Director of Advancement, College of Engineering

The Director of Advancement, College of Engineering* is responsible for leading the Development, Alumni Relations, and Communications** functions within the College. Primary responsibilities will include developing and communicating both major gift fundraising plans and alumni relations activities to significantly increase and diversify revenue for the College of Engineering. The Director will provide high-level expertise, direction and facilitation in the development, implementation and oversight of fundraising, alumni and communication strategies designed to maximize long-term support for, and engagement with, diverse college priorities. The Director will work in close cooperation with the Dean and with the Director, External Relations and Capital Projects, and with leaders across varied disciplines and play a leadership role in building an integrated approach to the University’s advancement function. The Director will ensure that the College of Engineering’s vision, presence, and impact is recognized and celebrated by internal and external stakeholders alike. Through fundraising, alumni engagement and communications, this role will play a significant part in reaching the strategic goal of leading the University through a successful comprehensive campaign.

Primary Purpose:

To provide leadership, direction and high-level expertise in the areas of fundraising, alumni relations, and communications to ensure the long-term success of critical and diverse College of Engineering priorities.

Nature of Work:

The Director will be a proven major gift fundraiser with a significant record of success cultivating and soliciting support, ideally in a university or similarly complex setting. The Director will be highly skilled in the complimentary areas of Advancement, notably, Alumni Relations and Communications. A motivated and accomplished collaborator, the candidate will embrace the challenge of leading Advancement for the College of Engineering.

As an exceptional relationship-builder, the ideal candidate will have the ability to develop relationships of trust and collaboration with a wide range of college and university stakeholders, including the Dean, University administration, University Relations colleagues, the college’s donors, alumni, senior administrators, department heads, faculty, staff, and students. The Director will be strategic in effectively and efficiently deploying college resources and the dean’s time.   

The Director will lead a team of advancement professionals responsible for communications, alumni engagement, donor relations and stewardship. With exceptional and natural team building and leadership abilities, the Director will run an organized and effective advancement office.

Known as a strategic thinker and aspirational goal setter, the Director will proactively engage with college leaders and faculty to understand its needs and opportunities and bring focus and organization to advancement planning.  Goal-oriented and focused on key priorities, the incumbent will bring a background in understanding how effective tactics and metrics lead to success. Well-versed and effective in both strategy and execution, the position will bring a strong customer-service mindset and attention to detail.

Excited to learn about the college and its strengths, and with enthusiasm to fulfill its mission, the Director will demonstrate a high level of initiative and drive. The ideal candidate’s maturity, tact, and diplomacy will result in a fully engaged faculty base, with a clear and transparent understanding of the college’s goals and priorities. 

A superb communicator and listener, the ideal candidate will be adept at appropriately synthesizing academic information and translating it for a myriad of audiences. The Director will articulate complex issues clearly and simply and make a compelling case for support with sophisticated philanthropists, volunteers, community and industry stakeholders, and the academic community.

The University of Saskatchewan values diversity and Indigenous engagement is a strategic priority.  In support of this priority, the position will lead a team environment which recognizes and supports the importance and value of diversity in achieving the mission of the University, and actively seek out those with diverse cultural backgrounds, perspective, and experiences to support the mission.

In University Relations, the nature of our work centers on our guiding principles of being:

• Inspiring: We are confident in ourselves and our goals. We instill confidence and excitement in others to bring them along with us.
• Committed to each other’s success: We look for opportunities to make all our teams and the University successful.
• Collaborative and integrated: We work together toward shared goals.
• Solutions- and action-oriented: We continuously seek a path forward and we get things done.
• Brave and courageous: We expect to encounter obstacles.
  We face these challenges head-on.
• Respectful: We demonstrate our regard for others through listening, understanding, and acknowledging the contributions of all.

Accountabilities:

- Fundraising

• Work with the Dean, College of Engineering and the Director, College Development to institute strategies related to donor centered activity and building a culture of philanthropy within the College and within the University of Saskatchewan.
• Identify, engage, cultivate, solicitate and steward gifts from donors and prospects in support of College of Engineering and institutional priorities.
• Manage and provide service to the Engineering Advancement Trust
• Ensure all internal stakeholders are appropriately involved and/or consulted in the planning and implementation of fundraising campaigns.
• Ensure appropriate resources are in place to achieve fundraising targets.
• Ensure fundraising activity targets are met and where possible exceeded.
• Oversee the Development Officer to prepare fundraising materials (gift agreements, proposals, case for support, impact reports).
• Ensure the timely identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities of donors and prospects.
• Recommend and manage individualized strategies for prospects and donors.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to expand the principal gift prospect portfolio.
• Provide a high level of service and support to the Dean, College of Engineering and the college leadership team, including the management of all briefings and event plans for the Dean’s development activity.

