Job Details

Director of Advancement - Student Experience
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Position Number: 5203809
Location: El Paso, TX
Position Type: Business - Marketing and Sales

Director of Advancement - Student Experience

Job ID: 11552
Location: El Paso, TX
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Regular/Temporary: $RegTemp

About UTEP

UTEP is a comprehensive public research university that is increasing access to excellent higher education. We advance discovery of public value and positively impact the health, culture, education, and economy of the community we serve.

The University of Texas at El Paso is America's leading Hispanic-serving university. Located at the westernmost tip of Texas, where three states and two countries converge along the Rio Grande, 84% of our 24,000 students are Hispanic, and more than half are the first in their families to go to college. UTEP offers 172 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs at the only open-access, top-tier research university in America.

Position Information

Hiring Department: Institutional Advancement

Posting End Date: Open until filled.

Hours: 40 hours per week, standard Monday- Friday 8:00am- 5:00pm, flexibility is required on evenings and weekends

FLSA status: Exempt

Earliest Start Date: As soon as possible.

Salary: $70,000 - $87,500 annually

Required Application Materials:

Resume
Cover Letter
List of three references

The primary accountabilities are intended to describe the general content of and requirements of this position and are not intended to be an exhaustive statement of duties. Incumbents may perform all or some of the primary accountabilities listed. Specific tasks or responsibilities will be documented in the incumbents' performance objectives as outlined by the incumbents' immediate supervisor or manager. This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes the employer to obtain criminal history record information. A valid driver's license issued by the State where the applicant resides and insurability as defined in UTS 157 may be required to perform the position's essential functions.

Purpose of Position

What Is Institution Advancement & Who Should Apply?

Our team works cohesively to build strategic relationships, keep alumni connected to each other and to the University, and match philanthropic goals with institutional priorities to advance, support, and sustain the University's mission. Our division relies on the constant collaboration of our departments - External Relations, Development, Advancement Services, and Strategy & Engagement.

With a growing team and vastly unrealized fundraising potential, we had our third straight record-breaking year last year and are poised for continued growth and success. Maintaining that momentum, we are excited to continue to implement innovative ways to extend our reach and impact.

As America's leading Hispanic-serving university, the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is dedicated to increasing access to excellent higher education and positively impacting the community we serve. Our culture of care and excellence is more than a commitment at UTEP IA - it is the foundation of all we do.

Read on to understand more about who we're looking for in this role, what you'll do, and the skills and experience we're after. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interest in UTEP and Institutional Advancement as well as what you hope to bring to this role.

About the Division of Student Affairs:

This area of student success encompasses multitude of investment opportunities such as the Center for Accommodations and Support Services, Dean of Students, International Programs, Career Center, Child Care, Counseling and Psychological Services, Student Conduct and Conflict Resolution, Recreational Sports, Residence Life, Student Engagement and Leadership Center, Student Government Association, Student Media and Publications, Union Services, Student Fellowships and Awards, Military Student Success, and Campus Advocacy, Resources, and Education.

The Division of Student Affairs provides a supportive and encouraging environment that allows students to build learning skills, cultivate a global perspective, prioritize balance in their lives, and develop a commitment to campus and community engagement.

Our Approach to Development & What We Value:

Our development officers are 100% Institutional Advancement employees who are assigned to schools, colleges, or other campus units to become content experts in their unit, build a robust portfolio and pipeline of giving, and collaborate with unit leaders to develop compelling philanthropic opportunities.

With a centralized division, additional IA units provide support to each fundraiser, including annual giving, stewardship and events, prospect research, principal gifts, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, and marketing and communications. We believe in maintaining smaller portfolios that can be worked within a reasonable time and will not tolerate prospect-hoarding that jeopardizes donor experience or institutional support. Shared credit is expected and encouraged; we value collaboration and teamwork above personal gain and convenience.

Our weighted metric system reflects the scope of influence a fundraiser has based on the stage of gift cycle and tenure in the role. New fundraisers and new hires will prioritize substantive visits over dollars raised. Over time, the weight of success will shift to proposals and dollars raised.

With most of our donors located in the El Paso area, travel is generally within driving distance. We encourage our team to use whatever means are necessary to continue gift conversations and do not penalize someone for using Zoom or other means to move the conversation along.

Essential Functions:

Reporting to Associate Vice President of Development with a dotted line to the Vice President of Student Affairs, you'll be charged with creating, implementing, and executing a comprehensive development strategy for the Division of Student Affairs.

You'll manage a portfolio of major ($25,000+) and principal-level ($1,000,000+) prospects regionally and nationally, develop and execute strategies leading to successful evaluation, cultivation, solicitation, and investment that aims to leverage donors' interests with campus-wide student success initiatives and opportunities.

