Director, University Development

DIRECTOR, UNIVERSITY DEVELOPMENT

UVic is one of Canada’s best universities, a gem located in the thriving city of Victoria, BC. The University is in an exciting period of change and growth bolstered by a strengthened Alumni and Development program, and is making plans for a comprehensive campaign. With world-leading programs in essential areas like climate change, Indigenous knowledge, fine arts and culture, and health and wellness, UVic is poised to go from a well-kept secret to an acclaimed institution.

The Alumni and Development Office advances the vision of the University by securing and increasing philanthropic and private support for university priorities, as well as fostering lifelong relationships between the university and its alumni, friends, and community members.

To enable the next steps in its growth, the University seeks a new Director of University Development to lead its crucial central fundraising units.  Recently restructured to allow for a concentrated focus on these units, the Director is responsible for the vision, strategic leadership, and management of Planned Giving, Annual Giving, Leadership Giving, and Corporate and Foundation relations.  The central programs currently raise about $14 million, or approximately 35%-40% of the development’s total annual revenue.  Importantly, these programs lay the foundation for success for all UVIC fundraising.  The Director reports to the Associate Vice-President, Alumni and Development (AVP, A&D), and leads a team of 13, including four direct reports.

This is a compelling opportunity for an experienced fundraiser to:

• Create a vision and plan that builds on the unit’s history of success
• Bring best practices and novel ideas from the broader world of philanthropy
• Position the central units as essential leaders and partners in all aspects of the University’s external relations efforts
• Elevate the sights and abilities of an exceptionally talented group of staff, bringing their expertise to bear in bridging gaps and enabling innovation across the portfolio area
• Help lay the foundation for effective campaign fundraising and play a key role in building the University’s culture of philanthropy broadly
• Join a dynamic and ambitious Director group working to take UVic and its fundraising program from one of Canada’s best kept secrets to a destination of choice for donors and staff alike

While the longer-term needs of the role are to be determined, in the short-term the Director will be tasked with the following priority needs:

• Build a collaborative model for working with the major gift/faculty development portfolio to optimize fundraising efforts
• Develop a new plan for an effective central Corporate and Foundation Relations Fundraising unit
• Work with the Advancement Services leaders, particularly its new Director, to ensure Annual Giving’s needs are met in the context of the pending IT system refresh
• Work to understand and leverage University-wide priorities, and specific unit priorities, for the university’s fundraising success.

THE UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA

The University of Victoria (UVic) is one of Canada’s leading research-intensive universities. The university is committed to providing a campus which is accepting of diversity and inclusive of Indigenous ways of knowing and being. We acknowledge and respect the lək̓ʷəŋən peoples on whose traditional territory the university stands, and the Songhees, Esquimalt, and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day. Although the University received degree-granting status in 1963 our origins trace back to 1903 and the establishment of Victoria College, our predecessor institution.

Located on a stunning campus known for its open green spaces and state of the art buildings, UVic is home to more than 23,000 students from 129 countries, including 3,000 graduate students, enrolled in academic programs offered by the University’s ten Faculties and two Divisions, including: Science, Business, Law, Engineering and Computer Science, Medical Sciences, Education, Fine Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, Continuing Studies, and Human and Social Development. UVic has over 4,500 employees including 900 faculty members. We award approximately 5,000 degrees a year and have over 140,000 alumni worldwide.

The University is one of Canada’s leading research universities with over $124M in research income. UVic excels in diverse forms of research and creative activity, innovation and knowledge mobilization that advance human knowledge, improve, and enrich lives, tackle global challenges, and promote the sustainability of the planet. UVic aims to be a preferred partner and a leader in local and global engagement. Working together for mutual benefit with community, private sector, government, and other educational and research organizations.

UVic has developed a reputation for progressive thought and cutting-edge research. We are particularly proud of areas that distinguish us, like our Indigenous Focus (see here for more information) including the recent establishment of Canada’s first Indigenous law degree. Meanwhile our combined strengths in sustainability and climate action have been recognized globally – the 2020 Times Higher Education impact rankings placed UVic fourth among the world’s universities for climate action.

UVic is #1 among Canadian comprehensive universities for preparing career-ready students (2019 Times Higher Education Global University Employability Ranking) and is consistently the top university in North America for international research collaboration (Leiden, 2011-19). In 2021, UVic tied at number one in the Maclean’s Magazine University rankings in the comprehensive category.

UVic is guided by its Strategic Framework 2018 – 2023, which sets out priorities, goals, and strategies for the University of Victoria over this time frame. In 2022 UVic will launch its new strategic plan and in 2023 the University will celebrate its 60th anniversary, both of which present fantastic fundraising and engagement opportunities.

