Range

We expect this position to be hired within the target hiring range of $225,000–$275,000. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations.

Compensation

The annual pay range for this position is $200,000.00 - $400,000.00. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations.

Exceptional benefits (because you’re exceptional)

You’re the whole package. Your benefits should be, too. As a full‑time employee at SNHU, you’ll get:

• High-quality, low‑deductible medical insurance
• Low to no‑cost dental and vision plans
• 5 weeks of paid time off (plus almost a dozen paid holidays)
• Employer‑funded retirement
• Free tuition programParental leave
• Mental health and wellbeing resources

We believe real innovation comes from inclusion - where different experiences, perspectives and talents are celebrated.

If you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to fully engage in any part of the application or hiring process, please complete the Accommodation Request form or contact us at 603-626-9447. A member from the Employee Accommodation Support Center will be in contact with you within two business days to discuss your request.