The Position:
The Vice President for Institutional Advancement (VPIA) is responsible for overall leadership and management of all development as well as marketing and communication activities for Oregon Tech. Reporting to the president, the VPIA is the primary liaison to the Foundation Board of Directors and serves as the Executive Director of the Oregon Tech Foundation. The departments of Development and Marketing, Communications, and Public Affairs (MarCoPa), and the Office of Alumni Relations report to this vice president.

While responsible for overall strategy development for Institutional Advancement, the VPIA also plays a hands-on role in each area of the portfolio. The VPIA will build on the current fundraising momentum, help shape fundraising priorities, and bring new ideas and processes to Oregon Tech’s fundraising efforts. In this capacity, the VPIA can take a lead role in working with the University president, campus leaders, faculty, staff, the foundation board, and alumni to increase major support for the University and to broaden the University’s donor base. The VPIA is charged to build and enhance positive relationships between students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the University. Through initiatives and activities that embody institutional values, the VPIA and the development team aim to advance Oregon Tech’s role as one of the nation’s leading polytechnic universities.

To be effective, the VPIA will need to be actively engaged and have a visible presence in Klamath Falls (the main campus) and the Portland-Metro campus in Wilsonville. The individual’s residence can be in either location, but the position will require significant travel and time spent in both locations to allow the VPIA to be present to provide leadership for staff that are distributed between these two locations. The VPIA is expected to work closely with the president and other campus leaders, engage in both communities, and attend appropriate events.

The VPIA oversees the strategy and output of the institutional marketing, communications, and public affairs team and is responsible for a strong and vibrant public and internal profile for Oregon Tech. This area will be led by an Executive Director who will report to the VPIA, who will also maintain a dotted reporting line to the President. The scope of responsibility includes oversight of the department’s work in development and implementation of all messaging; presidential, executive and Board of Directors level communications; high level internal and external communications; media and public relations; strategic marketing and communications plans at the departmental and programmatic levels; messaging and material support of legislative relations; crisis and issues management; marketing, advertising and branding related to strategic enrollment management; and institutional branding. VPIA will be also responsible to plan and execute significant university and college dedication and recognition events at Oregon Tech. Oregon Tech has so much to be proud of, and the new VPIA will help shape that message, make the University more visible while continuing to build its reputation.

Oregon Tech’s programs are industry-relevant, with a distinct focus on engineering and health sciences. As such, it is expected that the VPIA will work closely with the University president and senior leadership and actively engage deans, faculty, staff, students and other stakeholders to develop, cultivate, and sustain business and industry partnerships that can lead to support of Oregon Tech’s academic programs, faculty, and students. Additionally, the VPIA will strengthen the University’s alumni network.

Responsibilities:

Vision and Strategic Direction

• Plans and implements programs and strategies to assist the University in achieving its goals through fundraising, marketing, and other outreach efforts designed to elevate the University’s brand, profile, and vision to be a globally prominent polytechnic university and to be viewed as “Industry’s University.”
• Sets the vision and strategic direction for programs that seek to involve alumni and friends in advancing and supporting the fundraising priorities of the University.
• Work with the president and executive leadership to develop strategic and tactical business partnerships.
• Assesses and defines the strategic direction of the development function.
• Provides leadership to the University’s donor recognition strategy.
• Develops and implements annual fundraising budgets.
• Creates, directs, administers, and evaluates comprehensive capital and/or programmatic fundraising campaigns to advance the strategic direction of the University.
• Provides quarterly revenue updates to the Foundation Board of Directors.
• Establishes annual goals and objectives and is accountable for ensuring that set goals and objectives are met.
• Ensures vibrant, relevant strategic marketing and communication plans which align with the overall University’s long-term and short-term strategic plans; and with overall strategy and initiatives.