- Alumni Relations

• Provide oversight of the Alumni Relations and Events Coordinator to:
  • Manage all aspects of the College’s Alumni Relations program including alumni and College of Engineering events.
  • Work to build the important transition from current students to valued alumni.
  • Collaborate across departments and centers to ensure proper engagement of alumni, and key stakeholders.
  • Lead effective alumni engagement programs, including regional programming, young alumni strategies, support and advocacy programs, student and alumni traditions, access to lifelong learning, and effective alumni communications and marketing.

- Communications

• Provide oversight of the Communications Officer to:
  • Manage all aspects of College of Engineering Communications in cooperation with the office of the AVP, Strategic Communications and Chief Communications Officer.

- Leadership

• Manage the employee life cycle of direct-reporting staff through activities such as recruitment, onboarding, orientation, retention, and separations, in a unionized environment.
• Provide development goals and opportunities to direct reports through coaching and performance feedback, supporting professional growth and development, managing performance improvement, and addressing performance issues, as appropriate.
• Work with the Dean, the Director, College Development and the office of the AVP, Strategic Communications and Chief Communications Officer to develop quarterly plans for alumni engagement, donor relationships, major and minor fundraising campaigns (e.g. scholarships, endowments and bequests) and communications. Identify goals, monitor outcomes, and identify course corrections when necessary.
• Collaborate with, encourage, support, coach, develop and mentor others, e.g. department heads, who may or may not have formal reporting responsibilities to the portfolio so that the college builds on an existing culture of welcoming donor and alumni engagement.
• Work effectively in informal and formal teams with people from diverse communities, cultures, and perspectives.

- Stewardship

• Provide focused leadership to many individuals with diverse interests, advancing donor, alumni and stakeholder relationships and projects; skills in diplomacy and negotiation are required to communicate and reconcile between these diverse perspectives and interests.
• Demonstrate a high standard for respectful personal relationships within and beyond the advancement team.
• Develop structures to support ongoing relationships with major donors and stakeholders and ensure that the Dean, faculty and staff are supported in executing these plans.
• Ensure follow-up commitments are met to a high standard of personal engagement.
• Responsible for stewardship of all College of Engineering gifts by working closely with both the Central University Stewardship and Operations teams, and liaise with various departments, to coordinate recognition opportunities and ensure effective donor stewardship and follow-through on contractual relationships with donors and administration of gifts.

- Administration

• Ensure compliance with all relevant University policies, procedures and processes.
• Develop, implement, and evaluate procedures and policies related to the efficient and effective operation of the College of Engineering advancement portfolio.
• Ensure all appropriate alumni, prospect, donor and other stakeholder records are maintained within the guidelines of FOIP.

Education:

• Undergraduate degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred. Professional accreditation as a CFRE is preferred.

Experience:

• Minimum of 7 years’ demonstrated experience in fundraising or related work with senior officials, ideally in a post-secondary environment, including developing, implementing, and managing comprehensive fundraising programs.
• Previous alumni relations experience.
• Previous experience in strategic communications.
• Previous experience working with volunteers and donors.
• Previous supervisory experience required.
• Ability to compose professional level correspondence and meet deadlines with excellent proofreading skills and command of language, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
• High proficiency in project management, attention to detail, prioritization of work and organizational skills required.
• High competence in computer programs, web-based content management systems and applications, and digital/social media platforms. Knowledge of BBCRM – Engage CRM is highly desirable.
• Proven leadership: ability to combine people and resources in a manner that will achieve objectives within established limits; ability to coach and mentor team.
• Understanding and commitment to the academic environment; innovation, ability to motivate others, and a passion for what you do.
• Demonstrated ability to think and perform strategically, and to effectively communicate strategic advice and counsel.
• Knowledge of the University of Saskatchewan’s culture, issues, goals, and stakeholders is an asset.

Skills/Competencies:

• Enthusiasm for the mission of public universities and resonance with the University of Saskatchewan’s mission, vision, and values.
• An open and collaborative leadership style that motivates, engages, energizes, and focuses on results.
• Proven success in building productive, long-term relationships with senior university and campus administrators, faculty, staff, donors, alumni, and other external stakeholders.
• Strong commitment to team building and professional development.
• Creativity and the ability to foster creativity in others.

*Director of Advancement, College of Engineering is a joint report to the Director, College Development (Office of the VP, University Relations) and the Dean of the College of Engineering.

**Communication Officer is a joint report between the Office of the AVP, Strategic Communications and Chief Communications Officer (University Relations), the Director of Advancement, College of Engineering and the Director, External Relations and Capital Projects, College of Engineering. 

Department: University Relations
Status: Permanent
Employment Group: ASPA
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1.0
Salary: The salary range, based on 1.0 FTE, is $83,468.00 - 139,027.00 per annum. The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Salary Family (if applicable): Managerial
Salary Phase/Band: Phase 3
Posted Date: 2/22/2024
Closing Date: 3/6/2024 at 6:00 pm CST
Number of Openings: 1
Work Location: On Campus

The successful applicant will be required to provide the following current verification(s) where 'Yes' is indicated below. Further information is available at: https://careers.usask.ca/tips-for-applying.php