Director of Advancement

The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the vitality and democratic purposes of undergraduate liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions in more than twenty-five countries as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.

The Director of Advancement will work collaboratively to execute activities affiliated with AAC&U’s diverse development portfolio, including sponsorships, partnerships, and fundraising. The Director of Advancement will advance AAC&U’s mission and core values through development of and thoughtful stewardship of relationships and execution of agreements. This role requires close collaboration with the association’s leadership to ensure sponsor/partner/ donor satisfaction, retention of relationships, and facilitation of new external collaborations. This position requires a proven track record of success in leadership roles, project management, relationship stewardship, and creative goal-setting. The successful candidate will also be comfortable with establishing well-defined metrics for success and working collaboratively to meet goals. This position reports to the Vice President of Research.

Priorities and Responsibilities

  • Conduct proactive outreach to recruit sponsors/partners for AAC&U programs and events (Annual Meeting, conferences, institutes, webinars, and publications) to include identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding existing and new sponsor/partners/ donors (including individuals, foundations, and corporate entities)
  • Oversee program sponsors (events and conferences), both new and existing relationships, including the negotiation and development of sponsorship agreements under the guidance of the senior leadership
  • In collaboration with the VP of research, establish protocols for seeking, recording, reporting, and acknowledging gifts and grants in cooperation with senior leadership
  • Lead the development and implementation of creative growth and retention strategies for sponsorships, partnerships, and annual giving
  • Take a lead role in stewarding relationships with sponsors, donors, and partners with an emphasis on proactive communication and reporting of results
  • Take a lead role in managing Giving Tuesday campaigns for AAC&U
  • Represent AAC&U’s advancement work across a variety of audiences and constituencies, and work directly with sponsors during AAC&U events
  • Gather outcome metrics and prepare reports for senior leadership, including the VP of research
  • Monitor trends and opportunities across sponsor/partnership/donor outlets to create opportunities for growth
  • Carry out administrative and budgetary responsibilities as needed in support of advancement activities
  • Perform related special projects or other duties as assigned

Experience

  • 4+ years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, sponsorships, partnership or other directly relevant area; higher education institution, membership association, or nonprofit organization experience a plus
  • Bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree preferred
  • Leadership experience working with sponsors, partners and/or donors, including experience establishing protocols and managing workflow
  • Experience working with diverse teams with demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and equitably
  • Consistent record of goal-setting and meeting established goals
  • Strong background managing complex projects involving multiple collaborators
  • Experience creating budgets and forecasting revenue
  • Familiarity with using social media, social networking, and technology to communicate with donors and generate revenue
  • Proficiency with a range of platforms and comfort working with new technologies in order to systematize advancement processes and improve internal and external communication of deliverables
  • Adeptness to work across multiple projects and manage multiple deadlines
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills
  • Willingness and ability to travel

Please submit a resume, cover letter describing relevant work and educational experience, and salary requirements to AAC&U, Box HR, 1818 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, or to [email protected].

AAC&U believes that a broadly diverse staff is critical to achieving excellence as a national higher education association. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity and compliance with the full range of fair employment practices and non-discrimination laws.