Vice President of Advancement

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.

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)

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.

We offer a complete benefits package to full-time faculty and staff including healthcare coverage, retirement plan contributions, flexible spending and health savings accounts, life insurance, long-term and short-term disability, tuition remission and tuition exchange participation as well as an extensive holiday, summer hours and paid time off leave schedule.

Detailed information regarding our benefits program and eligibility is provided once hired or you can contact Human Resources with any questions.