Organizational Relationship The Assistant Dean for Advancement reports to the Dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences and to an Associate Vice Chancellor for Advancement. The Assistant Dean provides strategic leadership for an advancement program that includes two gift officers, an associate director for external engagement, and an office manager. The College operates under a shared services model, collaborating closely with Administration (budget, facilities, HR), IT, and Communications. Duties Responsibilities Major Gifts and Development Strategy Develop, implement, and evaluate an annual fundraising plan and oversee the College’s prospect portfolio and gift officer assignments. Manage personal portfolio of high-level major gift prospects, using a focused and accountable approach of strategy development and implementation. Oversee and provide direction for College’s overall prospect portfolio, and gift officer assignments, engaging the Dean as appropriate. Plan and implement effective outreach and cultivation activities to enhance prospect identification and move solicitation and stewardship processes forward. Qualify, cultivate, solicit, and steward a portfolio of major gift prospects, with an emphasis on gifts of $50,000 or more, determining the frequency of contact needed. Maintain a significant travel schedule (30–40%) to meet with alumni, donors, and corporate partners. Facilitate the Dean’s engagement with key donors and prospects. Lead the major gift team in identifying, cultivating, and soliciting donors and in developing proposals for individuals, corporations, and foundations. Design strategies that align donor interests with University and College priorities. Collaborate with advancement colleagues across campus to support coordinated fundraising efforts. Strategy, Collaboration, and Engagement Lead the development and implementation of a comprehensive advancement strategy aligned with University and College priorities. Serve as the Dean’s primary advisor on advancement matters. Build and maintain effective relationships with College leadership, faculty, and units to align advancement activities with program priorities. Collaborate with OVCIA, the University of Illinois Foundation, and the University of Illinois Alumni Association to advance College goals and serve as a key liaison to these partners. Partner with the Assistant Director of Strategic Initiatives and Research Relations to develop corporate partnerships that support research and education initiatives. Collaborate with the Assistant Dean of Marketing and Communications to support advancement-related communications and engagement. Engage students and student organizations in advancement activities. Serve on the College leadership team, the Applied Health Sciences Administrative Council, and other relevant committees. Management and Budget In collaboration with College leadership and OVCIA, manage the advancement budget. Provide oversight of staff across major gifts, annual fund, stewardship, and alumni relations functions. Hire, supervise, develop, and evaluate advancement personnel. Establish policies, procedures, and best practices to support an effective and innovative advancement program. Maintain knowledge of higher education trends and College priorities. Constituent Engagement Lead alumni, donor, and corporate engagement efforts that foster long-term relationships with the College. In partnership with the Dean, support and manage the College’s Board of Visitors and the Alumni Board. Oversee stewardship activities, including events, recognition, and donor reporting. Communicate the College’s mission, vision, and priorities to external constituents through coordinated communications and marketing efforts. Collaborate with the Office of Marketing and Communications to develop and execute print, electronic, and web-based materials for alumni and donor audiences. Ensure consistency of messaging and alignment with the College and University brand. Impact in Your First Year At Advancement at Illinois, we value our employees and provide resources to help you continually learn and grow. We foster a strong, collaborative community of people who are driven by their ability to make a difference. Within 3 months, you’ll: Understand the Dean’s and Associate Vice Chancellor’s strategic vision and priorities for the College Begin to build positive relationships with key internal constituents and external constituents as well as with leadership and peers in Advancement Assess the structure, resources, capabilities, and bandwidth of your advancement office/team as well as individual and collective progress to goals Become familiar with the overarching structure of Advancement at Illinois and the alignment between central Advancement services, the University of Illinois Foundation, and the University of Illinois Alumni Association Attend professional development and networking activities for newcomers within Advancement Meet your assigned Prospect Development Analyst and begin to dig into your portfolio Within 6 months, you’ll: Begin cultivating relationships with the key prospects/donors/alumni Understand, evaluate, and offer strategic insight into unit-specific advancement opportunities and initiatives Be able to share the programmatic and philanthropic needs of units By the end of the first year, you’ll: Continue to develop and enhance a trusting and collaborative team culture Cooperatively set annual performance goals/metrics with your staff and portfolio management team Continue portfolio growth of qualified prospects and successful solicitation strategies Partner with OVCIA teams for individual and team coaching, professional development, retreat, and goal-setting opportunities Build a robust network of colleagues across campus