Assistant Vice Chancellor, Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving

Alumni Activities

JOB SUMMARY

The Assistant Vice Chancellor (AVC) for Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving is a senior advancement leader responsible for setting the strategic direction, execution, and performance outcomes for a comprehensive alumni engagement and annual giving enterprise.

As a key member of the Advancement leadership team, the AVC designs and operationalizes integrated engagement and solicitation strategies that advance institutional priorities, strengthen alumni affinity, increase philanthropic participation, and build a sustainable donor pipeline in support of campaign and long-term fundraising goals.

This role provides leadership for alumni relations, annual giving, digital engagement, volunteer management, and participation-based fundraising initiatives, aligning these programs with institutional strategy, campaign priorities, and industry best practices.

The AVC serves as a strategic partner for university leadership and as the primary liaison to the Alumni Association Board of Directors, ensuring strong governance, volunteer leadership development, and alignment with institutional advancement objectives.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Advancement Integration - 20%

Develop and lead a comprehensive, multi-year strategy for alumni engagement and annual giving aligned with institutional priorities and campaign goals.
Integrate alumni engagement with the full advancement continuum (annual major principal giving) to strengthen donor pipeline development.
Develop and manage annual business plans, budgets, and resource allocations for alumni engagement and annual giving.
Provide administrative supervision to 6 employees, with responsibility for hiring, setting performance expectations, conducting annual reviews, performance management, coaching & discipline, and managing other employee relations matters.
Serve as a strategic advisor to senior university leadership on engagement, participation, and philanthropic growth strategies.
Represent Advancement on institutional committees and external engagement events and programs.

Alumni Engagement & Experience - 40%

Oversee the design and delivery of innovative, comprehensive, and scalable alumni engagement strategies across lifecycle segments (students, recent graduates, alumni, retirees, parents, and friends).
Lead programming including reunions, regional engagement, affinity groups, volunteer engagement, and lifelong connection strategies.
Partner with advancement communications to align storytelling, brand, and digital engagement with fundraising outcomes.

Fundraising Strategy & Performance - 30%

Direct a data-informed annual giving program, including segmentation, multichannel solicitation, digital campaigns, leadership annual giving, and mid-level giving strategies.
Establish and drive measurable KPIs, including donor participation, acquisition, retention, upgrade rates, and revenue performance.
Lead institution-wide participation initiatives (e.g., giving days, reunions, crowdfunding, and affinity-based campaigns).
Manage a portfolio of 50-60 leadership annual giving prospects, with defined performance expectations for qualification, solicitation, and stewardship.

Volunteer & Board Leadership - 10%

Serve as primary staff liaison to the Alumni Association Board of Directors.
Provide oversight of board governance, recruitment, onboarding, succession planning, and policy compliance.
Strengthen volunteer leadership pipelines that contribute to fundraising, advocacy, and engagement goals.

As with all positions, other job-related responsibilities may be performed as needed to support departmental and campus-wide needs.

CORE COMPETENCIES

Strategic Thinking & Execution
Data-Informed Decision Making
Relationship Building & Influence
Fundraising Acumen & Donor Psychology
Organizational Leadership & Talent Development
Change Management & Innovation

WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Work is performed in a variety of environments with regular interaction with alumni, current and prospective donors, and community leaders. The role requires travel, evenings and weekends, and ability to maintain professionalism and composure in potentially stressful situations. The position involves sustained attention, multitasking, decision-making, and clear judgement.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide administrative supervision to 6 employees, with responsibility for hiring, setting performance expectations, conducting annual reviews, performance management, coaching & discipline, and managing other employee relations matters.

M-F; plus flexibility to work evenings & weekends based on events.

A Master's degree in a relevant area and 10 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired OR a Bachelor's degree in a relevant area and 12 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

• Demonstrated success in alumni engagement, annual giving, volunteer management, and fundraising campaigns.
• Experience serving as liaison to a governing board or volunteer leadership organization.
• Experience using advancement CRM systems, fundraising analytics, and dashboard reporting tools.
• Knowledge of higher education advancement best practices and CASE standards.
• CFRE or other advancement-related professional credentials preferred.

$115,000-$135,000

Grade: E1A
University Title: ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR
Internal applicants can determine their University title by accessing the Talent Profile tile in myHR.

• Application materials include a cover letter and resume. Finalists will be asked to provide references at a later date.
• Applicants must combine all application materials into one PDF or Microsoft Word document and upload as a resume attachment to the UMSL Careers: https://www.umsl.edu/services/hrs/careers/index.html
• Limit document name to 50 characters. Maximum size limit is 11MB. Do not include special characters (e.g., /, &, %, etc.). For questions about the application process, please email employment@umsl.edu. If you are experiencing technical problems, please email umpshrsupport@umsystem.edu.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University will not sponsor applicants for this position for employment visas.

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/departments-staff/human-resources/benefits-retirement

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To request ADA accommodations, please email the Office of Human Resources at umslhr@umsl.edu.