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Vice President of Advancement

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified.

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Vice President for Advancement provides leadership for all fundraising and constituent engagement activities that support the mission and strategic priorities of Bluffton University. This position directs a comprehensive advancement program, including annual giving, major and planned gifts, corporate and foundation relations, and alumni and parent engagement.

The Vice President is responsible for developing and executing strategies that build philanthropic support and foster lifelong relationships between the university and its alumni, donors, and community partners. The Vice President serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet and staff representative to the Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

LEADERSHIP

  • Serve as member of the President’s Cabinet.
  • Direct, supervise, and mentor staff in Advancement, Alumni Relations, and Development.
  • Provide leadership and oversight for all fundraising initiatives, including comprehensive campaigns.
  • Develop and implement strategies to strengthen alumni, donor, and community engagement.
  • Partner with the President and Board of Trustees on cultivation and solicitation of major and planned gifts.
  • Serve as staff liaison to the Board’s Advancement Committee.
  • Set a tone of professionalism, accountability, and mission commitment within the Advancement team.

FUNDRAISING AND DONOR ENGAGEMENT

  • Design and implement a comprehensive advancement plan that includes annual giving, major gifts, planned giving, and corporate and foundation support.
  • Establish fundraising goals and track progress toward annual and campaign objectives.
  • Maintain a portfolio of major donors with annual fundraising goals of $1M+ through relationship management. Travel anticipated to be at least 30% of working schedule.
  • Responsible for meeting annual fundraising goals.
  • Coordinate and support the President’s role in donor cultivation and stewardship.
  • Develop and maintain relationships with alumni, parents, friends, and organizations to increase philanthropic support.
  • Provide oversight for advancement recognition programs and donor reporting.

FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT

  • Ensure appropriate stewardship and reporting of gifts.
  • Oversee policies and procedures for prospect management, donor records, and gift accounting in coordination with Finance and Advancement Services.

ALUMNI AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS

  • Strengthen the university’s alumni engagement strategy, including events, communications, and volunteer leadership.
  • Partner with alumni to expand mentoring, networking, and career opportunities for students and graduates.
  • Represent Bluffton University in the community and in professional advancement organizations.

BLUFFTON COLLEGE FOUNDATION RELATIONS

  • Serve as the university’s primary Advancement liaison to the Bluffton College Foundation, fostering a collaborative relationship with Foundation trustees and leadership and supporting Foundation operations as agreed upon by university administration and the Foundation’s Board of Trustees.
  • Coordinate university and Foundation advancement objectives and activities to support effective donor engagement, gift administration, and stewardship.
Qualifications:

Education/Certification:

  • Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in business, higher education, nonprofit leadership, advancement, or a related field preferred.
  • Evidence of continued professional development in fundraising, advancement, nonprofit leadership, or higher education.

Experience:

  • Significant progressively responsible experience in advancement, development, fundraising, alumni relations, nonprofit leadership, or a closely related field.
  • Demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding major gifts and in building sustained philanthropic relationships.
  • Experience developing and executing comprehensive fundraising strategies, including annual giving, major and planned gifts, campaigns, and corporate and foundation support.
  • Demonstrated experience leading, supervising, and developing professional staff and building effective teams.
  • Experience working effectively with senior institutional leaders, governing boards, volunteers, donors, and other external constituents.
  • Higher education advancement experience preferred.

Skills/Abilities:

  • Demonstrated ability to translate institutional mission, strategic priorities, and financial needs into compelling philanthropic opportunities and a coherent advancement strategy.
  • Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to establish trust with donors, alumni, colleagues, trustees, community partners, and other constituents.
  • Ability to serve as a strategic advisor and collaborative partner to the President while exercising appropriate initiative, judgment, and independent leadership within the responsibilities of the position.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead complex initiatives collaboratively across organizational boundaries and to work effectively as a member of a senior leadership team.
  • Strong organizational and management skills, including the ability to establish priorities, manage multiple initiatives, use data to assess performance, and hold oneself and others accountable for results.
  • Demonstrated understanding of advancement operations, including prospect management, gift administration and stewardship, fundraising forecasting and reporting, and the appropriate handling of restricted and unrestricted philanthropic resources.
  • Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with individuals and groups at all levels of the university and with external constituents.
  • Demonstrated commitment to ethical fundraising practices, donor intent, confidentiality, and responsible stewardship.
  • Ability to understand, articulate, and advance Bluffton University’s mission and identity, including its grounding in the historic peace church tradition and its commitment to educating students of all backgrounds.
Physical Demands/Work Environment:

The physical demands and/or work environment encountered by the employee while performing the essential responsibilities of this job must be met with or without reasonable accommodations. Reasonable accommodations will be considered and implemented when possible to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential responsibilities of this position. Secondary responsibilities may be removed when needed as an accommodation strategy.

Physical Demands: While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to sit, talk, and hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands to handle or operate office equipment, reach with hands and arms, and occasionally stand, walk, and lift or move up to 20 pounds. The position requires the ability to travel by automobile and commercial air for donor visits, events, and professional meetings. Extended periods of computer work and occasional evening and weekend responsibilities are expected.

Work Environment: The work environment is primarily a professional office setting on Bluffton University’s campus, with frequent off-site travel for donor engagement, alumni events, and university functions. The noise level in the work environment is typically moderate. During travel, the employee may experience varied work environments including conference facilities, event venues, airports, and other public or private locations.

Employment decisions are based on merit and university needs, and not on race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other status protected by law. As a religious institution, Bluffton University expressly reserves its rights to appoint faculty and staff who share a commitment to the Christian faith which is consistent with the Mennonite/Anabaptist beliefs of the university’s founding and supporting church. EOE.
DEADLINE:

Consideration of applications will begin immediately and continue until this position is filled.

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

Applications are considered complete when the following materials are received at the office indicated below:

Send application materials to:
Human resources
Bluffton University
1 University Drive
Bluffton, OH 45817-2104

hr@bluffton.edu

Posted 10/19/26

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