Job Summary
The WVU Foundation’s mission is to enrich the lives of those touched by West Virginia University by maximizing charitable support and providing services to the University, its students, and affiliated organizations. The Foundation’s work is guided by core values of relationships, integrity, accountability, courage, innovation, and exceptional performance, ensuring that charitable contributions are used effectively to enhance student opportunities, faculty and staff resources, and institutional programs.
West Virginia University is distinctly a land grant, flagship and R1 institution where pride in our land-grant mission runs deep, success is earned, and life-changing experiences prepare Mountaineers to serve others and lead in West Virginia and the world.
The Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources, established in 1887, is home to nearly 3,300 students. A culture of philanthropy and over 300 active partnerships with outside academic institutions, industry, national laboratory, state and federal agencies bolster both research production and student experience. These partnerships fuel career readiness, experiential learning, and award winning competition teams. Distinctions of excellence include:
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1 of approximately 40 named engineering colleges in the United States.
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1 of 156 accredited U.S. universities to offer a medical program.
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1 of 5 universities with mining engineering and petroleum and natural gas engineering programs
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1 of 4 colleges with an ABET-accredited petroleum and natural gas engineering program
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12 NSF Career Award winners since 2010
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5 R&D 100 Oscars of Innovation
The Senior/Executive Director of Development in the Benjamin M. Statler College of Engineering and Mineral Resources serves as the lead development officer for the College and provides strategic leadership for an advancement program that includes two gift officers. The embedded, onsite college leadership role reports directly to the WVU Foundation Associate Vice President, Schools and Units Development with dual reporting responsibilities to the College Dean.
Duties and Responsibilities
Essential Functions and Responsibilities
Fundraising Leadership
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Demonstrate the WVU Foundation core values of Trust, Transparency and Teamwork
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Manage all aspects of the Statler College development program, including managing a comprehensive major gift program to generate current gift revenue from individuals, corporations, and foundations, deferred gift revenue from individuals, annual giving programming and stewardship
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Serve as the Dean’s primary advisor on advancement matters
- Provide strategic guidance on the development and execution of major and principal gift development and solicitation to meet both donor and organizational priorities
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Supervise and mentor College development staff, including development of career and fundraising goals as appropriate.
- Manage a portfolio of major and principal gift donors and prospects, as defined by working with the WVU Foundation, through qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
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Plan, schedule, and complete frequent travel, both regional and national, to contact prospects and donors in completion of portfolio/pipeline management
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Maintain a comprehensive working knowledge of the College and University, including mission, history, and current fundraising priorities assuring effective representation of all opportunities and priorities for private support
Collaboration
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Build and maintain effective relationships with College leadership, faculty, and staff to align advancement activities with program priorities. In addition to the dean, key relationships include department chairs, associate deans, career services, and marketing & communications.
- Collaborate with Foundation leadership and central colleagues to develop strategies to link donor interest with college priorities
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Build and manage a network of relationships with prospective donors involving University and College leadership, faculty and volunteer to facilitate communication across entities and as well as with donors.
- Coordinating with Prospect Development and Strategy, suggest strategy meetings on multi-interest prospects with fundraising colleagues to keep gift discussions moving forward in a donor centric fashion
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Coordinate with Donor Relations and appropriate fundraising colleagues to develop and execute personalized stewardship plans for select donors and prospects
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Coordinate with the Annual Fund team in the execution of a comprehensive annual fund strategy
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Collaborate with gift processing
Organizational Management
- Comply with all WVU Foundation reporting and accountability standards and coordinate development efforts with University Units development staff as needed
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Participate in the Foundation’s human resource functions as necessary, including conducting performance evaluations, developing promotion plans, resolving problems, and documenting information
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Participate in Foundation sponsored professional development, including but not limited to Plus Delta training, leadership development, and systems training.
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Complete additional assignments as may be required by the supervisor, other Foundation senior management or the College’s Dean as appropriate
Impact in Your First Year
Within 3 months, you’ll:
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Understand the Dean’s strategic vision and priorities for the College
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Begin to build positive relationships with key internal constituents and external constituents as well as with leadership and peers in development
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Become familiar with the overarching structure of development at WVU Foundation and affiliated entities and the alignment between these organizations
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Attend onboarding, professional development and networking activities for newcomers
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Meet your assigned Prospect Development Strategist and begin to dig into your portfolio
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Be able to share the programmatic and philanthropic needs of College
Within 6 months, you’ll:
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Hire and onboard two additional gift officers
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Begin cultivating relationships with the key prospects/donors/alumni
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Understand, evaluate, and offer strategic insight into unit-specific advancement opportunities and initiatives
By the end of the first year, you’ll:
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Continue to develop and enhance a trusting and collaborative team culture
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Partner effectively with college and foundation partners
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Cooperatively set annual performance metrics with your staff
- Continue portfolio growth of qualified prospects and successful solicitation strategies
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Build a robust network of colleagues across campus
Qualifications
Education, Experience and Competencies:
Education and/or Experience
Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree. Master’s degree preferred. A minimum of 7 years of direct and progressively responsible experience in major/planned gift fundraising and management of direct reports is required.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
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Knowledge of the principles of advancement, fundraising and administration in a university environment.
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Demonstrated ability to build trusting partnerships across all constituents and create impactful donor experiences
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Understanding of higher education infrastructure, including institutional leadership, department leadership (faculty chairs/leaders), alumni structure and student experiences, as well as the operations and goals of development and alumni relations teams with a focus on philanthropy.
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Ability to work in a highly self-directed, proactive, and creative manner.
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Ability to function effectively in a large, de-centralized environment. Demonstrate knowledge about advancement and alumni relations. Excellent presentation skills and superior communication skills.
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Knowledge of planned giving fundraising vehicles.
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Interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with others.
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Ability to thrive in a team environment and actively contribute to the team’s success.
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Ability to manage multiple responsibilities and work in a fast-paced, changing environment.
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Ability to maintain confidentiality and to exhibit good judgment in making decisions concurrent with University policy.
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Knowledge of the major components of advancement, including development, communications and public relations, alumni
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relations, and special events
- Proficiency in computer and internet usage is necessary. Ability to accurately enter data into a database and recall information through reports is necessary. Professional experience with donor management systems and Microsoft Office Suite required.
Physical Demands
Air travel will be required. A valid driver’s license is required.
Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Certificates, Licenses and Registrations: CAP and/or CFRE preferred.
Physical requirements
While performing the responsibilities of the job, the employee is required to talk and hear. The employee is often required to sit and use his/her hands and fingers, to handle or feel. The employee is required to stand, walk, reach with arms and hands, and possibly at times, climb or balance, stoop or kneel. Vision abilities required to perform this job include close vision. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions.
Supervisory Responsibilities
Manages a fundraising staff of at least 2 other employees.
Other Duties
Work Environment: The position is expected to be in-person primarily, but purpose driven hybrid may be acceptable in alignment with the WVUF work/telecommuting policy. Travel is required at times for this position.
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time, with or without notice.
