Executive Director, Law School Advancement

The Executive Director supports the School of Law by developing and securing successful philanthropic support for the school. The position is responsible for formulating and executing strategies to increase gift opportunities with prospective donors. The position reports to the Vice President for University Advancement and is part of the Advancement Leadership team and serves at the pleasure of the Dean of the School of Law and Vice President. The position is a member of the School of Laws senior staff.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.

• Cultivates and manages a dedicated portfolio of major gift prospects solicits individuals and closes gifts to meet annual and campaign goals.
• Makes approximately 120 substantive visits annually across the nation. Utilizes and understands metrics driven programs and performance expectations.
• Provides leadership in the area of Advancement to the Law School; promotes and manages a team responsible for multi-faceted alumni engagement programs and supports the Deans fundraising initiatives within the context of approved fundraising priorities.
• Fosters a culture that optimizes opportunities to engage and secure annual major and planned gifts to benefit the Law School.
• Provides strategic leadership for the Law School Advancement team which includes staff responsible for fundraising and alumni engagement.
• Maintains focused purposeful efforts to advance a professional culture within Law School Advancement.
• Work closely with the dean to systematically engage identified faculty or donors in the fundraising process; provides them with the resources training and tools necessary to leverage their most successful alumni and existing donors in supporting program priorities.
• Partners with the dean to identify and recruit philanthropically-oriented alumni existing donors and community members to the deans Board of Visitors.
• Works closely with the Vice President for University Advancement and the Dean in areas of strategic planning and strategies used for donor relationships.
• Travels as necessary to engage and hold face to face weekly meetings with donors prospects alumni and friends.
• Supports law school leadership and provides strategic advice for donor relationships.
• Creates implements and evaluates fundraising programs whose purpose is to build a long-term base of support for the Law School. Assists in the development of other fundraising strategies and case statements.
• Guides mentors and trains development officers with roleplaying exercises assisting in the development of tailored donor strategies; guides development officers and staff by providing guided problem solving and growing relationship building skillset.
• Work closely with the Director of Law Alumni Relations and the Dean to maximize alumni engagement.
• Conducts prospect research and stay abreast of industry trends by attending trainings and reviewing reports and publications; acts as key leader and participates in leadership meetings and strategic planning.
• Works with other University Advancement and Law School colleagues to support alumni relations stewardship recognition records and research.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university; Masters or Juris Doctorate preferred.
• 5 years of professional experience with progressively responsible positions in fundraising/philanthropy in non-profit higher education or similar environment to include leading teams with successful engagement and fundraising.
• Must have the ability to demonstrate intermediate to advanced skills in MS Office and Office 365 (Word Excel Teams Outlook and PowerPoint) including experience with virtual platforms such as Zoom. Experience with Banner ARGOS Raisers Edge is preferable.
• Must have valid drivers license motor vehicle liability insurance and personal injury insurance; or have a self-reliant source of transportation to conduct business on a daily basis
• Must clear and maintain a favorable background investigation and clearance
• Must be able to work some nights weekends travel and attend special events as needed.
• Must be able to occasionally travel in Texas and other U.S. metropolitan areas.
• Must possess exemplary interpersonal and listening skills with the intellectual depth maturity and confidence to garner trust to navigate a complex environment; the ability to build bridges and collaborative relationships with all members of an operation across an institution and a diverse constituency.
• Must be highly responsive to the needs of others.
• Ability to work well with others prioritize goals and stay focused in a multi-tasked diverse religious based (Catholic) work environment.
• Ability to coordinate and execute constituent and development strategies.
• Ability to interface frequently with administrators faculty staff students donors trustees and high profile individuals in the community.
• Ability to stay informed of activities of the University and the Law School in order to effectively articulate and incorporate relevant information in an oral and a written case for support.
• Knowledge of best practices in field; experience introducing innovative approaches to increase private philanthropic support. Experience with technology and software programs to support fund-raising efforts.
• Ability to think independently and take initiative to plan and implement effective partnerships and relationships that sustain existing gifts and generate new gifts including prospect identification cultivation solicitation and stewardship.
• Ability to stay abreast on all matters and activities of the Law School and University in order to effectively articulate and incorporate relevant information in an oral and a written case for support.
• Ability to prepare and maintain accurate records and reports as well as maintain confidentiality of all records and information.
• Bilingual Preferred (English/Spanish with the ability to understand and make ones self understood to Spanish speaking individuals).

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Working conditions are in an office environment and university campus setting. Must be able to move across the university campus to conduct day to day business.
• While performing this role the employee will be regularly required to sit walk and stand; talk and hear both in person and by telephone; and use hands repetitively to operate standard office equipment; and occasionally required to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision distance vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Frequently communicates with others using approved technological resources; must be able to exchange accurate information through designated systems within a timely manner.
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery.

The physical demands 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.

St. Marys University is a Hispanic-Serving Institution and an Equal Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to furthering diversity equity and inclusion and encourages all qualified candidates apply.

Required Experience:

Director