| Position Title: |
Associate Vice President for Advancement & Executive Director, The Ferris Foundation |
|
| Location: |
Big Rapids (Main Campus) |
|
| Department: |
70000 - Univer Advance and Mktg VP Office
|
|
| Advertised Salary: |
$146,000 - $156,000. Salary commensurate with education, experiences, and other requirements. |
|
Benefits:
|
Comprehensive benefits package (health care, vacation, etc.). Please see the following link for a list of benefits offered with this position.
Admin / Admin Temp Benefit Plans
|
|
| FLSA: |
Exempt |
|
| Temporary/Continuing: |
Continuing |
|
| Part-Time/Full-Time: |
Full-Time |
|
| Union Group: |
N/A |
|
| Term of Position: |
12 Month |
|
| At Will/Just Cause: |
At Will |
|
| Summary of Position: |
• The Associate Vice President for Advancement & the Executive Director of the Ferris Foundation provides strategic leadership to a team of gift officers and annual giving professionals to advance Ferris State University’s philanthropic priorities by leading and developing a high-performing team, ensuring alignment with institutional goals and measurable fundraising success.
• The AVP partners with the VP of University Advancement & Marketing and the university advancement leadership team to establish comprehensive fundraising strategies and integrate best practices, while personally managing a portfolio of high-capacity donors.
• Additionally, the AVP fosters a culture of cross-campus engagement, collaborating with faculty, athletics, and key stakeholders to enhance donor participation and secure transformational and planned gifts that drive long-term institutional growth. |
|
| Position Type: |
Staff |
|
| Required Education: |
• Bachelor’s degree.
|
|
| Required Work Experience: |
• At least 8 years of progressive experience in advancement within higher education.
• Demonstrated success in cultivating, soliciting, and closing six-figure and seven-figure gifts from various sources.
• Experience with capital campaigns. |
|
| Required Licenses and Certifications: |
|
|
| Physical Demands: |
- Office Environment
- Moving
- Reaching
- Sitting
- Twisting
- Driving
- Repetitive movement
|
|
| Additional Education/Experiences to be Considered: |
• Advanced degree.
• More than 10 years of progressively responsible and relevant fundraising experience at a university or comparable non-profit organization and a proven track record of securing leadership-level gifts and developing and executing successful comprehensive fundraising campaigns. |
|
| Essential Duties/Responsibilities: |
• Serve as the senior fundraising executive for University Advancement.
• Serve as the Executive Director of the Ferris Foundation.
• Proficiency and understanding of a wide range of digital platforms that includes; websites, social media platforms, and design software with a willingness to adopt new technologies.
• Demonstrates an understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, especially in working relationships with students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Support, promote, and develop university student enrollment and retention initiatives.
• Experience in creating and managing multi-channel digital fundraising plans, particularly for events such as giving days.
• Demonstrated ability to bring innovation and leadership to fundraising efforts and capitalizing on the opportunities provided by the digital landscape.
• Demonstrated leadership experience managing and inspiring teams, as well as working with cross-functional colleagues.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data and refine strategies.
• Develop and manage the budgets for all Development efforts and programs.
• Document development strategies and processes that includes; assessing networks, sample appeal letters, resources, and other creative ideas for raising funds.
• Understanding of planned giving vehicles and strategies.
• Ability to articulate Ferris State University’s mission and vision in a compelling way.
• Demonstrated commitment to ethical fundraising practices.
• Operates university motor or personal vehicles safely while carrying out job responsibilities.
• Any other duties assigned within the position classification area. |
|
| Marginal Duties/Responsibilities: |
• Serve on University committees as appropriate.
|
|
| Skills and Abilities: |
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to meet deadlines.
• Build and foster a success-oriented, accountable, high-morale, and positive environment that promotes teamwork and professional growth.
• Demonstrated commitment, experience, and understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Develop and employ performance measurement standards to evaluate and monitor individual and team performance toward goals.
• Proficient in the use of Raiser’s Edge, Millennium, or similar database for recording information on all prospects and donors.
• Demonstrated commitment, experience, and understanding for promoting opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and community. |
|
| Required Documents: |
- Cover Letter
- Resume
- Unofficial Transcript 1
|
|
| Optional Documents: |
|
|
| Special Instructions to Applicants: |
• Please include any fundraising credentials that you may have. |
|
Initial Application Review Date:
|
May 19, 2025 |
|
| Open Until Position is Filled?: |
Yes |
|
Posting Close Date:
|
|
|
| EEO Statement: |
Ferris State University, an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, is committed to enhancing equity, inclusion, and diversity within its community. Ferris offers employment opportunities to qualified candidates seeking careers in a student-focused environment that values opportunity, collaboration, diversity and educational excellence. Learn more about the Ferris Mission and community at ferris.edu. The University actively seeks applications from women, minorities, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and other underrepresented groups. For more information on the University’s Policy on Non-Discrimination, visit: Ferris Non-Discrimination Statement. |
|
| |
Click here to learn more about working at FSU and KCAD. |
|
| |
|
|