For more information about the University, see https://www.uvic.ca.

ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT

The Office of Alumni & Development nurtures a culture of pride and philanthropy at UVic and generates resources for the University’s priorities. It is comprised of a committed staff team who work both centrally and in faculties and departments to identify opportunities where donors and alumni can be instrumental to enhancing the University’s programs, research, and student support.

The Office is led by Jane Potentier, AVP, A&D and five Directors who work collaboratively to plan and lead all fundraising and alumni engagement efforts for the university: Director, University Development; Director, Faculty Development; Director, Principal Gifts and Campaigns; Director, Alumni Relations; and Director, Advancement Services.

A growth model was developed in 2017 with a goal of increasing annual fundraising revenue to the $20-$25 million range in five years. The average raised in the five years before the launch of the plan was $14 million. The University is tracking exceptionally well, having raised over $28 million in 2020/21 from a record number of donors. The University is on track to exceed the 2021/22 goal of $25 million. Looking ahead, UVic is in the early stages of planning a comprehensive campaign.

To learn more about giving at UVic:  https://www.uvic.ca/givingtouvic/impact/impact-report/index.php

Following the arrival of a new Director, Alumni Relations in September 2021, the University has refocussed efforts on Alumni Engagement, developing a new vision, mission, and strategy, and setting ambitious goals for the program. Over the past 18 months, the team has completely revamped the Distinguished Alumni Awards program, introduced a new signature event series, reinvigorated alumni volunteer networks, and placed an increasing emphasis on marketing and communications. Future plans include increased young alumni programming, reunions, mentorship, and more. Alumni engagement will also be a key component of the comprehensive campaign.

Leadership:

The Alumni and Development team is led by Jane Potentier, AVP, A&D. Jane joined UVic in mid-2020 after a lengthy and successful career at the University of Alberta. Jane’s bio and welcome video can be found here.

The Alumni and Development Department is one of the portfolios of External Relations, which also includes community relations, government relations, marketing, communications, the University art collections, Farquhar Auditorium, and ceremonies and events. The Vice President External Relations is Chris Horbachewski, and his bio is here: https://www.uvic.ca/external/home/vicepresident/index.php

On November 1, 2020, Kevin Hall became the President of UVic. He is a very keen fundraising President and is excited to meet donors and establish relationships with them, and has a primary goal to increase alumni engagement. See here for more information: https://www.uvic.ca/about-uvic/governance-and-administration/about-our-president/

SUMMARY OF RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the AVP, Alumni & Development, the Director, University Development leads the strategy, the resource plan, and budget for centralized specialist fundraising programs supporting institutional development.
Leads a team of central fundraisers comprising the following units:

• Planned Giving: Responsible for maximizing legacy giving financial support through planned legacy gifts and administers realized legacy gifts. These gifts include gifts through wills, life insurance, retirement plan assets, gifts in-kind, and gifts of securities. The team of two identifies 35-40 expectancies per year, and last fiscal year estates through probate totaled $8.7 million. UVic recently adopted the CASEcounting guidelines for planned gifts, emphasizing our focus on proactive identification and solicitation of planned gifts.
• Leadership Giving: This relatively new area seeks to develop relationships with donors giving or capable of giving $1,000 – $25,000.  The team raised just under $500,000 from 164 donors in 2020/21. During the past year the leadership giving team has found new collaborative ways of working with the faculty-based development officers, and is on track to exceed $900,000 in funds raised from over 220 donors.
• Annual Giving: the five staff work collaboratively with faculties and units to implement fundraising programs and execute university wide appeals. Programs include student calling, direct response initiatives (both email and mail), monthly giving, and special events (Giving Tuesday, Impact Day, Stocktober, Orange Shirt Day, etc.).  The Annual Giving team is on track to raise $1.45M from approximately 4,400 donors this fiscal year.
• Corporate & Foundation Giving: The Director will lead the development of a refreshed corporate and foundations strategy with the goal of adding resources in support of the plan. The focus will be on donors and prospective donors with pan-institutional affinity and particularly complex donations.
• Provides strategic direction and oversees the day-to-day operations of their team towards their annual fundraising goals
• Provides mentorship and coaching to their direct reports to develop creative and robust program plans, and cultivation and solicitation strategies
• Ensures the success of central specialized fundraising teams in the in the achievement of their goals and targets
• Identifies and develops opportunities for future program development in support of institutional fundraising goals
• Manages a portfolio of major gift donors that have pan-institutional affinity, which will include especially complex donations and with a focus on Corporate and Foundation prospect
• Serves as a member of the AVP, A&D’s management team, and assist in developing, implementing, and advancing the mission of Alumni and Development and the strategic initiatives of the Division of External Relations
• Contributes to the promotion of the reputation and profile of the University with external partners and communities, engaging selected alumni worldwide to develop and sustain relationships with the University

