Brandeis University

Vice President for Development

Waltham, Massachusetts

Brandeis occupies a special place in the ranks of leading research universities. A young institution, boldly conceived, Brandeis is intent on carrying on the great traditions of learning at the highest levels of rigor and meaning, with a moral conviction for inclusion and justice. In a world challenged by intolerance and ignorance, and burdened by disregard and disdain for learnedness, reason, and inquiry, this university has a special and truly unique role to play.

Brandeis enrolls more than 5,700 students across five schools and colleges and has more than 55,000 living alumni in the United States and around the world. The university fields 19 Division III varsity athletic programs, as well as 260 clubs and organizations. Brandeis’ 235-acre campus is located in the suburbs of Boston, a global hub for higher education and innovation.

Brandeis’ excellence is reflected in a host of top rankings that include No. 34 in 2018 among national universities by U.S. News & World Report, No. 6 for “Students Most Engaged in Community Service” and No. 8 among “Impact Schools” in 2017 by The Princeton Review, and No. 31 in 2017 among “Best Values in Private Colleges” by Kiplinger.

President Ronald Liebowitz, appointed in July 2016, is leading the reinvigoration of Brandeis’ founding energy, creativity, and pioneering spirit, outlining a new vision for the university, while embracing Brandeis’ distinctive strengths and values. President Liebowitz has established three essential pillars that form the foundation for reimagining the institution’s future and revitalizing its mission: Student Learning/Living Experience; Supporting Research, Creativity and Collaborative Innovation; and Honoring Our Founding Values. Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement Zamira Korff, appointed in October 2017, is integrating philanthropic best practices and bringing new levels of strategic leadership to the Institutional Advancement division. As a result, the university has significantly elevated its philanthropic ambitions and is investing in Institutional Advancement accordingly. These collective efforts enjoy the active support and partnership of a Board of Trustees that is uniquely committed to the university’s philanthropic success.

Amid this positive, forward-looking backdrop, replete with visionary new leadership, strategic investment, and an emphasis on university-wide collaboration, Brandeis seeks candidates for Vice President for Development (Vice President). The Vice President is a highly-influential position and will be a key strategic partner to the university President, Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement, and Board of Trustees to change the direction and arc of ambition for Brandeis through a new, pathbreaking campaign. Reporting to the Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the Vice President oversees all frontline fundraising units, comprising approximately 45 FTEs, and will lead the charge for evolving the culture of philanthropy at Brandeis. The Vice President will also maintain a personal portfolio of approximately 25 to 50 top prospects and donors. This is a career-making opportunity for an energetic and entrepreneurial individual to create and execute plans that will propel the university forward by building a high-performing fundraising organization capable of engaging the next generation of philanthropists and volunteer leaders in the life of the institution.

Required qualifications and experience:

- Genuine enthusiasm for and demonstrated commitment to the mission of higher education.

- Bachelor’s degree required, advance degree preferred.

- Minimum of 10 years of experience in progressively responsible development leadership positions, which includes work in all functional areas of development (individual giving, institutional giving, planned giving, stewardship, board relations) and leadership of a major capital campaign. Experience working in an institution of higher education or nonprofit environment of similar complexity is strongly preferred.

- Minimum of five years of supervisory experience managing various facets of fundraising, including creating and managing a sizable budget.

- Must be steeped in modern philanthropy best practices and able to effectively integrate advancement-related functions.

- Strength in developing the case for support and strategic, complex, and innovative fundraising and alumni engagement plans, and executing against those plans to achieve goals and objectives. Experience working directly with the most senior levels of an organization.

- Demonstrated ability to strategically move individuals and institutions across the spectrum of prospect development; preference for candidates with a history of securing seven and eight-figure gifts, including cultivation through solicitation and stewardship. Experience working with annual giving strategies for grooming the next generation of annual leadership and major gift donors.

- Demonstrated ability in planning and executing strategic communications to complement advancement initiatives and achieve goals.

- Experience identifying, nurturing, and motivating trustees and other volunteer leaders, and a sophisticated understanding of their role in building an effective advancement network.

- Highly developed skills in organizational efficiency and project leadership, including demonstrated accomplishments while working with cross-functional teams. Skill at goal setting and measuring success.

- The ability to extract and analyze data to make effective, efficient decisions about prospect/constituency engagement strategy and process.

Brandeis University has retained Diversified Search to assist in this confidential search process. Inquiries, nominations, and applications (current resumes and cover letters) should be directed electronically to:

Gerard F. Cattie, Jr.

Managing Director

Practice Leader – Development & Philanthropy

Diversified Search

The Chrysler Building, 405 Lexington Avenue, 49^th Floor, New York, NY 10174

gerard.cattie@divsearch.com | 212.542.2587