Job Title Vice President of Development & Institutional Advancement and Executive Director of The City College 21st Century Foundation
Department Development & Institutional Advancement
Category Exec/Admin/Managerial
Date Posted 11/30/12
Closing Date Until Filled
Position Detail Open until filled with review of applications beginning December 14, 2012.
FLSA Status Exempt
Compensation Commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Position Description and Duties
CAMPUS SPECIFIC INFORMATION
New York's original public institution of higher learning, the first great democratic experiment in higher education, The City College of New York is seeking a new Vice President of Development and Institutional Advancement.
City was founded in 1847 to provide a free education to the children of the rich and the poor with no distinction save that of industry, good conduct, and intellect. An historic leader in educational excellence, considered for many years the flagship member of the City University of New York (CUNY), it leads all CUNY schools in philanthropy. The new Vice President will work closely with world renowned City College faculty, Deans, Board members, and President Lisa Coico to leverage a base of committed, exceptional donors, a record of leadership gifts in the seven and eight figure range, and an annual level of about $40 million in gifts and support.
City students have often been those first-generation college students, some of the best and brightest, who, through their collaborations with professors, have made City an intellectual powerhouse. City strivers have made their mark in New York and the world for more than 160 years, and include luminaries such as Colin Powell, Jonas Salk, Upton Sinclair, and Andrew Grove. Named one of Princeton Review's Best Colleges, 2013 edition, it has successfully sought, and continues to find, innovative solutions to serving a highly diverse and academically strong student population with excellence. Today the school has over 16,000 students and 100,000 alumni.
Dr. Lisa S. Coico, City's President and a nationally prominent educator and researcher in microbiology and immunology, brings to City a passionate mission commitment and a conviction that the expansion of philanthropic support at City is core to excellence. Engaging philanthropic support is one of her prime responsibilities. Reporting to President Coico, the Vice President of Development and Institutional Advancement is joining City as it begins a major strategic planning initiative. Candidates for this position should anticipate partnering with leadership to plan for and implement a campaign built on a visionary plan for the school.
President Coico names City's top three priorities as:
- Providing a world-class education to City students
- Supporting City faculty - its "heart"
- Raising the visibility of City in the community
As a member of the President's Cabinet and of the City's senior management team, the Vice President of Development and Institutional Advancement will be the leader of City College's Office of Development and Institutional Advancement, with a staff of approximately 10. The Vice President is also Executive Director of The City College 21st Century Foundation, Inc., which is one of several key supporting organizations for City. The Board of the 21st Century Foundation provides exceptional philanthropic leadership for City; working closely with the Board is a key responsibility for the position.
City also benefits from the City College Fund. The Fund was founded in 1946 to support City College in its mission to provide access and excellence in higher education, particularly to students who might not otherwise be able to afford to go to college. The Fund is an independent foundation with seven staff members. It organizes reunions for City College alumni and raises unrestricted funds for the College through its annual fund. The City College Fund raised $8 million in 2012. Working in concert with the President, the Vice President will collaborate with the Executive Director of the City College Fund to build a more effective, cohesive, college-wide development effort.
The Vice President will also work alongside the 100-year-old City College Alumni Association. The Alumni Association is an independent organization with its own officers and Board of Directors and promotes the relationship between the City alums and the college. It is primarily a dues-based organization.
Plans are currently being considered to expand major gift staffing for City College's Office of Development and Institutional Advancement, to more fully support development of philanthropic opportunities with the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, the Grove School of Engineering, the Division of Science, and the Division of Social Science. The Vice President will be expected to review plans and expand the department as appropriate. Additionally, discussions are under way to expand major gift staffing for the City College Fund, to more fully take advantage of philanthropic opportunities at City College's Division of Humanities & the Arts, The School of Education, and the Spitzer School of Architecture. Social media and marketing needs are also under review.
The new Vice President should anticipate working in an innovative, ambitious and mission driven environment, collaborating closely with the President and other City College leaders.
Additionally, specific responsibilities will include:
- Working closely on initiatives with the 21st Century Foundation's Board and helping members to cultivate and solicit donors to City. The Executive Director's responsibilities include policy making and fiduciary oversight.
- Establishing him/herself as part of the senior leadership team and working in alignment with the Deans and other Vice Presidents to establish goals and plans that best meet the President's priorities and reflect and are grounded in the realistic assessment of City's philanthropic opportunities and potential.
- Planning for and achieving an accountable and more fully integrated development and institutional advancement program for enduring growth in private support.
- Planning for and implementing a new major campaign in support of City's new strategic plan (strategic planning process is in progress). Completing outstanding campaigns.
- Leading and motivating an effective team and implementing innovative operational processes and procedures.
- Developing an expanded comprehensive major gifts program across all aspects of City to attract funds for programs, schools, institutes and centers as well as securing foundation and corporate support.
- Working closely with offices of research and sponsored programs to develop opportunities that align philanthropy and grant awards with college programs.
- Using social media, marketing, events and working with the Office of Communications to develop innovative approaches to reach out and enlarge the base of support.
CUNY offers a comprehensive benefits package to employees and eligible dependents based on job title and classification. Employees are also offered pension and Tax-Deferred Savings Plans. Part-time employees must meet a weekly or semester work hour criteria to be eligible for health benefits. Health benefits are also extended to retirees who meet the eligibility criteria.
Qualifications and RequirementsMINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
This position is in CUNY's Executive Compensation Plan. All executive positions require a minimum of a Bachelor's degree and eight years' related experience. Additional qualifications are defined below by the College.
OTHER QUALIFICATIONS
Leadership/Management
- Proven ability to be a strategic partner to the President; to leverage board leadership, and establish a culture of philanthropy
- Able to motivate and support volunteer leadership to strategic priorities
- Strong interpersonal skills and excellent communicator and spokesperson
- Excellent management experience; strong planning attitude
- Proven success building relationships across an organization's multiple constituencies (deans and directors, faculty, alums, senior management, etc.)
- Able to meet fiduciary and policy setting needs of the 21st Century Foundation
Development and Institutional Advancement
- Proven success working with philanthropic leaders including cultivating and soliciting 7-figure gifts from individuals
- Successful capital campaign experience
- Demonstrated success managing and mentoring a development team
- Broad institutional advancement experience, suitable to build a comprehensive institutional advancement program (major gifts, stewardship, annual fund, events, foundation and corporate support, liaison with alumni associations)
All candidates must have
- A demonstrated appreciation for and commitment to City College's mission and vision
- 12+ years progressively responsible development experience that includes leadership and program building; and a minimum of three years working in a university/higher education setting
- BA required
Please email cover letter and resume in confidence to: ccny@developmentguild.com
Suzanne Weber, CEO, and Sean O'Connor, Senior Vice President
For more information, please visit: http://www.developmentguild.com/current-executive-searches/the-city-college-of-new-york-vice-president-of-development/
