INTERNAL POSTING: Only current, non-temporary, employees of Auburn University and Auburn University at Montgomery are eligible to apply for this position.
Auburn University invites applications for the position of Senior Vice President for Advancement. The successful candidate will provide visionary leadership and guidance and will foster a strong, collaborative team environment to obtain the goals of Auburn University’s Office of Advancement. The Senior Vice President will be a President’s Senior Leadership Team member. The position will require the building and establishment of strong relationships with the university Board of Trustees, the Auburn University Foundation board, the Auburn University Alumni Association and its board, the deans of all the university’s colleges, and the athletic foundation. The Senior Vice President for Advancement will supervise an organization of approximately 200 employees and an annual budget of approximately $14 million. This position reports to the President of the university.
Auburn University is one of the nation’s premier public land-grant institutions and in 2023, it was ranked 44th among public universities by U.S. News and World Report. Auburn maintains high levels of research activity and high standards for teaching excellence, offering bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist, and doctor’s degrees in agriculture and engineering, the professions, and the arts and sciences. Its 2023 enrollment of 31,764 students includes 25,379 undergraduates and 6,385 graduate and professional students. Organized into 12 academic colleges, Auburn’s 1,375 faculty members offer more than 200 educational programs. The university is nationally recognized for its commitment to academic excellence, positive work environment, student engagement, and beautiful campus.
The Senior Vice President will be an accomplished advancement professional who demonstrates the highest level of integrity and a commitment to high ethical standards; strong analytical, managerial, and strategic planning skills; a keen understanding of best practices in advancement; a comprehensive knowledge of all major advancement functions and a track record of significant personal success in donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship at principal gift levels at Auburn University. They must be a seasoned and successful leader of people and programs, adept at recruiting, retaining, motivating, leveraging, and advocating for staff and facilitating team success on the advancement team.
The Senior Vice President will exhibit credibility, maturity, and sophistication to effectively engage and partner with key internal and external stakeholders. The successful candidate must possess exceptional communication and negotiation skills; exemplary interpersonal and listening skills; strong executive presence and charisma; an intense work ethic and high energy level, coupled with a sense of humor and perspective and the willingness to put institutional interest before self-interest. Political savvy, flexibility, cultural agility, and the desire and ability to build bridges and create genuine collaborative relationships across all university constituencies are imperative.
The Senior Vice President will have demonstrated success in creating a goal-oriented environment that empowers staff through active communication and delegation and builds confidence, promotes diversity of thought, and celebrates achievements. They must be comfortable and effective in working with high-net-worth individuals and corporate business leaders and must demonstrate the ability to build authentic relationships with constituents, exemplifying a highly donor-centric approach. The Senior Vice President must be willing to travel extensively and work long hours to accomplish the university’s mission and goals.