Relationship Cultivation and Management

• Creates, implements, manages, and assesses a comprehensive donor relations plan including responding to donor concerns and/or requests, gift acknowledgments, program information, and stewardship.
• Fosters a positive ongoing relationship with donors and ensures a long-term relationship is fostered.
• Designs and implements growth and retention strategies with existing donors.
• Oversees and manages development of donor and fundraising events.
• Creates engagement opportunities that engender donor loyalty and additional action.
• Takes a leadership role in the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of major gift prospects.
• Maintains strong, mutually reinforcing relationships with internal and external constituencies, particularly the alumni, deans, corporate, and philanthropic communities.
• Works closely with the Foundation’s Board of Directors in planning and implementing programs to advance the University.
• Determines optimal areas for relationship development that will help build the messaging platform for leadership and the University in general, to extend reputational capital and reinforce branding.

Revenue Development

• Supports the mission of the University through securing major philanthropic gifts from alumni, corporations, foundations, friends, and organizations.
• Designs and pursues growth strategies for existing fundraising channels.
• Identifies new opportunities to expand organizational funding from charitable or earned sources.
• Designs, plans, and leads successful new fundraising channel initiatives based on a well-crafted strategy.
• Leads and coordinates fundraising activities throughout the University, engaging academic affairs, student affairs, enrollment management, administrative departments, and athletics to prioritize needs.
• Develops initiatives that allow for corporate participation beyond the traditional corporate campaign. This may include cost coverage or sharing on University advertising support for special campaigns, working with MarCoPa, and sponsorship support for University initiatives such as a variety of convenings that extend name, program, and mission recognition.

Branding and Marketing

• Builds upon a branding strategy that supports all fundraising, admissions, academic, and program efforts.
• Understands, communicates, and enforces the organization’s values, policies, guidelines, and practices comprehensively across all University departments, with internal and external initiatives, and deploys strategies through MarCoPa.
• Oversees and updates organizational brand standards and communicates and enforces the execution of the brand.
• Partners with public relations efforts to ensure brand representation and adherence across in-house advertising, graphic design, social media, direct mail, website and in other communications; and engages internal stakeholders as well as the University Board of Trustees, the Foundation’s Board of Directors, alumni and other internal parties to consistently represent and support the established University branding.

Leadership and Team Development

• Builds and motivates an enthusiastic and effective team that works in cooperation and independently.
• Leads departmental staff through setting goals, communicating clear performance expectations, evaluating progress, and conducting periodic reviews and professional goals.
• Motivates employees to excel in the pursuit of private support.
• Conducts a comprehensive fundraising program for the University well within the boundaries of ethical practice and superior stewardship.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field. A master’s degree is strongly preferred.
• A minimum of five years supervising individuals and leading multiple teams to drive strategic goals.
• A minimum of five years of progressively responsible professional work experience in the advancement field. Ten years or more preferred.
• Broad background in fundraising and use of best practices, including demonstrated success and a solid record of accomplishments in the personal solicitation of major gifts and planned gifts; planning and implementing fundraising programs; board development; campaign planning and management; annual giving; grants development; and individual, corporate, and foundation gifts.
• Understanding of and commitment to Oregon Tech’s mission to serve rural and urban communities.
• Experience in working with a board.
• Commitment to and experience with a strong alumni relations program.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing a strategic plan.
• High level of energy and the capacity to partner effectively with the president and University leaders to advance University priorities.
• Experience building and managing an effective team dedicated to organizational goals and high performance with a commitment to principles of transparency in decision-making and management.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple highly visible projects and competing priorities simultaneously.
• Integrity and sound judgment.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written, including public speaking and presentations.
• Interpersonal skills, and the patience and ability to listen effectively to various constituents and interests.
• Commitment to diversity and ability to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships, partnerships, and coalitions amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, students, alumni, donors, and other internal and external University and community stakeholders.
• Ability to provide leadership in the use of technology and information systems to support all related development and marketing activities, including donor research and administration. Raiser’s Edge experience highly preferred.
• Demonstrable understanding and experience implementing successful integrated marketing communications and brand strategy.
• Commitment to working with campus leadership to build partnerships with community leaders, business and industry and the energy and perseverance to nurture and maintain relationships.