For a more comprehensive and detailed list of responsibilities, please see the Appendices.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Significant experience in a senior fundraising position, ideally developing and successfully executing a similar program in a post-secondary environment.
• Experience with Planned Giving, Leadership and Annual Giving, and/or Corporate and Foundation fundraising programs will be considered a significant asset.
• Exceptional team leadership skills, including leading teams in a fundraising environment (ie: staff management and setting goals and priorities).
• Demonstrated ability and success in setting up and executing fundraising and relationship building strategy through others, particularly senior executives.
• Ability to balance multiple interests from diverse stakeholders.
• Skilled in strategic planning and long-term visioning.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, and effective presentation skills that demonstrate tact and diplomacy to a variety of internal and external contacts.
• Knowledge of project management best practices.
• Fluent understanding of the research enterprise with a large academic institution is ideal.
• Ability to effectively administer, organize, plan, and manage time.
• University degree (graduate degree preferred) or equivalent education and experience.
• CFRE designation an asset.
• After hours work required (6-12 times a year) for donor and community events.

CANDIDATE PROFILE

To succeed in this role, the new Director should be:

• A strategic and big picture thinker. Understands and champions collaboration between and across units.
• Visionary and inspirational. Can motivate and inspire.
• A positive leader, coach, and mentor. Encourages creativity and listens to people with ideas. Empowers staff and enables bravery and risk-taking.  Management experience in a complex postsecondary environment with diverse staff is ideal.
• An exceptional change manager. Anticipates concerns with change and leads with compassion.  Persistence and patience to work effectively across a large and complex organization.  Mature and a sense of humor.
• A true team player. Attuned to people. Ability to influence and advocate. Likes radically candid conversations.
• A transparent and open communicator. Neither secretive nor hierarchical.

APPLICATION AND SELECTION PROCESS

The University of Victoria invites qualified applicants, curious candidates, and recommendations to their search partner, The Discovery Group, a leading national recruitment and consultancy firm.

The selection process and interviews will take place through the spring and our goal is to have a new Director start as soon as reasonably possible, and ideally no later than late spring/early summer of 2022.

To be considered, all submissions should be received by Christoph Clodius, Vice President of The Discovery Group, at christoph@thediscoverygroup.ca by March 15, 2022.   For further inquiries or questions, email or call Christoph at 604-836-1972.

Working Requirements & Location:

While the incumbent must be based within the Victoria area, flexible relocation timing will be considered given current public health guidelines on travel and movement.

Confirmation of full vaccination against COVID-19 is required for any employees whose first offer of employment from the University is after February 21, 2022.

Compensation & Benefits:

At UVic, we combine outstanding scholarship with inspired teaching and community engagement. We’re committed to recruiting, developing, and retaining people who help us build a better future.  We know that our employees play a vital role in our success. In exchange, we offer competitive pay, great benefits, generous vacation time, funding for career development and a diverse range of learning and development opportunities, and a variety of other perquisites.  For more about working at UVic, see https://www.uvic.ca/faculty-staff/careers/why-apply-to-uvic/index.php

The Director is categorized as an ME 13 with a recruitment range of $108,256 – 135,320 determined through knowledge, experience, and internal equity. The performance range of $155,619 is available through annual performance increases.

Land Acknowledgement:

Consistent with UVic’s values, we acknowledge with respect the Lekwungen peoples on whose traditional territory the University of Victoria stands, and the Songhees, Esquimalt, and WSÁNEĆ peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

UVic is committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, inclusion, and human rights in our living, learning, and work environments. We know that diversity underpins excellence, and that we all share responsibility for creating an equitable, diverse, and inclusive community. In pursuit of our values, we seek members who will work respectfully and constructively with differences and across levels of power.

Read our full equity statement here: www.uvic.ca/equitystatement.

ABOUT VICTORIA

Victoria is a vibrant city with an exceptional quality of life. Residents enjoy our social life, arts and culture scene, easy access to nature, and a cutting-edge food scene. With cheaper housing and less congestion than other major cities in Canada, and some of the best weather, people seldom leave.

Located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Victoria is BC’s capital city. With a regional population of about 380,000 residents, the Greater Victoria Area is the 15th most populous Canadian urban region – a big city with a small-town feel. As one of the most beautiful and photogenic cities in the world, we enjoy beautiful heritage architecture and a modern cityscape framed by stunning ocean views and mountain vistas.

