Assistant Vice President, Advancement Services

About the role

The Assistant Vice President (AVP) reports to the Vice President, Operations, and serves as a strategic and collaborative leader responsible for operationalizing advancement services initiatives across Rutgers University Foundation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and enhance enterprise-wide shared service functions that support fundraising, stewardship, engagement, and operational strategy.
• Provide strategic oversight of prospect development, prospect management, data analytics, systems governance, and operational process improvement initiatives.
• Partner with Foundation and University leadership to improve efficiency, remove operational barriers, and strengthen organizational effectiveness.
• Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and governance standards that ensure strong internal controls, data integrity, compliance, and operational consistency.
• Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to Foundation leadership, providing guidance on prospect strategy, reporting, operational planning, reporting prioritization, and procedural improvements.
• Lead organizational change management efforts tied to systems, staffing, and operational transformation.
• Provide leadership and oversight for AI-related strategy and operational applications within Advancement Services.
• Ensure compliance with legal privacy requirements, donor confidentiality standards, and ethical guidelines.
• Act as a proactive strategic partner for frontline fundraisers.
• Oversee and provide guidance on the major gift prospect, delivering information about new and known donors to educate on potential prospect engagement and giving strategies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in advancement services, operations, fundraising, higher education, analytics, nonprofit management, or related fields.
• Strong understanding of prospect development, fundraising operations, reporting, and systems governance.
• Experience working with CRM systems, reporting tools, and advancement technologies; Salesforce experience is strongly preferred.
• Working knowledge of AI tools and applications relevant to advancement services, operational efficiency, analytics, donor engagement, and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-wide operational or strategic initiatives.
• Experience leading organizational change management initiatives.
• Excellent written, verbal, analytical, and presentation skills.

Qualifications

• Possess knowledge and understanding of the institutional and organizational enterprise and all departments across the organization, not just a specific area of expertise, but a general mastery of many functions.
• Commitment to aligning constituent intent to University priorities.
• Understand University values and expectations to systematically take responsibility for working toward them.
• Translate and communicate complexity effectively.
• Show proactive thinking through prioritization and negotiation.
• Provide positive and constructive feedback that affects the future of the organization.
• Own your voice and demonstrate critical thinking and ability to challenge accepted concepts.
• Exhibit confidence and competence in executing leadership for their teams and areas to advance the organization.
• Ask the right questions and exhibit a multiplier leadership approach with a cross-functional mindset.
• Exhibit organizational awareness and enterprise focus with thoughtfulness on how decisions impact other departments not in their purview.
• Coach staff, leaders, volunteers, deans, and partners with a coaching style of leadership.

Skills

• Manage a team effectively and execute comprehensive department/project/program strategy.
• Present and represent projects to University leadership.
• Successfully manage and lead a team (and/or staff volunteers) in a way that maximizes potential of each team member.
• Create, deploy, and execute increasingly complex projects.
• Set direction and approach in partnership with assigned RU leader's vision.
• Adapt to changing situations and partner with leadership changes.
• Create, lead, and execute University-wide operational related initiatives.
• Develop strategy with input of cross-functional teams to negotiate and influence solutions.
• Design the employee experience for a department/program.

Benefits

• Office-centric hybrid work schedule.
• Comprehensive medical coverage.
• Comprehensive no-cost dental and no-cost vision insurance for employees and dependents.
• 403(b) plan with matching employer contribution.
• Accrual of three weeks of annual vacation time, in addition to five wellness days and fifteen sick days per year.
• Nine holidays, as well as four floating holidays.
• $40 monthly cell phone reimbursement.

Compensation

The position is budgeted for an annual salary of $130,000. In addition to salary, Rutgers University Foundation offers:

• Comprehensive medical coverage.
• Comprehensive no-cost dental and no-cost vision insurance for employees and dependents.
• 403(b) plan with matching employer contribution.
• Accrual of three weeks of annual vacation time, in addition to five wellness days and fifteen sick days per year.
• Nine holidays, as well as four floating holidays.
• $40 monthly cell phone reimbursement.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Rutgers University Foundation is committed to providing equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants. The Foundation prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, genetic information, and any other characteristics protected by applicable state, federal and/or local laws.