Director, Ontario Veterinary College Advancement

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Professional and Managerial Group

Director, Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) Advancement

Alumni Affairs and Development

Hiring #: 2024-0181

Please read the Application Instructions before applying

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

The Director of Ontario Veterinary College Advancement has accountability for alumni engagement, annual, major, principal and planned gift fundraising for the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). Reporting jointly to the Associate Vice-President (Advancement) and the Dean, OVC, the Director is the most senior advancement position in the College and is responsible for guiding the OVC Advancement team toward an annual target of $10 million in sustained fundraising revenue.

In partnership with the OVC Dean, members of the executive team, and other key members of the College, the Director promotes and supports OVC’s strategic priorities and enhances its reputation as a world-class veterinary college. The incumbent provides advancement expertise, strategic advice/support and introduction of top donors and prospects to the Dean and senior administrators in OVC, the President, Vice-Presidents and AVPs. The incumbent provides leadership and guidance to a small advancement team of direct reports while also partnering with the Director, OVC Pet Trust to coordinate advancement activities within the Pet Trust portfolio. In keeping with the University’s commitment to support a community of wellness for its employees, successful applicants are eligible to request a flexible work arrangement.

An important area of growth for the team is in building an inclusive, equitable and diverse team reflected throughout the organization. Following the lead of our unit’s Equity Diversity and Inclusion Committee, we recognize we have more work to do in this area and are committed to the journey of learning, growing and improving. Applicants who identify as belonging to an equity seeking group are encouraged to apply.

The Director is responsible for several key functions related to advancement at the University of Guelph. In particular, the Director:

• Models the values of respect, integrity, appreciation, forward focus, and empowerment.
• Leads and implements OVC advancement strategy, ensuring alignment of advancement activities with College strategic goals and objectives, in concert with the Director of OVC Marketing and Communication and the Manager of OVC Pet Trust.
• Directs recruitment, training, goal-setting, coaching and evaluation of all advancement staff within the college.
• Deploys team resources as needed to meet the needs of this portfolio, as well as all principal, major, and planned gifts.

• Serves as a principal and major gift fundraiser for the College including their own fundraising accountabilities, providing oversight and strategic direction toward the fundraising goal to successively build to a sustained $20-million per year.

• Provides oversight of all solicitation of gifts of $1-million or greater within the College.
• Manages all prospect and donor activity to ensure donors are being identified, cultivated, solicited and stewarded, as well as overseeing and monitoring gift planning initiatives.

• Develops strategies and plans to enhance alumni engagement to cultivate and build lifelong relationships between the College and its expanding alumni base including outreach strategies for events, volunteer management,
• Develops and implements an overall strategy, annual and multi-year plans accommodating alumni engagement, annual, major, principal and planned giving objectives and activities through a wide array of programming.
• Plans correspondence with alumni and donors on behalf of the College. This includes managing alumni and donor concerns/complaints with tact and authority of OVC.

Experience, skills and qualifications:

The preferred candidate will have:

• Undergraduate degree along with at least 6 years of relevant experience; a Certified Fund Raising Executive designation is considered an asset;
• Demonstrated progressive experience in fundraising, with a proven track record of success securing principal and major ($1M+) gifts from a variety of stakeholders.
• Fundraising experience in a University or public sector environment or a comparable setting with complex organizational structures is considered an asset;
• Experience leading and managing team members, volunteers and advising senior administrators; 
• Demonstrated ability to think and act strategically and creatively in a dynamic high-pressure work environment, exercising tact, diplomacy, discretion and good judgment;

• Proficient in business management and development, including budget planning and analysis;
• Capacity to build consensus and influence direction and priorities;
• Knowledge of business community, and related issues and challenges (knowledge of veterinary field an asset);
• Strategic planning, people management and administrative skills to lead an advancement team ensuring fundraisers and other team members have both individual and group success;
• Good interpersonal skills and ability to deal effectively with diverse groups of people, including donors and prospects, senior administration, colleagues, alumni; ability to anticipate, identify and respond to needs and interests of varied audiences;
• Proven ability to lead groups towards completion of long-term goals in dynamic environments;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills;
• Experience managing the personnel and resource requirements of competing projects and shifting between projects.

For more information about this exciting opportunity please contact Meredith Wilson, Talent Acquisition Consultant, at mnwilson@uoguelph.ca

Position Number         640-001
Classification               P09*
Professional/Managerial Salary Bands

*Tentative evaluation; subject to committee review.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date: 2024 04 15
Closing Date: 2024 05 06 (extended)