The region is made for an active lifestyle. Outdoor recreational activities are boundless, and many people walk and cycle to work. Victoria may be surrounded by rainforest, but is actually a lot drier than nearby Seattle or Vancouver. Home to the warmest winters in Canada, snow is uncommon in the city, allowing golfers, hikers, sailors, rowing, rugby, soccer, tennis, and gardening enthusiasts to play outside all year long. Along with the outdoors, there is a great selection of things to do in Victoria and environs. In addition to the Royal BC Museum, the Art Gallery of Victoria, and Butchart Gardens, there is a myriad of cultural attractions, festivals, and activities to enjoy.  The food scene thrives here, with exceptional restaurants, outstanding brewpubs, award-winning spirits, and of course, an outstanding west-coast café culture.

Victoria has a diverse economy driven by small and medium sized business. Advanced technology is the leading economic generator, with annual revenues in this area exceeding $3.15 billion. Greater Victoria is also a major tourism destination, spawning an industry that has a regional impact of about $2 billion. Education, marine, construction, health, retail, and agriculture are other sectors steadily on the rise. As the capital city of the province and a Department of National Defence location, the public service is a large part of our economy.

Our education industry fuels much of the development of high tech and other knowledge-based industries, and the schools here provide a rich learning environment. In addition to the University of Victoria, our city has several other higher education institutions (such as Camosun College, Royal Roads University, the Victoria College of Art, and the Canadian College of Performing Arts), as well as excellent public and independent schools. World-class healthcare is provided by the Vancouver Island Health Authority, which operates local and regional hospitals, and oversees more than 18,000 health professionals, technicians, and support staff who provide excellent care and services.

Travel to mainland Canada and USA is simple, either by ferry (a scenic 90 minutes to the mainland), or by air via Victoria International Airport or Victoria Inner Harbour Airport (a 30-minute flight to Vancouver).  Victoria is also exceptionally well-connected to the west coast’s network of smaller islands for day trips or longer getaways.

For a visual overview of Victoria, see https://www.tourismvictoria.com/.

FULL LIST OF RESPONSIBILITIES

Provides strategy, planning, and integration of the centralized University fundraising programs:

• Responsible for the growth and strategic direction of central specialized fundraising programs.
• Oversees all administrative aspects including staffing, budgeting, prospective donor clearance, prospective donor research, management reports, strategic and tactical meetings and agendas, database management, and executive reporting requirements to support the Annual, Leadership, and Planned Giving initiatives.
• Oversees major gift support for institutional priorities such as student supports, pan-university research priorities, etc.
• In consultation with the AVP, Alumni & Development, works with the University leadership to create and integrate fundraising priorities, plans, and goals for non-faculty-based initiatives and programs.
• Contributes and collaborates in the development of institutional fundraising priorities.
• Evaluates and makes recommendations to the VP, External Relations, and AVP, Alumni and Development regarding staffing requirements for the central specialized programs.
• Responsible for setting targets and annual goals and is responsible for providing coaching and leadership to their staff to ensure the attainment of these targets.
• Identifies and develops plans for new programs as the University’s fundraising needs evolve.
• As appropriate and in consulting with the AVP, Alumni and Development, engages with external fundraising counsel to provide strategic support to enhance the university’s fundraising programs.
• Monitors and engages in understanding new developments and best practices in planned, leadership, and annual giving.
• Works closely with Director, Alumni Relations to ensure synergy and coordination, particularly in relation to annual giving strategies.

Leads team:

• Provides leadership and counsel to approximately 5 direct reports and a total team of 12-14 professional development staff.
• Hires, provides orientation and ongoing training, plans and approves professional development, and conducts annual staff evaluations. Decisions associated with direct reports, such as performance planning and professional development, are made within the context of the appropriate collective agreement.
• Sets annual metrics and targets for each program/fundraiser and the team as a whole.
• Plays a leadership role in motivation, mentorship, and counsel with their team leads and direct reports.
• Coaches and monitors team and individual performance towards metrics and goals through regular check-ins.
• Works in collaboration with the Director of Development, Faculty Development to establish a regular team meeting framework to ensure coordination across programs as well as to optimize fundraising results.
• Identifies training needs and, where applicable, leads educational/training programs for development staff in fundraising methods and procedures.
• Fosters a collaborative team culture – ensures own actions and those of staff reflect sensitivity to the needs and interest of many campus areas with competing development objectives, encouraging synergies and blended asks.
• Ensures regular engagement with Prospect Research and Donor Relations to develop appropriate programs and strategies.
• Develops, monitors, and implements the development budget, plan, and support systems making modifications and adaptations as required to deal with opportunities and threats.
• Develops, oversees, and manages a budget for central development programs.
• In collaboration with the Director of Development, Faculty Development, and other Alumni and Development Directors, creates, modifies, and manages administrative protocols and detailed procedures pertaining to donor relationships, roles, responsibilities, and development methodology for major, planned, and annual giving.
• Remains current on relevant internal and external policies, procedures, regulations, and laws related to fundraising.
• Works with the Director, Advancement Services and their staff to ensure reporting of metrics and development of policies and procedures pertaining to central specialized fundraising programs.
• Manages a small portfolio (10- 20) of major gift prospects with pan institutional affinity. Responsible for developing cultivation strategies for these prospects – which includes all aspects of major gift development.
  Represents the university at one-on-one donor meetings, group donor meetings, and donor events; can also include meetings on short notice and of especially complex or sensitive matters.