Working closely with campus partners in Student Affairs, the schools and colleges, and our unit-based development team, you will guide the identification and prioritization of the fundraising opportunities that propel the Division of Student Affairs towards its goal of improving education, leading the University in research, and enhancing service to the community. These initiatives, and the personal impact your work will make on the lives of our students, have vastly unrealized fundraising potential.

No two days will be the same, but you can expect them to be filled with identifying and strategizing investment opportunities and building impactful, long-term relationships with the Division's constituents. As a part of a centralized Institutional Advancement division, you'll be supported not only by your AVP and immediate teammates but also by colleagues across the division in prospect research, stewardship, alumni engagement, and communications.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Required Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor's degree OR an equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired

and

Experience: Five (5) years successful major gift fundraising experience or relevant experience

Applicants Should Demonstrate:

Ability to ensure the confidentiality and privacy of donor-related details, financial transactions, and strategic plans, reflecting the utmost respect for the trust placed in our development efforts.

Ability to navigate the intricacies of fundraising with discretion and responsibility.

Success persuading and influencing groups and individuals to support the organization's agenda, particularly donors, colleagues, volunteer leadership, and other stakeholders.

An unending commitment to positively contributing to our team culture; we all commit to making UTEP IA a great place to work.

Tenacious optimism and a goal-oriented, growth mindset; the ability to remain flexible and develop creative solutions in pursuit of always maintaining forward momentum.

Capacity to multitask and continually balance competing priorities within a dynamic environment.

Ability to work independently and collaboratively on a small team with limited resources, supporting the success of all colleagues and prioritizing UTEP's overall goals above personal achievement.

Ability to work some evenings or weekends.

Who We Want:

An ambitious and dynamic leader with a proven track-record in development to serve as the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) Institutional Advancement's Director of Advancement for Student Experience. As we build out our Development unit, we are looking for a highly collaborative central senior development officer to implement a comprehensive development strategy and serve as the primary liaison to the Division of Student Affairs.

Your dedication to consistently demonstrate a commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and exercising sound professional judgment is critical. This entails ensuring the confidentiality and privacy of donor-related details, financial transactions, and strategic plans, reflecting the utmost respect for the trust placed in our development efforts. Your ability to navigate the intricacies of fundraising with discretion and responsibility reinforces the credibility and reputation of the Institutional Advancement team and the University.

As a self-motivated relationship builder, your curiosity drives you to look outside your experiences and pursue excellence in everything you do. You're resourceful and resilient; you often take it upon yourself to identify resources, ideas, and people to whom you can look for inspiration. Supported by your leadership team, you are eager to take smart risks and try out new opportunities.

Preferred Qualifications:

Advanced degree

A working understanding of a research university environment with prominent faculty along with the grace and enthusiasm necessary to engage high net-worth individuals.

Demonstrated success fundraising for another academic unit, youth-serving agency, business school or program.

Experience using a fundraising database (we use Raiser's Edge/NXT and FPM)

Additional Information

How You'll Measure Success:

Understanding how you would measure success in a role is critical to understanding if it's a good fit. In Institutional Advancement, we believe Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) contribute not only to overall productivity of our division but also o our team engagement. As such, we like to establish the measures of success early, consistently talk about performance, and formally review them quarterly to ensure we're providing two-way feedback in a timely and consistent manner.

The Key Performance Indicators for this role:

Individually conducted donor visits, particularly discovery visits, with donors and prospects
Number of major gift proposals presented
Number of major gift proposals closed
Dollars secured for the University and the Division of Student Affairs

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee must frequently stand and walk. The employee must regularly sit; use hands to feel; reach with hands and arms; and talk or hear. The employee must lift and move up to 25 pounds.

The noise level for this work environment is usually moderate.

In keeping with its access, excellence and impact mission, The University of Texas at El Paso is committed to an open, diverse, and inclusive learning and working environment that honors the talents, respects the differences, and nurtures the growth and development of all. We seek to attract faculty and staff who share our commitment.

The University of Texas at El Paso is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. The University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or sexual orientation and gender in employment or the provision of services in accordance with state and federal law. Discrimination on the basis of sex includes an employee's or prospective employee's right to be free from sexual harassment under Title IX of the Higher Education Amendments of 1972.

For accommodation information for employees and applicants with disabilities, please contact UTEP's Equal Opportunity Office at eoaa@utep.edu.

To apply, visit https://zahr-prd-candidate-ada.utshare.utsystem.edu/psp/ZAHRPRDADA/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=2&JobOpeningId=11552&PostingSeq=1