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Vice President for Advancement – Staff Position

JOB SUMMARY: William Penn University seeks an experienced, mission-driven advancement leader to serve as Vice President for Advancement. Reporting directly to the President and serving on the President’s Cabinet, the Vice President provides strategic leadership for the University’s comprehensive advancement enterprise, including fundraising, alumni engagement, marketing, and institutional communications. The Vice President serves as a key partner in advancing institutional priorities by strengthening philanthropic support, enhancing institutional visibility, and aligning advancement strategy with enrollment growth, student success, and long-term financial sustainability.

This role combines strategic vision with hands-on execution, sustaining fundraising momentum while building systems and relationships that position the University for future growth. The Vice President mentors and develops a growing advancement team, fosters collaboration across campus, and serves as a primary ambassador of the University to donors, alumni, community leaders, and external partners. The position ensures continuity, confidence, and coordinated engagement among stakeholders while reinforcing a culture of philanthropy throughout the institution.

DEPARTMENT: Advancement

QUALIFICATIONS: William Penn University seeks a leader who is collaborative, humble, relationship-centered, mission-aligned, and steady in times of transition—someone who builds trust quickly and leads with integrity and practicality. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Excel computer applications. Strong people skills, demonstrated organizational skills, detail oriented and time management skills. Must have strong communication skills – verbal and written. Team oriented office environment with demonstrated ability to prioritize multiple tasks. Able to travel, work occasional evenings and weekends.

A. Education Master’s degree preferred, but not required

B. Experience

  • The successful candidate will bring significant experience in higher education advancement or a related nonprofit setting, demonstrated success in major and/or corporate and foundation fundraising, comfort working hands-on in resource-constrained environments, and experience mentoring developing professionals. Familiarity with mission-centered or faith-informed institutions is welcomed.
  • The successful candidate will demonstrate progressively responsible leadership experience, including supervision of professional staff, budget oversight, and strategic planning within advancement, fundraising, marketing, communications, or a related field. Experience leading comprehensive campaigns, annual giving programs, alumni engagement initiatives, and integrated marketing efforts is strongly preferred.
  • Demonstrated success cultivating and soliciting major gifts from individuals, corporations, and foundations, including the ability to build long-term donor relationships and close complex gifts. Experience working closely with institutional leadership, governing boards, and volunteer leadership groups is highly valued.
  • The candidate should possess experience aligning advancement strategy with institutional priorities such as enrollment growth, student success initiatives, capital projects, and long-term financial sustainability. Experience implementing data-informed decision making, establishing performance metrics, and improving operational effectiveness within an advancement organization is preferred.
  • Background managing advancement systems, donor databases, reporting structures, and stewardship practices that support sustainable fundraising growth is desirable. Experience navigating organizational change, rebuilding trust, or leading teams through transition is strongly preferred.

C. Abilities

  • The Vice President leads an integrated advancement operation encompassing major and planned gifts, annual and leadership giving, alumni and family engagement, grants, stewardship, advancement operations, as well as all university marketing and directly oversees a team of eight professionals.• Fundraising Leadership and Execution: Sustain fundraising momentum; personally engage selected major, corporate, foundation, and planned gift prospects; steward significant legacy commitments; and strengthen the institutional case for support.
  • Development Team Leadership: Mentor and develop staff; establish clarity, accountability, and effective systems; and provide stability during leadership transition.
  • Campus-Wide Collaboration: Partner with the President and senior leaders to coordinate donor engagement, reduce fragmentation, and strengthen institution-wide philanthropy.
  • Strategic Assessment: Evaluate current practices, identify opportunities for improvement, and offer practical, mission-aligned recommendations.
  • Strategic Leadership: Ability to develop and execute a comprehensive advancement strategy aligned with institutional mission, enrollment priorities, and long-term financial sustainability goals.
  • Executive Communication: Ability to effectively represent the University with high-level donors, alumni, community leaders, foundations, and corporate partners while serving as a trusted advisor to the President and Cabinet.
  • Philanthropic Relationship Management: Demonstrated ability to inspire philanthropic investment through relationship building, storytelling, and articulation of institutional impact.
  • Data-Informed Decision Making: Ability to interpret fundraising analytics, donor trends, and engagement metrics to guide strategy, forecasting, and resource allocation.
  • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Ability to work effectively with athletics, academics, enrollment, finance, and student life to ensure coordinated messaging and donor engagement efforts.
  • Financial and Operational Oversight: Ability to manage advancement budgets, campaign resources, and return-on-investment considerations while ensuring responsible stewardship of institutional resources.
  • Brand and Messaging Alignment: Understanding of integrated marketing and communications strategies that strengthen institutional reputation and support enrollment and fundraising outcomes.
  • Significant experience with Blackbaud and/or other SIS/advancement software

D. Leadership Competencies

  • Mission-Centered Leadership: Demonstrates commitment to the mission, values, and student-centered focus of William Penn University, modeling integrity, transparency, and stewardship in all interactions.
  • Strategic Thinking and Vision: Ability to anticipate future opportunities, risks, and trends in higher education advancement and philanthropy.
  • Relationship-Based Leadership: Builds trust across campus and externally through collaboration, accessibility, and consistent follow-through.
  • Executive Presence: Communicates with confidence, professionalism, and clarity when engaging donors, trustees, senior leadership, and community partners.
  • Influence Without Authority: Effectively advances institutional priorities by aligning diverse stakeholders and fostering shared ownership of fundraising and engagement goals.
  • Accountability and Results Orientation: Establishes measurable goals, monitors progress, and ensures outcomes align with institutional expectations and advancement benchmarks.
  • Adaptability and Resilience: Leads effectively through change, ambiguity, and evolving institutional needs while maintaining stability and forward momentum.
  • Talent Development: Coaches and develops staff to strengthen professional growth and long-term organizational capacity.

REPORTS TO: President

PERFORMANCE RESPONSIBILITIES:

A. Represents the University in a positive manner with prospective, current, and former students, employees, and the community.
B. Demonstrates enthusiasm, self-motivation, and a positive attitude in meeting and dealing effectively and courteously with students, other personnel, and all members of the community.
C. Works as a TEAM member
D. Will support the performance evaluation system established by William Penn University and do evaluations of your subordinates as per the guidelines established.
E. Fundraising: Maintain or increase total fundraising compared to the prior year; active management of a defined prospect portfolio; continued progress on major and legacy gifts.
F. Team Development: Improved clarity of roles and processes; increased staff confidence and effectiveness; sustainable fundraising practices in place.
G. Institutional Alignment: Stronger coordination with athletics and academics; improved campus understanding of fundraising strategy; fewer uncoordinated solicitations.

EVALUATION:

Performance of this position will be evaluated in accordance with the policies established by the Board of Directors of William Penn University.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: At will employee

Send cover letter, resume, and references to: 

Human Resources
William Penn University
201 Trueblood Ave
Oskaloosa, IA 52577
johnsonb@wmpenn.edu