Support Staff

Advancement Administration Associate

Full Time

Office of Advancement

Office of Advancement

Colgate University, a top-ranked liberal arts college, is seeking an Advancement Administration Associate to play an integral role in helping the Vice President and senior leadership team successfully complete a $1 billion campaign. Founded in 1819, Colgate is a small, highly selective residential liberal arts college for students of talent who are preparing for lives of leadership and productive citizenship.
Colgate University has now entered its Third Century and the strong tradition of philanthropy and engagement continues. On an annual basis, more than 56% of Colgate’s alumni engage with the University through philanthropy, volunteering, or engaging at online and in person programs, including signature events like Reunion that draws in more than 2500 alumni and guests. This tradition of philanthropy paired with strong levels of alumni affinity position Colgate well for even greater success, as the Vice President and his team prepare to lead the community into a historic and comprehensive $1 billion campaign to help execute the Third-Century Plan.
The Third-Century Plan represents the largest and most important transformation in the history of Colgate. It will both complete our physical campus and fully realize our potential to become one of the great institutions in the nation — and, perhaps, one of the most important undergraduate colleges in the country.

The Advancement Administration Associate serves as a key member of Colgate University’s Office of Advancement. This position reports to the AVP for Advancement Administration and Strategic Talent Management and works in close collaboration with the Vice President of Advancement and other senior staff within Advancement on a wide range of projects and activities. This position will exercise considerable discretion and judgment and will be in service to the Office of Advancement senior leadership team.
Specific accountabilities include:

• Manages the VP’s calendar and prioritizes their time and schedule; arranges the Vice President’s travel and meetings; supports the Vice President broadly on all matters
• Point person for the Office of the University President on all advancement matters, including meetings, events, schedules, briefings, correspondence, and other action items
• Supports VP and senior management team members in meetings by taking notes and assuming responsibility for completion of action items
• Serves as point of contact for VP and senior management team
• Participates with the VP and senior management team in strategic planning, policy development, and decision-making
• Ensures timely and effective completion of projects and initiatives of the VP and senior management team
• Researches and recommends new and revised policies
• Maintains accurate confidential files and data records
• Keeps VP and senior management team organized with logistics, meetings, and emails
• Creates and maintains cross-departmental relationships to enable leadership success
• In collaboration with the AVP for Advancement Administration and Strategic Talent Management, manages divisional budgets and campaign resources
• Offers guidance and mentorship to Advancement department administrators and has authority to delegate responsibilities to other department administrators as needed

Office Productivity:

Demonstrated ability to effectively utilize all university productivity applications (e.g. MS Office, Concur, EMS, CMS, and Google) to include: collecting, updating, formatting and organizing moderately complex data such as sorts, filters, charts, pivot tables, all basic to intermediate level formulae, table of content formatting, mail merges, track changes and other similar features. Demonstrated ability to efficiently leverage standard office software to manage calendars, contacts and email correspondence for department staff.

Travel Logistics

Demonstrated ability to effectively create travel plans involving multiple modes of transportation, destinations and lodging. Demonstrated ability to quickly, efficiently and inexpensively alter travel plans and itineraries. Demonstrated ability to consistently stay within university travel restrictions and guidelines.

Technical Data Systems:

Demonstrated ability to utilize relevant data systems/software, e.g. Enterprise Resource Planning tool (Banner), Business Intelligence (Tableau). Demonstrated ability to enter, manipulate, query and export all data sets used in day-to-day situations. Demonstrated ability to use all day-to-day and core functionality of all relevant systems.

Administrative Procedures:

Demonstrated mastery of commonly used Colgate and divisional/functional administrative policies and practices. Has knowledge sufficient to follow administrative procedures and processes that are most critical to the department. Has knowledge sufficient to train others on all core and common administrative procedures. Has knowledge sufficient to create desktop aids or guides in the execution of common administrative procedures and processes. Demonstrated ability to effectively pull together sensitive and moderately complex data and information into an organized and cohesive product.

Team Leader

Demonstrated ability to plan and coordinate the activities of other support staff within the division in a timely and effective manner. Demonstrated ability to develop clear work procedures and training processes. Demonstrated ability to actively seek input and involve group members in divisional processes. Develops and uses collaborative relationships to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals.

