Assistant Vice President for Development

The Development and Alumni Relations organization at Johns Hopkins University has a development team of approximately 550 individuals and an overall budget of $70 million. The division enjoys tremendous support from the academic leadership of Johns Hopkins University and Medicine. More than 190 frontline fundraisers help generate an average of $800 million in total commitments annually, with the last three fiscal years averaging over one billion dollars per fiscal year.

The division has embraced a set of core operating values that have helped steer the organization and the behavior of the entire team. These values are:

• A deep commitment to collaboration and working across boundaries;
• A focus on people through the professional development and growth of the staff;
• A driving awareness of the responsibility to build internal and external relationships for the University;
• A fundamental commitment to integrity;
• An embrace of creativity and innovation;
• A trust in and respect for colleagues and the spirit of transparency.

• Strengthen organizational effectiveness:
• • Manage staff spread across the institution with the use of clearly defined and measurable goals and metrics to assess individual and team performance; such systems should inspire all staff and engender a commitment to reach all professional goals.
  • Establish annual goals, plans, progress, and operations, and make decisions related to organizational strategic planning and vision.
  • Work closely with the members of DAR leadership to help facilitate organizational goals, increase organizational capacity, shorten time to decisions, and strengthen the organization's overall performance.
• Foster a positive working environment
• • Lead and inspire the development and alumni relations team by fostering a culture where effective teamwork, collaboration, innovation, excellence, and inclusion are recognized and rewarded; lead by example regarding professionalism, creativity, entrepreneurship, appropriate risk-taking, and cross-organizational cooperation.
  • Work with the staff throughout the entire division as a leader, advocate, mentor, catalyst, and expert.
  • Cultivate a culture that embraces DAR and JHU values and engages and grows staff throughout their tenure at Hopkins.

• Oversee vision and leadership for multiple university fundraising programs, schools, institutes, and centers of excellence.
• Work with the VP, Deans, and academic leaders on fundraising planning, operations, staffing, and related activities.
• Provide oversight of the development office (DOFF) leader in each school/program to help guide the work plan goal setting, pipeline building, strategies, and progress toward fundraising goals. Drive personal and organizational accountability to the stated objectives each fiscal year.
• Partner on prospects and visits with leaders, as needed, to enhance relationship building and donor engagement.
• Work with DOFF leaders on their respective Advisory Boards and leadership councils. Attend meetings, strategize, assist in building relationships, and identify new members.
• Assist with strategies for alumni relations and development communications.
• Partner with academic leaders on hiring and management of the Associate Deans.
• Align DOFF practices and strategies with central resources and priorities. Bridge communication and strategic planning gaps and identify and champion areas for improved partnerships and resource utilization.
• Work closely with partners and leadership outside of DAR to build a culture of philanthropy across the university.
• Support team transitions, occasionally acting as interim fundraising leader and supervisor for programs facing vacancies.
• Partner with direct reports to establish campaign goals and decision-making related to campaign management and completion.

• Develop, in coordination with the Vice President, an individual portfolio of twenty key donors/prospects to work with, in conjunction with divisional Deans, and the President.
• Work directly with donors, trustees, and volunteers in partnership with the VP on key opportunities, including but not limited to gift commitments, trustee committees, and philanthropic advice/guidance.

• Take on permanent and temporary leadership of teams and initiatives within DAR, leveraging change management tools and succession planning to lead shifting programs towards success.
• Serve as the executive sponsor of special projects or emerging priorities as identified by DAR leadership.

• Bachelor's degree required, advanced degree preferred.
• Senior leadership responsibilities at a comprehensive university and/or medical center, with at least ten years of development experience.
• A record of achievement in managing leaders and in building and retaining high-performing teams of talented individuals.
• Campaign planning and implementation experience, preferably within a research environment.
• Significant gift solicitation and negotiation experience at the seven- and eight-figure dollar level.
• Experience working with senior academic leaders in building key projects and goals and developing philanthropic opportunities.
• Proven collaboration and partnership skills to accomplish shared goals involving colleagues and other senior leaders.
• Demonstrated skill at directing/managing multiple complex projects concurrently and within stipulated budgets and timelines.

• Diplomatic, politically astute, and patient.
• Collaborative and collegial.
• Strategic, dynamic, and foresightful thinker regarding a broad spectrum of organizational issues.
• High emotional intelligence, excellent interpersonal and listening skills.
• Energetic self-starter.
• Keenly intelligent.
• Excellent communicator.
• Poised, confident, calm, and resilient.
• Detail-oriented.
• Creative problem solver and multitasker by nature.