Description
Austin College is a distinguished liberal arts institution with a 177-year legacy of academic excellence and student-centered education. Located in rapidly expanding Sherman, Texas, the College’s mission-driven faculty and staff enjoy a collaborative, engaged campus culture. The Associate Vice President (AVP) for Institutional Advancement is a senior executive role responsible for leading strategic fundraising, alumni relations and constituent engagement initiatives to support the institution’s mission. Reporting to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the AVP serves as a key member of the IA leadership team, providing vision, oversight, and leadership for all advancement programs.
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Associate Vice President (AVP) for Institutional Advancement is a senior executive role responsible for leading strategic fundraising, alumni relations and constituent engagement initiatives to support the institution’s mission. Reporting to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the AVP serves as a key member of the IA leadership team, providing vision, oversight, and leadership for all advancement programs.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS (Duties and Responsibilities):
Reasonable Accommodations Statement
Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to fully meet job expectations of the essential functions. Essential functions exclude Other Job Function Statement(s).
Strategic Leadership
- Provides high-level strategic guidance to institutional leadership on fundraising priorities, resource development, donor pipeline growth, and constituent engagement.
- Collaborates with senior executives, academic deans, and administrative leaders to align advancement strategies with institutional goals.
- Analyzes philanthropic trends to identify innovative fundraising and engagement opportunities.
Fundraising
- Oversees comprehensive fundraising programs, including major gifts, leadership giving, annual giving, and targeted campaigns.
- Manages a portfolio of high-value prospects ($100,000 to $1,000,000+), developing strategies for cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
- Supports development staff with mentoring, training and resources to ensure success in meeting and exceeding fundraising goals.
- Collaborates with internal stakeholders to create targeted campaigns that advance academic and cocurricular excellence.
Alumni and Constituent Engagement
- Cultivates relationships with alumni, foundations, corporations, parents, and community partners to enhance institutional visibility and philanthropic support.
- Leads initiatives to engage volunteers, Trustees, and other constituents in advancement activities.
- Serves as an institutional representative at events and public functions, promoting a culture of philanthropy across the campus and region.
Team Leadership and Operations
- Provides leadership and supervision for the Development and Institutional Events and Alumni Engagement teams, fostering professional development.
- Establishes performance metrics, conducts staff evaluations, and ensures accountability and alignment with strategic goals.
For a complete overview of the position, responsibilities, qualifications, and application process, please review the full job description available through the application link or at https://www.austincollege.edu/human-resources/careers
Requirements
POSITION QUALIFICATIONS: (The minimum knowledge, skills, abilities, licenses, certifications, and behaviors necessary to perform the essential functions of the job at a fully acceptable level.)
Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive experience in institutional advancement, fundraising, or nonprofit leadership.
Demonstrated success in major gift fundraising, leadership-level donor engagement, and donor pipeline development.
Proven experience supervising, mentoring, and leading advancement teams.
For a complete overview of the position, responsibilities, qualifications, and application process, please review the full job description available through the application link or at https://www.austincollege.edu/human-resources/careers
