Description

Join our vibrant community of dedicated faculty and staff who work to create a transformative educational experience rooted in faith, reason, and justice. 

Eastern University is a nationally-recognized Christian university enrolling approximately 9,000 students in a wide array of undergraduate, graduate, professional, and seminary programs. The university’s main campus is located in St. Davids, PA, with many programs also offered online. Eastern’s core values of Faith, Reason, and Justice are woven into all of its educational offerings. Through dynamic programs, a vibrant campus community, and meaningful service learning opportunities, Eastern University is committed to providing students with transformative, accessible, and affordable education.

Position Description

VICE PRESIDENT FOR ADVANCEMENT
Reporting to the President, the Vice President for Advancement provides strategic leadership and direction for all advancement and alumni engagement efforts and serves as an integral member of the Cabinet and University Leadership Team. The Vice President for Advancement, through genuine relationship-building, community outreach, and trust, is tasked with designing, implementing, and executing comprehensive institutional advancement strategies. This includes: developing talented team members focused on the goal of significantly increasing constituent involvement and fundraising outcomes, managing current and future capital campaigns, and ensuring strategic collaboration across University stakeholders.
*Screening for this position starts on November 3, 2025.

Position Responsibilities

Responsibilities
Executive Leadership and Vision

• Provide overall vision and strategic direction for the University’s Advancement functions, ensuring alignment with Eastern’s vision, mission, and strategic priorities.
• Provide leadership and management for a high-performing advancement team through modeling servant-leadership and fostering a culture of cooperation, excellence, and accountability.
• Maintain and cultivate cooperative working relationships with stakeholders whose partnership is essential to effective outreach and fundraising.
• Serve as a University advocate and build relationships in the community beyond Eastern, with individuals, foundations, government agencies, organizations, churches, and corporations. 

High-Level Philanthropic Engagement

• Provide oversight for major gift campaigns, planned giving initiatives, and other philanthropic programs.
• Cultivate and solicit gift prospects with primary emphasis on securing principal and transformational gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, or government agencies.
• Advise and support the field work of the President through a systematic prospect strategy and management process.
• Lead the development of innovative strategies to increase and expand the donor base.
• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for all aspects of the University’s current and future capital campaigns, including development of a comprehensive strategy and management of all operational aspects related to a campaign.
• Serve as primary liaison to the Board Advancement Committee and engage board members individually in philanthropy.

Divisional Leadership and Strategic Collaboration

• Collaborate across University divisions and colleges to advance shared goals, especially in donor stewardship, alumni engagement, and communications.
• Create and execute both strategic plans and operational budgets, identifying and considering all elements and constituencies of the University that are measurable, coordinated, and sustainable. 
• Work with the President’s Office and Board members in their development activities, managing engagement priorities, providing research, and building consensus.

Travel is required. The Vice President must be willing to travel extensively in their work with donors and as a representative of the University (approximately 35-50% of the role).

Candidate Profile:
Mission Fit and Faith Leadership:

• Comfortable serving as a visible Christian leader, at ease expressing their personal faith in Jesus Christ, and consonant with the Faith Statement of Eastern University.
• Embrace and advance the distinctive Christian vision, mission, values, and goals of the University.

Strategic and Innovative:

• Display a record of leadership and accomplishment in advancement with a proven track record of fundraising success, including comprehensive capital campaign planning and execution.
• Exhibit a background in developing traditional and digital marketing strategies that successfully deliver results in driving donor interest, involvement, and investment.

Leadership and Management:

• Demonstrate leadership skills through shared vision, clarified direction, inspired followers, managerial courage, and mutual accountability.
• Manage effectively within a complex organization, exercising sound judgment while demonstrating strong management skills with the ability to plan, prioritize, and execute with minimal supervision.
• Communicate information clearly and effectively through both oral and written means.
• Evidence exemplary interpersonal skills as well as the ability to effectively engage with sophisticated volunteers and major donors.
• Exhibit a strong work ethic.

View Downloadable Position Profile (PDF) (Download PDF reader)

Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's degree is required. Master's degree is preferred, as is CFRE or other fundraising certification.

Experience:

• A minimum of ten years of progressive experience as an Advancement professional.
• Proven track record of providing strategic direction for a comprehensive fundraising program with evidence of consistently exceeding goals for revenue growth.
• Demonstrated success in directly cultivating relationships and securing multi-million-dollar commitments.
• Evidence of having run a comprehensive capital campaign with a minimum goal of $30M.

About Eastern University

Eastern University is a Christian university of the arts and sciences that integrates faith, reason and justice for students in its undergraduate, graduate, seminary, urban, professional and international programs. Applicants should have a Christian commitment compatible with its mission and be willing to support the mission and vision of the university.  The university complies with federal and state guidelines of nondiscrimination in employment; members of protected classes encouraged to apply.

Background Checks

Standard University employees are required to complete the background clearance process. Employment is contingent upon the successful results of an employment background screening. The employment background screening may include but is not limited to your consumer credit history (for positions that work with the university finances or alumni funds only), verification of education and professional credentials, criminal history, driving history, residency, immigration status, performance, references, and other qualities pertinent to your qualifications for the following position.

Youth Clearances are required for positions with direct contact with children and essential personnel positions. Employees working with or around minor age children are required to complete the youth clearance process which includes the following four child protection clearances: 

1)      Affidavit;

2)      FBI Criminal Record Check; 

3)      Pennsylvania Department of Human Services Child Abuse History Clearance and; 

4)      Pennsylvania State Police Criminal Record Check. 

In accordance with state laws, Act 73 of 2007, Act 153 of 2014, Act 168 (relating to the Child Protective Services Law), school employees of Eastern University who will have "direct contact with children" must complete the background check process prior to employment.  Results must be submitted within ten days of receipt.

Description Disclaimer

This description is intended to describe the general level and nature of work performed by the person/people assigned to this position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive list of duties and responsibilities of the person/people so assigned.

Statement of Non-Discrimination

Eastern University is committed to the principles of equal opportunity as defined under federal and state law, and does not discriminate unlawfully on the basis of race, gender, sexual orientation, color, creed, disability, national/ethnic origin, age, disabled veteran/Vietnam-era, Genetic Information and Nondiscrimination Act (GINA), or veteran status in its admission policy, program, or activities, educational policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and other University-administered programs, or employment practices and programs.