Senior Associate Vice President of Development for Health Giving

The University of Connecticut is a top-ranked
national university and health-system with its flagship campus located in
idyllic Storrs. Designated a Carnegie Research 1 institution, UConn is the
state land- and sea-grant university focused on education, research, and
service to the state of Connecticut and beyond. The University serves over
33,000 students across seven campuses, 8,550 first-in-family students, and
boasts numerous national championships. UConn Health is a top-ranked health
provider that delivers groundbreaking medical education, research, and hospital
and clinical services to over one million patients each year. In addition,
UConn has nearly 300 scientists who are in the top 2 percent of researchers
investigating everything from cancer to AI.

UConn continues its meteoric rise as a top
public University with a record number of applications, continued investment in
student success, health, and wellness, recruitment of top faculty, innovation
in research, and top-tier athletic programs focused on the health and financial
literacy of student-athletes. This includes the men's and women's basketball
teams, which have brought home three consecutive NCAA National Championship
trophies in the last three years. UConn is proud to have 26 national championships
across all sports.

Guided by the public launch of our most
ambitious campaign in history, Because of UConn The Campaign for UConn
Nation, we are moving boldly into the future. The $1.5B comprehensive campaign
spans all schools, colleges, campuses and UConn Health and focuses on four
pillars designed to make education more affordable and elevate UConn among its
national peers.

• Students First: making
  transformative investments in financial aid, student health,
  career readiness, and life skills to improve time-to-degree and
  career outcomes.
• Academic & Innovation
  Excellence:
  driving investment in top faculty and graduate fellows and building the
  innovation ecosystem of the state and beyond.
• Health & Wellness of People
  & Planet:
  focusing on patient care, medical research, and development of
  life-changing technologies that improve healthcare outcomes.
• Husky Pride: investing in
  athletic excellence and supporting a thriving UConn Nation that includes
  more than 290,000 alumni worldwide.

Because of UConn will
have a profound impact on the University. It will double the number of named
scholarships, fund scientific breakthroughs and advanced lifesaving therapies,
and engage UConn Nation in the life and mission of the University like never
before.

We seek the top talent in the country to join
Husky Nation and help us drive our mission and UConn into the future. We are
committed to a caring and supportive work culture, professional and leadership
development, and flexibility for high achievers with a passion for higher
education.

We're looking for dedicated professionals to
drive success and excellence and exemplify our values.

The UConn Foundation is an equal opportunity,
affirmative action employer. We celebrate different perspectives and are
committed to a welcoming environment that values your unique experiences and
identity. As an organization, we strive for continued growth each and every
day.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Associate Vice President (SAVP) for Health Giving serves as the senior advancement leader and chief fundraiser for UConn Health and health education with responsibility for a mix of UConn and UConn Health constituencies. These include John Dempsey Hospital and the Schools of Medicine, Dental Medicine, Nursing, and Pharmacy. The SAVP for Health Giving leads the annual advancement planning process for each of these schools and UConn Health/John Dempsey Hospital, ensuring that all fundraising and engagement goals are achieved. The SAVP will oversee a 3x increase in giving through a significant investment in staff growth at an exciting time on the heels of UConn's most ambitious campaign to date. The SAVP will also drive the integration and fundraising growth of John Dempsey Hospital, medical research, and the UConn Health clinical enterprise through an emerging comprehensive grateful patient and community fundraising program. Additionally, the SAVP will work with deans and hospital leadership to articulate fundraising opportunities and goals that support synergistic programs across two or more schools that research, treat and advance human health and well-being.

