ASSISTANT DEAN FOR DEVELOPMENT, COLLEGE AND GRADUATE SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES, Development &...
- Employer
- Boston University
- Location
- BOSTON, Massachusetts, United States
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- Administrative Jobs
- Institutional & Business Affairs, Alumni Relations & Development
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
Our Mission
We in Boston University Development & Alumni Relations (DAR) harness the power of philanthropy to make an excellent education accessible and welcoming to all, and to advance BU’s global leadership in research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice. To support our work, we have built—and are continuing to build—an outstanding team of dynamic, mission-driven advancement professionals who constantly strive to create an environment where everyone belongs. Where it is not just about a job, but a career and a community.
Now, our highly collaborative, motivated central team overseeing Development and Alumni Relations for the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is looking for an Assistant Dean for Development & Alumni Relations who oversee all Arts and Sciences development and alumni relations activity including identifying, cultivating, and soliciting top prospects to secure major gifts for the school.
Development and Alumni Relations, College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
With over 100,000 alumni, the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is the largest College within Boston University. The Development and Alumni Relations team for the College and Graduate School of Arts and Sciences is responsible for engaging and connecting with domestic alumni, parents/families, and friends to raise philanthropic dollars in support of priorities for the College and Graduate School. The College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is led by Dean Stan Sclaroff. The Dean’s Advisory Board is an active group of volunteers committed to advising the Dean and to helping develop networks in local regions to identify philanthropic supporters of the Dean’s priorities.
Assistant Dean for Development & Alumni Relations
Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for School Development (AVP), the Assistant Dean will work with the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, the Vice President for Development, the AVP, the Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) staff, and volunteer leadership, to create, plan, advance and implement a wide range of fundraising activities, strategies, programs and priorities as part of the University’s next comprehensive campaign and in support of the College’s strategic plan.
Responsibilities:
- Actively maintain a portfolio of leadership and principal gift prospects and cultivate, solicit and steward them on behalf of the College of Arts and Sciences. Craft and present proposals for leadership/principal gift solicitations and prepare other fundraising materials to be used to maximize philanthropy for the College’s key strategic priorities. In partnership with the Dean, manage the College’s Dean’s Advisory Board. Work closely with board members to maximize their philanthropy to the College’s key strategic funding priorities.
- Manage, oversee, and provide mentorship for the associate director, senior major gift officer and development coordinator that directly supports the CAS DAR team. Supervise the office, budget, and fulfill administrative duties as required by DAR, the College of Arts and Sciences, and BU-wide operating procedures.
- Play primary role in managing and tracking specific fundraising initiatives as agreed by the Dean and Assistant Vice President in accordance with the University’s and the College’s strategic plan. Serve as the College’s information resource for Development and Alumni Relations. Provide communication about specific departments and programs as well as overarching School-wide initiatives. Coordinate with Major Gift Officers, Planned Giving Officers, Principal Gift Officers, and the Office of Alumni Engagement in their activities on behalf of the Arts and Sciences and assist with linkage to the College’s faculty and staff as needed to advance prospect activity.
- Serve as member of College’s senior leadership team representing DAR in faculty meetings and other assignments as deemed critical to the fundraising/alumni relations agenda by the Dean and the Assistant Vice President. Serve as a key external spokesperson for the College.
A cover letter is required for consideration.
- Bachelor’s degree
- 12+ years of relevant experience, with 8+ years of demonstrated leadership.
- Strong development credentials including proven track record of building and developing a high-level portfolio
- Outstanding and successful experience as a fundraiser, including comprehensive management of major and principal gifts prospects
- Effective experience in enlisting and interacting with senior level leadership volunteers and committees
- Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills
- Superb judgment and the sensibility to adjudicate wisely among competing priorities
- A disposition to listen and circulate widely
- Outstanding interpersonal skills
- Exceptional reasoning, problem-solving and analytical skills, including an ability to translate ideas and concepts into clear, actionable steps
- Superb organizational skills and the ability to multi-task
- Ability to work independently as well collaboratively with team members
- Energy and stamina, self-confidence and humility, a strong sense of purpose, a tolerance for ambiguity and a sense of humor
- Extensive travel, nights and weekends required.
But that’s not all we’re looking for; we want someone who embodies our values:
- Teamwork, transparency, and mutual respect, because we value every member’s contributions and know that leadership can come from anywhere.
- Diversity, equity, inclusion, and a commitment to ensuring that each of us knows we belong here.
- Integrity in how we work and how we treat one another.
- Strategic thinking and curiosity in the relentless pursuit of fresh approaches and measurable results.
- Continuous growth and improvement, both as individuals and as a team.
- Joy and shared appreciation for working hard toward goals that matter.
If this resonates with you and you want to help us in our ambitious next campaign—and maybe do some of your best work as an advancement professional— we encourage you to apply.If you are hesitant to apply because you have not previously performed every responsibility listed in the description, but you do possess transferable skills and the defined qualifications, we still want to hear from you and welcome your application as well.
To learn more about Development & Alumni Relations at Boston University, and other job opportunities, please stop by the DAR Talent website: https://www.bu.edu/dar-talent/.
Please note all newly hired staff and faculty will need to be in compliance with Boston University’s COVID-19 Vaccination and Booster Requirement within 30 days of date of hire. You must upload your vaccine documentation or request a medical or religious exemption (instructions). For further information on the University’s response to COVID-19, please visit the COVID-19 Resources site.
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical or mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, military service, pregnancy or pregnancy-related condition, or because of marital, parental, or veteran status. We are a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete the employment application process, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 617-358-1796.
Job LocationBOSTON, Massachusetts, United StatesPosition TypeFull-Time/RegularOrganization
The Difference Is Our DNA
What compelled the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to award Boston University a grant to fight newborn mortality in Zambia? Why did Martin Luther King, Jr. adopt BU as a place where he could hone his message of justice and equality? And what is the catalyst that prompts 32,557 students from 135 countries to call BU their home every semester? It’s in our DNA: an inherent desire in each of our students, faculty, and staff to vigorously and dauntlessly pursue knowledge—and embrace the unlimited possibilities that come with it.
A Community Unlike Any Other
As you can see below, it takes people, ideas, and a little luck (Boston, you’re our town) to make BU what it is today: one of the most dynamic universities in the world.
Celebrated thinkers: On any given day, students will find themselves mesmerized by Nobel Prize winners, a poet laureate, and the first biomedical engineer ever to receive a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Award,” among others.
Extraordinary teaching: When a classroom starts to percolate with new ideas, it’s because our faculty of scholars and accomplished practitioners know how to ignite students’ imaginations. That’s why we reward our best teachers with BU’s most prestigious honor: The Metcalf Cup and Prize.
Groundbreaking research: With faculty dedicated to a creative, interdisciplinary approach to problem solving, BU has become a leading global research institution—propelled forward by over $350 million a year in sponsored program revenue.
World-class students: Elite students from all 50 states and 135 countries pursue higher education on BU campuses in Boston and at programs in L.A., D.C., and more than 30 other cities on six continents.
A city within a city: Today, 80% of our undergrads live on campus, which could explain the 525 student activity groups alone.
The greatest college town in the world: Boston. ’Nuff said.
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