Vice President of Philanthropy & Alumni Relations - AlwaysAnAggie : Job Details

Description

Position Classification Title: Vice President of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Salary: $220,000-$260,000 annually

About Us:

The New Mexico State University Foundation invites you to apply to join our diverse, dynamic, and welcoming team in Las Cruces, NM. The NMSU Foundation seeks to provide the pinnacle career experience for each member of our team. The Foundation is seeking talented individuals who are passionate about the mission of NMSU and committed to a continual pursuit of excellence. We build strong relationships with alumni, supporters, NMSU partners, and each other, while personifying our core values of integrity, teamwork, stewardship, innovation, and fun.

We offer a highly competitive salary including incentive compensation, an industry-leading benefits package, and a fun and fulfilling work environment. Qualified individuals with a high level of energy who are looking for a work environment that nurtures vision, performance, productivity, superior quality, and unsurpassed integrity are encouraged to apply for this career opportunity.

Job Summary:

The Vice President of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations will provide a strategic vision, oversee the planning and execution of a comprehensive campaign, ensure operational excellence for a robust development and alumni relations program, and manage a portfolio of gift prospects to cultivate and secure philanthropic support. The Vice President will provide vision and leadership and will oversee the growth and development of a newly created alumni relations program. The Vice President will serve as an NMSU Foundation Senior Leadership Team member and will work closely with the team to create and execute strategies to achieve University-wide goals through philanthropy and alumni engagement.

Essential Functions:

The New Mexico State University Foundation seeks a Vice President of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations with:

• A demonstrated success in closing principal (1 M+) and transformational gifts (5M+).
• A commitment to the mission of the New Mexico State University Foundation—to foster long- term relationships with alums, supporters, and the community to secure, manage, steward, and protect a sustainable source of private resources that will enhance the ability of New Mexico State University to fulfill its land grant mission for generations to come.
• A demonstrated ability to plan and implement a comprehensive development and alumni program based on best practices, particularly in pre-campaign planning and campaign implementation, including experience working in a complex university environment and managing significant change.
• Experience successfully leading a growing development and alumni program.
• Demonstrated experience and success in coaching and mentoring development and alumni professionals.
• A demonstrated collaborative approach to management that brings out the best in staff and yields pride and ownership.
• An ability to create a culture where openness, communication, and teamwork are valued.
• Experience working with administrators, deans, faculty, and staff and an understanding of the advancement function (development, operations, alum relations, public relations, and marketing).
• Proven competence in preparing and managing an operating budget, including experience in creating credible philanthropic and financial forecasting models in partnership with leadership.
• An ability to manage, set and achieve fundraising goals aggressively.

The position will supervise and manage the Philanthropic Giving, Advancement Services, and Alumni Relations divisions.

Requirements

Minimum Required Education, Knowledge, & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree and at least eight (8) years of experience in fundraising, with a strong preference for experience in higher education advancement.
• Demonstrated leadership experience, including prior roles leading fundraising and alumni relations teams, programs, or strategic initiatives.
• Proven track record of closing principal gifts (gifts of $1 million or more) and securing transformational philanthropic support.
• Campaign experience preferred, including participation in planning, launching, and managing comprehensive fundraising campaigns.
• Understanding of alumni relations best practices, including developing engagement strategies that build lifelong relationships, strengthen alumni networks, and advance institutional priorities through volunteerism, philanthropy, and advocacy.
• Ability to align alumni engagement activities with fundraising goals to create a seamless pipeline from constituent engagement to donor support.
• Strong knowledge of fundraising best practices, donor stewardship, prospect strategy, alumni engagement, and advancement services operations.
• Exceptional communication, collaboration, and leadership skills, with the ability to inspire staff, volunteers, donors, alumni, and university leadership.
• A strategic thinker with a demonstrated ability to align fundraising and alumni relations priorities with institutional goals and deliver measurable results.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Previous experience at the Vice President, Associate Vice President, or Executive Director level in a higher education advancement organization or university-affiliated foundation.
• Experience managing a complex portfolio of donors, alumni, volunteers, and key constituents.
• Familiarity with alumni affinity programming, regional engagement strategies, and utilizing alumni data and analytics to drive strategy and outcomes.
• Proficiency with advancement CRM systems and data-driven fundraising and engagement practices.