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Job Type:

Employee

Job Family:

Administrative Upper Management

Faculty/Service - Department:

Office of the Vice-President, External Relations

Campus:

Tabaret Hall

Date Posted:

October 10, 2024

Applications must be received BEFORE:

October 20, 2024

Position Purpose

This position provides leadership to the Advancement Office (Development and Alumni Relations) and acts as the delegated authority of the Vice-President, Advancement, in their absence, providing leadership to the Advancement Executive Leadership Team (ELT). The incumbent works closely with Deans, the Vice-Presidents, the President as well as other senior stakeholders and volunteers to plan and execute advancement related activities that align with specific donor and alumni strategies.

Development/Fundraising:

With the objective of attracting significant philanthropic investments to the University of Ottawa, the Associate Vice-President Advancement & Chief Development Officer (AVP&CDO) oversees and is fully accountable for the comprehensive and leading-edge major gifts and planned giving programs, including the personal cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major and principal gifts (ranging from $25,000 to multi-million-dollar transformational donations).

This position leads a team of four Executives who constitute the core of Development Leadership Team (DLT), namely: the Executive Director, Corporate Development; the Executive Director, Strategic Engagement and the Executive Director Strategic Philanthropy. The DLT collectively establishes fundraising strategy and deploys its leadership with the centralized and decentralized development professionals.

Alumni Relations:

The AVP&CDO leads alumni relations as part of the continuum of Advancement activities. In this role, the individual plans and executes strategies aimed at development “customer lifetime value” (CLV) with the University’s alumni. With close to 250,000 alumni around the globe, the AVP & CDO ensures a strong level of alumni engagement, affinity and participation. Governance of the Alumni Association falls under the responsibilities of this role, with a view to ensuring effective volunteer leadership and deployment of resources, namely affinity program revenues in excess of $500k annually. Ensures effective deployment of resources and strategies to build both affinity and capacity for future philanthropic support of uO priorities.

Specific Accountabilities

• Strategic Planning: In consultation with the ELT, DLT and the Director of Alumni Relations, sets strategic direction and priorities for alumni, major gifts and planned giving programs, including formulating strategies to build a robust pipeline of individual, corporate and foundation prospects and donors. Creates long-range integrated engagement and fundraising plans, which fully realize the major and planned giving potential from prospective donors to the University. Identifies high net worth potential through enhanced knowledge of wealth management principles specifically pertaining to planned giving modalities.
• Account Development: Personally manages a portfolio of up to 45 prospects at the major gift level ($25K to $1M and more) through the cultivation, proposal, solicitation and stewardship phases. Meets expected revenue and activity targets annually. Identifies potential major gift and planned giving donors for the University, to strengthen its financial capability. Assists all Advancement staff n developing and executing on prospective donor strategies.
• Relationship Management: Initiates and cultivates successful and profitable relationships with alumni, donors, business and industry, with the objective of developing and maintaining key long-term relationships and building CLV. Partners with the DLT, Vice-President, President and senior administration to identify and capitalize on relationship, major and planned giving opportunities. Works closely with them to plan and execute advancement related activities that align with specific alumni and donor strategies.
• Team Leadership: provides leadership to all Advancement staff, direction and mentoring to centralized and decentralized alumni and development teams, specifically as it pertains to individual, foundation and corporate major and planned giving and alumni activity. Ensures the momentum of the unit’s activities and provides required resources so that the team operates at a high-performance level.
• Operational Planning: Together with the ELT, engages in external relations, advancement and campaign planning to develop tailored action plans, engagement strategies, solicitation strategies and proposals for alumni and prospective donors. Ensures that senior management is adequately prepared and briefed for advancement related meetings, and, as part of overall major and planned giving pipeline management, ensures that appropriate follow-up and debriefing is conducted after advancement activities.
• Networking: As a senior University representative, acts as an ambassador of uOttawa and represents the University to external audiences on a local, national and international level. Builds, cultivates and maintains relationships with prominent alumni, donors, volunteers, friends, community and professional organizations to inspire philanthropic support for the University of Ottawa.
• Issues Management: Evaluates and assesses potential issues of engaged stakeholders, makes suggestions and provides solutions to strengthen relationships with high-profile prospects. Ensures that stewardship and reporting requirements are met to sustain successful partnerships.
• Performance evaluation and Reporting: Drives success of the team by providing evidence-based performance leadership. Works with the Director of Development Operations and Director of Business Intelligence to develop business intelligence performance and evaluation management metrics and measures to ensure evidence-based deployment of resources and drive continued success of the team. Provides regular accountability reports to Deans and other senior administration in order to ensure that targets are met within designated time frames. Plans, prepares and provides evidence in support of budget recommendations, work goals and training requirements necessary to support an effective and efficient Advancement team.

What you will bring

• Completion of a Bachelor’s degree. A Master’s degree considered desirable.

• Broad knowledge of the principles of fundraising and best practices

• Minimum of 20 years of progressive fundraising experience with a proven track record of achievement and success with developing prospective donors and closing major, principal and planned gifts. Experience within an academic environment considered an asset.

• Extensive experience in developing and implementing strategic alumni and fundraising plans.

• Knowledge of principles, practices and techniques related to major, principal and planned giving.

• Deep knowledge of the University of Ottawa considered an asset

• Proven abilities in building partnerships and/or collaborative working relationships with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders, including senior executives and officials

• Very strong listening skills

• Ability to write high-quality fundraising material (i.e. case for support documentation)

• Passion for fundraising, enthusiastic and high energy level

• Proven negotiation and networking skills

• Diplomacy and judgment

• Superior interpersonal and communication skills

• Strong organizational skills,

• Bilingualism – French and English (spoken and written)

• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends and regular business trips

• Valid driver’s license and passport required

The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff, and faculty. Accordingly, we strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples in Canada, visible minorities members (racialized persons), persons with disabilities, women, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with equitable, diverse, and inclusive communities. Candidates who wish to be considered as a member of one or more designated groups are asked to complete the confidential Self-Identification Questionnaire, to be completed at the time of application.

All qualified candidates are invited to apply; however, preference will be given to Canadians and permanent residents. When submitting your application, please indicate if you are legally entitled to work in Canada

The University of Ottawa provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you are invited to proceed in the selection process, please notify us of any accommodations that you require by contacting the Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations by email at vra.affairesprofessorales@uottawa.ca. Any information you send us will be handled respectfully and in complete confidence.

The University of Ottawa is proud of its 160-year tradition of bilingualism. Through its Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, the University provides training to staff members and to their spouses in their second official language.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.