Vice President, Strategic Programs - Foundation

Hackensack Meridian Health; Woodbridge Township (NJ); On-site; USD 226,000 - 276,000; Full time

Job summary

Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation seeks a Vice President, Strategic Programs to support the President/Chief Development Officer. This hybrid role sits in Iselin, NJ, overseeing communications, donor relations, and principal gifts while aligning governance with fundraising strategy.

The position requires overseeing Board engagement, events, and strategic communications to elevate the foundation's visibility and impact. Strong leadership and nonprofit experience are essential.

Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited four-year college or university.
• Minimum ten years in a senior not-for-profit environment, ideally healthcare.
• Experience working with Boards of Directors and recruiting volunteer leaders.
• Proven leadership of diverse teams and functional areas.

Responsibilities

• Serve as strategic resource reporting to President and Chief Development Officer.
• Oversee Foundation communications, donor relations, and principal gifts.
• Coordinate Board engagement, events, and governance processes.
• Guide cross-functional collaboration to advance fundraising priorities and donor engagement.

Skills

Board governance

Donor relations

Philanthropic communications

Strategic planning

Leadership

Education

Master's degree

Job description

Overview

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better.

At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. Here, competitive benefits are just the beginning. It’s also about how we support one another and how we show up for our community.

Together, we keep getting better - advancing our mission to transform healthcare and serve as a leader of positive change.

The Vice President, Strategic Programs - Foundation is a key strategic resource to the President and Chief Development Officer, providing high-level support on leadership priorities. This position is responsible for the oversight of key functional areas of the Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation which support the direct fundraising teams, and for the functionality and operations of the Hackensack Meridian Health Foundation Board of Trustees. S/He serves as the liaison between the HMH Board of Trustees (Network Board), the Hospital Corporate Board, and senior HMH and HMH Foundation leaders, and is relied upon to surface emerging issues, connect priorities across teams, and help ensure the President and Chief Development Officer's strategic agenda is well informed and effectively executed. S/He is also responsible for the oversight of Foundation Communications, Donor Relations and Principal Gifts.

This is a hybrid position and will spend 2-3 days per week in our Iselin, NJ office.

Responsibilities

A day in the life of a Vice President, Strategic Programs - Foundation at Hackensack Meridian Health includes:

• Functions as a key point of connectivity and situational awareness across the Foundation and the broader health network, identifying emerging issues, priorities, and opportunities that require the President & Chief Development Officer’s attention, and ensuring alignment and follow-through on strategic initiatives.
• Develops, executes, and monitors a comprehensive Board Engagement program, including recruitment, orientation, retention, development and assessment/evaluation.
• Oversees the development and delivery of all content and logistics related to Board events and meetings.
• Liaises with legal and finance departments to comply with fiduciary responsibilities of the Board, including topics such as ethics and compliance reviews, audit reports and Board governance processes.
• Liaises with the Development team on cultivation, solicitation, stewardship and ongoing engagement of current and former Board members.
• Oversees the orientation process for new board members ensuring new board members are oriented in a thorough and timely fashion.
• Provides strategic direction and oversight in the development and execution of integrated and comprehensive communication strategies that elevate the foundation's visibility, promote key initiatives, and align with organizational goals.
• Leads strategic communications initiatives to support fundraising, cultivation and stewardship activities and supports public facing communications for the President and Chief Development Officer of HMHF.
• Oversees key institutional and philanthropic-related messages to support the preparation of principal gift proposals, solicitation letters, and other materials for donors and prospective donors ensuring consistency of brand voice and messaging.
• Provides strategic leadership in the development, execution, and continuous improvement of donor engagement and stewardship programs, including the creation of personalized stewardship plans for major donors and prospects. Oversees initiatives that deepen relationships, demonstrate impact, and foster long-term philanthropic support.
• Ensures that donor relationships are thoughtfully managed to honor donor intent, uphold the integrity of gift agreements, and foster trust that inspires continued and future giving.
• Supervises and guides the Executive Director of Principal Gifts, ensuring effective execution of strategies to identify, cultivate, and secure $1M+ philanthropic commitments in alignment with organizational goals.
• Partners with the Executive Director, Principal Gifts, to advance cross-functional collaboration and high-level donor engagement efforts, including support for executive leadership's involvement in principal gift cultivation and solicitation.
• Works with the Vice President of Strategic Events and Annual Giving to evaluate event ROI and ensure that attendance goals are met and includes a relationship management strategy with follow through. Guide the events team in arranging systemwide and/or local cultivation events and/or fundraising events and ensure that goals are set and met.
• Manages recruitment, performance management and succession planning and development of team of foundation professionals under his/her supervision.
• Other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.
• It is understood that the Vice President's role will evolve or change with the priority needs and direction as determined by the President/Chief Development Officer of HMHF.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Master's degree from an accredited four-year college or university.
• A minimum of ten years of senior-level experience in a not-for-profit environment, ideally in a healthcare organization.
• Experience in working closely with Boards of Directors with an established track record of effectively recruiting and building engagement of volunteer leaders in a complex not-for-profit organization.
• A minimum of 5 years experience managing diverse teams and functional areas.
• Demonstrated experience in leading philanthropic communications efforts.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills and the ability to anticipate, strategize, plan, and problem solve.
• Ability to work with and collaborate with all levels within the organization and externally.
• An articulate, genuine touch; professional enthusiasm; ability to innovate and be resourceful; a strong work ethic; superior oral and written communication skills; and excellent interpersonal skills.
• Collegial team player able to interact effectively with diverse internal and external constituencies.
• Effective in a fast-paced environment and eager to contribute to the collaborative goals of an organization.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust quickly, exercise discretion with confidential and sensitive information, and serve effectively as a strategic partner and connector across an organization's leadership.
• Excellent analytical skills with keen attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple assignments and deadlines.
• Highly functional with Google Office.

Education, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Preferred:

• Working knowledge of fundraising principles and practices is desirable.

Starting Minimum Rate

Minimum rate of $250,910.40 Annually

Job Posting Disclosure

HMH is committed to pay equity and transparency for our team members. The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act and does not reflect the full value of our market-competitive total rewards package. The starting rate of pay is provided for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee of a specific offer. Posted hourly rates may be stated as an annual salary in the offer and posted annual salaries may be stated as an hourly rate in the offer, depending on the level and nature of the job duties and credentials of the candidate. The base compensation determined at the time of the offer may be different than the posted rate of pay based on a number of non-discriminatory factors, including but not limited to: Labor Market Data: Compensation is benchmarked against market data to ensure competitiveness. Experience: Years of relevant work experience. Education and Certifications: Level of education attained, including specialized certifications, credentials, completed apprenticeship programs or advanced training. Skills: Demonstrated proficiency in relevant skills and competencies. Geographic Location: Cost of living and market rates for the specific location. Internal Equity: Compensation is determined in a manner consistent with compensation ranges for similar roles within the organization. Budget and Grant Funding: Departmental budgets and any grant funding associated with the job position may impact the pay that can be offered. Some jobs may also be eligible for performance-based incentives, bonuses, or commissions not reflected in the starting rate. Certain positions may also be eligible for shift differentials for work performed on evening, night, or weekend shifts. In addition to our compensation for full-time and part-time (20+ hours/week) job positions, HMH offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, vision, paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and retirement benefits.