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee annual and multi-year fundraising and engagement growth for assigned units in a metrics-driven and data-informed environment to meet the ambitious Because of UConn campaign goals by working closely with direct reports, actively mentoring them and managing for performance and professional development.
• Cultivate strong relationships with UConn and UConn Health leadership, board leaders, deans, department heads, Foundation colleagues and members of the faculty and staff to ensure alignment of goals, performance management, and their systematic, active, and impactful participation in the development process.
• Leverage existing UConn Foundation resources, including central advancement fundraisers and marketing resources, to improve the visibility of Health-related priorities and opportunities, especially those that are top Because of UConn priorities for the University.
• Create and implement a new fundraising initiative, inclusive of individual, alumni, corporate and foundation donors for UConn Health/John Dempsey Hospital priorities and goals in partnership with Foundation and UConn Health leadership.
• Lead & collaborate with Human Resources on the recruitment and onboarding of new fundraising staff for UConn Health/John Dempsey Hospital.
• Establish a new healthcare philanthropy advisory committee.
• Establish and implement leadership/management/development/operational best practices to ensure the highest quality interactions among professional development staff, university and UConn Health partners, and current and prospective donors.
• Collaborate with Prospect Research to grow pipeline, analyze progress, measure ROI, and ensure team members are spending time where it is most impactful.
• Identify and fundraise to support synergistic areas among programs and partnerships between two or more schools or units. For instance, UConn Center for Aging; School of Nursing and UConn Health nurse practitioners; UConn Waterbury and Nursing; etc.
• Cultivate, solicit and steward a high impact caseload of current and prospective principal donors and volunteers to meet or exceed goals and leverage their networks to extend relationships with individuals, corporations, and foundations.
• Oversee strategic cultivation for the top prospects across schools and units with the intent of deepening relationships that lead to increased comprehensive giving including annual, major and deferred gifts.
• Ensure team members are knowledgeable about and adhere to all Foundation rules and guidelines regarding prospect management, donor and patient privacy, and documentation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Leadership, and Principal Gift Fundraising

Demonstrate the ability to personally solicit gifts of $1M and above, while advancing the number and quality of principal ($5 million and above) gift conversations.

Engagement

Collaborate with the greater Principal Gifts team to steward donors, engage with alumni, and support events specific to your unit.

Leadership

Provide visible leadership across the entire organization by engaging in organization-wide activities such as development management meetings, all-staff meetings, and staff events.

Key Competencies

• Champion for inclusion and diversity both internally and externally.
• Strong leadership skills to grow fundraising programs; recruit, mentor and develop talent; successfully mitigate issues and address problems; set example for the team and colleagues.
• High level of motivation, as well as an ability to exercise independent judgment.
• Strong interpersonal skills, tact, and diplomacy.
• The ability to build productive, beneficial relationships with a broad range of constituencies.
• Outstanding written and verbal communications skills, including ability to effectively communicate University priorities to donors and prospects, and to positively represent the University and Foundation.
• Familiar with the use of computers and information management tools, such as CRMs (Blackbaud).
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, to assess and order priorities, and to track details in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to engender trust and confidence of donors and prospective donors and to maintain confidentiality of donor information; ability to represent the UConn Foundation to prospects, donors, faculty, administrators, and others.
• Ability to work to the demands of the position, which may exceed a 40-hour work week.
• Attention to and concern for others.
• Must be willing to travel extensively. Reliable personal transportation is required for this position.
• Must possess a valid driver's license issued from the state in which the employee resides. Employees must maintain at their expense automobile liability insurance coverage in the minimum amount of $500,000 or a combination of umbrella and automobile liability insurance coverage of $500,000. A certificate of automobile insurance evidencing the limit, must be provided to the Foundation at hire and annually thereafter.
• Must be willing to consent to a background check, conducted and approved by UConn Health, to obtain staff access to UConn Health's buildings.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree, advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in major gifts with several years of experience in higher education development program and 5+ years managing other development professionals.
• Demonstrated growth in career trajectory, direct fundraising impact, and program fundraising success.
• Competence in Microsoft Office suite and donor management systems or CRMs.
• Previous knowledge or experience in health-related philanthropy, preferably for an educational or public institution.

Salary:

The expected salary for this position is $200,000+. It will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also placing an emphasis on internal equity.

Benefits:

Benefits start from day one. We offer medical, dental, and vision plans and will make an annual contribution to your health savings account if enrolled in one of the high-deductible health plans offered by the Foundation.

In addition, there are a few other perks to being a UConn Foundation employee:

• We offer a generous contribution to your 403(b)-retirement plan to help you plan for retirement.
• We place an emphasis on work/life balance. In addition to a hybrid schedule, you will receive thirteen paid holidays, five weeks of paid time off per calendar year, and additional sick time.
• We invest in your professional development. Aside from opportunities to participate in various trainings, committees, and conferences throughout the year, you will also be eligible for tuition reimbursement after one year of employment.

Please inform a Human Resources Representative if you need any assistance completing any forms or participating in any part of the application process due to a disability.