Serves as a member of the AVP, A&D’s leadership team and assists in developing, implementing, and advancing the mission of Alumni & Development and the strategic initiatives of the Division of External Relations:

• Interacts formally with the AVP, A&D through regular monthly reporting and information exchange meetings, as well as informally as necessary to plan, execute, monitor, and problem-solve for the University’s fundraising programs strategy.
• Responsible, in collaboration with the AVP, A&D, Director, Faculty Development, and Director, Principal Gifts and Campaigns, for the development of strategic solicitation themes, core messages, and a communications strategy.
• Plays a key role in the Alumni and Development integrated strategic planning sessions.
• Works to engage, lead, influence, educate, and manage relationships with senior administrative members of the University and the other Directors in the division to discuss, seek advice, collaborate and/or influence decisions regarding strategy and/or operations in support of the faculty fundraising program and its integration with all other University operations.
• Works with the AVP, A&D to update the Executive Council, Deans, Senate, and Board on fundraising projects and progress.
• Keeps abreast of emerging trends in fundraising and philanthropy, and disseminates key information to colleagues, the AVP, A&D, and appropriate staff across the University.
• Contributes to the External Relations team at a senior level, offering solutions and strategies that enhance the University’s alumni and fundraising goals.

Contributes to the promotion of the reputation and profile of the University with external partners and communities:

• Serves as an external ambassador for the University of Victoria in the philanthropic and general communities.
• Represents the University at one-on-one donor meetings, group donor meetings, and donor events.

KEY JOB-SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES

The Director, University Development must be a skilled, knowledgeable development professional with the depth and breadth of experience, leadership, and management skills to secure considerable philanthropic investments for the University and to be a leader of development staff. The key competencies for this position include:

Leadership:

• The Director must possess strong mentoring skills with proven ability to build long-term successful collaborative teams.
• Personal effectiveness as a leader and visionary to inspire staff, academic leaders, and campus partners in the development of a high-quality fundraising programs.

Initiative:

• The Director must have significant initiative to start and keep moving all aspects of fundraising initiatives. Considerable scope exists for the development of new projects and for creatively addressing issues and opportunities.

Strategic Planning:

• Strategic thinking and long-term visioning are an essential core competency for the position’s incumbent. The Director is required to approach all aspects of the position with the requirement of strategically assessing options, recommending and implementing a course of direction that most advances the position of the University, balancing not only fundraising, but also all other considerations in decision-making.

Problem-Solving:

• The complexity of this position in terms of multiple projects, numerous contacts internally and externally, the intense interpersonal nature of the work, and the potential ethical challenges requires the incumbent to solve complex problems daily.

Project Management:

• The Director must have superb abilities to manage various projects simultaneously, working at all levels of management – planning, strategic thinking, timing, and detailed

Financial Management:

• The Director must have strong financial management ability to establish budgets, have them approved, report on expenditures to appropriate bodies, and monitor regular expenditures. The Director must also track and balance fundraising results to ensure that targets are

Interpersonal and Communication:

• The Director must possess strong emotional intelligence and excellent communication skills, especially around the ability to translate complex concepts grounded in academia into easily understood concepts. They are confident in a competent and unpretentious way, tackle challenges thoughtfully, directly, and professionally, and are a respectful listener who seeks and values input from others. They help the University to accurately and creatively communicate our impact in a manner that engages and inspires others to become involved.

Policy and Procedures Development:

• There are many policies and procedures that govern the activities related to fundraising, alumni relations, marketing, and communications. The Director, working with the AVP and peers, recommends and takes a leadership role in developing and drafting new policy and procedures and policy changes to support all development operations.

Additional Assets:

• An understanding of information systems; willingness & ability to travel; Flexible work schedule