Employer/Funding Source:
State Management Confidential
State Title:
Director of Development
In House Title of Position:
Assistant Vice President for Corporate and Foundation Relations
Department:
Office of Development
Division:
Development and Alumni Relations
Supervisor of Position:
Nancy Wells
Vice President for Development
Date:
February 2014
Description of Position:
The Assistant Vice President for Corporate and Foundation Relations (AVP) is responsible for
implementing a corporate/foundation fundraising effort that successfully meets the university, schoolbased and programmatic goals for private support and for contributing to the overall dollars raised and
donors secured within a fiscal year. The AVP will expand the base of both corporate and foundation
prospects and donors on a regional and national level for priority efforts within specific academic units
and university-wide. A key responsibility of the AVP is balancing the proactive identification of
institutional prospects with the service-oriented support of faculty interests and funding needs.
The duties and assignments include, but are not limited to, working with academic and administrative
leadership within the university’s College of Arts and Sciences and 11 professional schools, and the
Office of the University Provost and other university units and programs in implementing their goals,
plans and activities related to corporate and foundation fundraising. The AVP must have the ability to
translate complex, interdisciplinary academic concepts into workable proposals that meet corporate and
foundation funding guidelines.
Managing the corporate and foundation relations staff, and maintaining a personal portfolio of
prospects and donors for the purposes of cultivation, solicitation and stewardship are also expectations.
Reporting Relationships:
Supervisory: The AVP reports to, and works closely with, the vice president for development and
alumni relations and functions as a member of the senior team of the unit. The AVP directly supervises
a staff of corporate and foundation major gift officers, proposal writers and support staff. The AVP also
provides leadership and fundraising counsel to the deans and senior officers for the divisions of
athletics, libraries and the arts. The AVP will provide input and advice, as appropriate, to the schooland unit-based major gift officers as it pertains to the engagement, stewardship and solicitation of
corporate and foundation prospects.
Functional: The AVP works closely with deans, department chairs and faculty members, and in
coordination with the vice president for development and alumni relations, the vice president for
research, the provost, and vice provosts. The AVP also will maintain strong working relationships with
donors, prospects and key volunteers. Within development, the AVP works closely with peers at the
senior staff level, including Constituent Development, Gift Planning, Alumni Relations, and Development
Services.
Responsibilities:
The Assistant Vice President for Corporate and Foundation Relations will have the following duties and
responsibilities:

Participate as a full member of the Development and Alumni Relations senior team: contribute to
the overall unit planning, provide fundraising counsel to senior university administration as required
and respond to the specific requests from the vice president for development and alumni relations;

Help to foster a greater awareness of the importance of private fundraising among campus
constituencies through active partnering and involvement with faculty, staff, deans, vice presidents,
vice provosts, and the president and provost whenever appropriate;

Create and implement strategic operating plans, contact and revenue targets, and reporting systems
and structures for the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations;

Document all contacts and gifts through the practices outlined in the unit’s prospect tracking and
management protocol, and adhere to the policies and procedures for accepting, recording and
acknowledging gifts;

Manage the corporate and foundation relations’ program budget, determine budget needs, and
manage program expenses within available resources;

Manage, lead and mentor staff within corporate and foundation relations;

Coordinate the efforts of the directors of development within the schools and program units relative
to approaches to corporations and foundations;

Partner closely with Prospect Research in the identification of major gift prospects;

Implement a comprehensive stewardship program involving corporate and foundation relations
staff, donor relations and stewardship colleagues, and other partners in and outside of the unit;

Track national trends impacting support from corporations and foundations to the university and
individual programs;

Develop close and strategic working partnerships with the university’s Office of Sponsored Programs
and the Office of the Vice President for Research;

Develop and maintain a prospect portfolio of principal and major gift prospects to cultivate, solicit
and steward on behalf of the University at Buffalo;

Local and regional travel required (up to 40%), including evenings, overnights and occasional
weekends;

Assume other responsibilities and duties as directed and assigned by the vice president for
development and alumni relations.
Qualifications:
Education:
A bachelor’s degree is required with an advanced degree preferred.
Professional:
A minimum of five years experience as a development officer including program planning and
management or equivalent experience;

Proficiency in direct solicitation with a history of increased responsibilities;

Proven skill in goal articulation and achievement for operating, capital and endowment fundraising;

Familiarity with, and success in, a major college or university setting, preferably a public research
university;

Demonstrated ability to relate effectively with faculty, administrators, colleagues and other
university constituencies;

Ability to translate complex, interdisciplinary academic concepts into workable proposals that meet
corporate and foundation funding guidelines;

A commitment to, and understanding of, philanthropy and development as change agents for the
advancement of both the mission and vision of the university.
Personal Characteristics:
Ability to work as part of the development management team;
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Excellent written and oral communication skills;
Strong work ethic;
A high degree of professionalism and maturity;
Sensitivity to long-term relationship building and stewardship;
Commitment to donor-centered philanthropy as a complement to university goals;
Sense of humor.
Salary commensurate with experience. UB offers highly competitive salary and benefit packages for its
development staff.
The University at Buffalo is an Equal Opportunity Institution.
For more job information and directions on how to apply, please visit our website at:
https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu. Only applications received through UB Jobs will be considered.
Posting # 1400066
Quick link to apply: https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu/applicants/Central?quickFind=56859