Domain-Specific Skills

Demonstrated ability to serve as an ambassador to external constituents such as alumni, parents, friends, government officials, donors, and members of volunteer groups including the Board of Trustees, Campaign Leadership Committee, Alumni Council, and Parents’ Steering Committee.

Professionalism

Exceptional organizational skills, analytical skills, attention to detail, and ability to work in a deadline-driven environment. Ability to handle confidential matters with discretion.

Personal Accountability for Results

Takes responsibility for decisions, performance, and outcomes; behaves in a responsible manner with a positive attitude; shows self-awareness and openness to feedback.

Effective Communication

Demonstrates effective written and oral communication skills; shares information and seeks input from others; adapts communication to diverse audiences; protects private and confidential information.

Problem Solving and Decision Making

Analyzes and prioritizes situations to identify and solve problems; generates solutions to improve efficiency and quality; involves others in solving problems and making decisions; factors organizational goals into decisions; makes clear, transparent, and timely decisions.

Change Management

Responds positively to changing university initiatives and readily adapts behavior to maintain effective performance; understands the long-term direction of the university and can relate this to departmental area; adapts to new methodologies; identifies and acts on areas where change is appropriate.

Leadership and Teamwork

Applies skills and knowledge to provide a climate to achieve departmental and organizational success; balances individual and department goals; helps others perform at their best; builds productive relationships to enhance individual and organizational effectiveness; treats others with respect; resolves conflicts among team members.

Creativity and Innovation

Generates, explores, encourages, and implements innovative ways of creating strategic value for the university, division, department, and individual level; critically assesses the effectiveness of new initiatives.

Diversity and Inclusion

Demonstrates respect for people and their differences; understands the benefits of a diverse workforce; earns the trust and respect of others; includes and welcomes others; works to understand the perspective of others; promotes opportunities to experience diversity within our community.

Sustainability

Understands the impact of decision making and personal behavior in achieving the university’s commitment to a sustainable and carbon-neutral campus; supports and advances the university’s sustainability initiatives; influences others to use sustainable practices.

• Minimum of five years of administrative experience, including experience supporting executive individuals and/or teams
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality at the highest levels
• Demonstrated ability to deal with large amount of ambiguity across differing teams/projects at once
• Requires keen interpersonal skills and exceptional judgment to facilitate collaboration and communication among diverse groups while exercising discretion and judgment with respect to confidential documentation
• Ability to multitask and adapt to changing priorities
• Demonstrated excellent written (including editing and proofreading) and oral communications skills, including the ability to deal effectively with a wide range of constituencies, both internal and external
• Advanced proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
• Demonstrated planning and organizational skills

• Previous experience with fundraising and/or alumni relations
• Previous experience supporting high level leadership boards/groups/councils
• Experience with coordinating complex travel arrangements, managing complex scheduling/calendars
• Experience with drafting professional correspondence
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge/NXT

A Bachelor’s degree is preferred, or a combination of education and experience from which comparable skills are attained.

A preference will be given to strong internal candidates.

2022S131Posting

No

Weekdays, with occasional weekends.

This position is scheduled to work 40 hours per week.

09/26/2022

Yes

It is the policy of Colgate University not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of their race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, pregnancy, national origin, marital status, disability, protected Veterans status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, being or having been victims of domestic violence or stalking, familial status, or any other categories covered by law. Colgate is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Candidates from historically underrepresented groups, women, persons with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.

CAMPUS CRIME REPORTING AND STATISTICS
The Campus Safety Department will provide upon request a copy of Colgate’s Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. This report includes statistics as reported to the United States Department of Education for the previous three years concerning reported: 1. crimes that occurred on-campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Colgate University; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus and 2. fires that occurred in student housing facilities. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security and fire safety, such as policies concerning sexual assault, life safety systems, and other related matters. To obtain a copy, contact the Campus Safety Compliance Manager via e-mail at cusafety@colgate.edu. You may also access the report from the Campus Safety web page at: www.colgate.edu/offices/support/campussafety.