Associate Vice President for Development - Major Gifts

Location: Albany, NY Category: Professional Job Type: Full-time Posted On: Tue Apr 21 2026 Job Description:

The University at Albany seeks a proven leader of a major gifts-driven development program to serve as Associate Vice President for Advancement. Reporting to the Vice President for Advancement, the Associate Vice President for Advancement (AVP) is a senior member of the Advancement leadership team responsible for setting strategic direction and leading the development and execution of fundraising strategies.

This role oversees efforts to identify, engage, and successfully solicit individuals, corporations, and foundations for major and principal gifts that support the priorities of UAlbany and its schools, colleges, and programs, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and long-term fundraising priorities.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Strategic fundraising: Lead the development and implementation of advancement strategic plans, serving as the primary strategic advisor to the vice president and university leadership.
• Campaign execution: Serve as tactical leader for university-wide fundraising campaigns to ensure philanthropic support for institutional strategic priorities.
• Leadership and management: Supervise and foster the professional development of major gift fundraising staff.
• Collaboration: Partner with senior leadership including the President, deans, and program directors to align fundraising with institutional priorities and strategically engage them in donor cultivation and solicitation efforts.
• Portfolio management: Engage and successfully solicit a select portfolio of prospects capable of making transformational gifts to UAlbany.
• Prospect development: Oversee research and sustain and expand the prospect pipeline.
• Data and technology: Leverage data analytics and technology to improve fundraising effectiveness.
• Volunteer management: Serve as liaison to the university's Advancement Advisory Council and other key volunteer leadership entities.
• External presence: Represent the university to external stakeholders, including boards and community leaders.

Functional and Supervisory Relationships:

• Reports to Vice President for Advancement.
• Supervises the following positions: (9) Development Officers; Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations; Director of Advancement Communications; Director of Research.

Job Requirements:

• Knowledge of major and principal gift fundraising strategies and best practices.
• Ability to develop productive relationships with internal and external constituencies.
• An understanding of the complexities of fundraising in a major research university environment with a multitude of academic units and programs with varying priorities. Clear and effective written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills, including public presentation. Ability to work with diverse constituencies and foster inclusion.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail are essential.
• Willingness and ability to travel to meet with donors.
• Applicants must demonstrate an ability to develop inclusive and equitable relationships within our diverse campus community.
• Applicants must demonstrate an ability to support diversity, equity, access, inclusion, and belonging relative to their role.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from a college or University accredited by the US Department of Education or an internationally recognized accrediting organization.
• Seven years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising, including five or more years in a higher education setting.
• Two or more years of experience supervising or leading professional staff.
• Proven success in personally securing seven-figure gifts.
• Proven success in planning, implementing, and managing a comprehensive campaign and other initiatives related to major and principal gift fundraising.
• Experience in effectively collaborating with academic leadership (e.g., dean, president) to strengthen philanthropic support.
• Experience in staffing and managing advisory boards and committees.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience serving as a representative of an institution or organization to external stakeholders, including boards and community leaders.
• Proficiency with fundraising databases (e.g., Blackbaud/Raiser's Edge).

Working Environment:

• Typical office environment.
• Significant travel.

Professional Rank and Salary Range: Associate Vice President, MP, $217,000-240,000.

Special Notes: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. If you currently need sponsorship or will need it in the future to maintain employment authorization, you do not meet eligibility requirements. Additionally, please note that UAlbany is not an E-Verify employer.

The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, or Clery Act, mandates that all Title IV institutions, without exception, prepare, publish, and distribute an Annual Security Report. This report consists of two basic parts: disclosure of the University's crime statistics for the past three years; and disclosures regarding the University's current campus security policies. The University at Albany's Annual Security Report is available in portable document format [PDF] by clicking this link

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