Proposal writer h1.location_city

Title: Assistant Vice President for Advancement

Department: College Advancement

Supervisor: Vice President for College Advancement

Last Updated: 1.12.2026

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Pitzer College seeks a strategic, energetic, collaborative and accomplished development professional to serve as its next Assistant Vice President for Advancement (AVP). This senior leadership role comes at an exciting time as a relatively new college president and a new vice president strive for greater innovation, creativity, and collaboration in advancing Pitzer’s core values and strategic vision in preparation for a possible future comprehensive campaign.

Reporting to the Vice President for College Advancement, the AVP will engage all members of the Pitzer community – faculty, staff, key volunteers, senior administrators in the fundraising process; work in conjunction with Advancement colleagues and academic leadership to formulate fundraising strategies for the College; and set high standards, clear expectations and establish metrics for success for the philanthropy team. A successful candidate will be a proactive leader, managing and motivating a team of frontline fundraising professionals while holding accountable the staff to accomplish ambitious and realistic financial goals and meeting metrics

The ideal candidate will have at least ten years of progressively responsible experience building and managing fundraising programs, preferably in education; the intellectual depth, maturity and confidence required to effectively engage and garner the trust of the President, vice presidents, faculty members and key volunteers in the fundraising process; and the ability to formulate effective moves management strategies that lead to the successful cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of major and principal gift prospects.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Duties and Responsibilities

Program Management (25%)

• Serve as a key member of the Vice President for College Advancement’s (VPCA) senior leadership team, overseeing the philanthropy team responsible for frontline fundraising.
• Translate the VPCA’s vision into real and relevant goals for fundraising including annual, major, principal and planned giving programs, and securing corporate and foundation grants.
• Help establish annual goals and metrics to ensure operational stability with sustainable long-term growth; manage and effectively allocate human and fiscal resources.
• Execute planned giving, major gifts, annual giving, and corporate and foundation relations plans and propose and implement strategies that will increase philanthropic support.
• Collaborate closely with academic partners to increase engagement in the fundraising process.
• Collaborate with the Alumni and Family Engagement programs to provide outreach to alumni, parents and friends in support of the goals and priorities of the College; utilize annual giving as a pipeline for major and planned giving prospects.
• Work closely with the Marketing/Communications team to ensure that internal and external communications incorporate appropriate and consistent development messages that align with the College brand and vision.
• Provide senior leaders with clear and consistent data-driven communication on the activities and metrics of College Advancement including progress toward established goals.
• Retain existing donor relationships while systematically and strategically identifying, cultivating and soliciting new individuals and institutional donors capable of making significant contributions to Pitzer, grow the pipeline of “friends” to increase philanthropic support among this audience.
• Work closely with the Prospect Management, Research and Analytics team to establish a data-driven approach to identifying, qualifying and engaging prospects; provide opportunities for the fundraising team to strategize on prospects and share ideas on appropriate ways to cultivate and solicit potential donors; through the use of data analysis of giving patterns and other factors, determine new markets where Pitzer can expand its development efforts.
• Demonstrate effective and efficient follow-up to requests from the president’s office, the vice president and other senior staff, the advancement leadership team, donors and trustees. Promote a culture of trustworthiness and accuracy in all business relationships with the aforementioned groups and individuals.
• Lead by example with a positive attitude, a collaborative approach to sharing credit, and accountability for individual and shared metrics of success.
  

Staff Management (25%)

• Supervise staff in major/planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, annual fund, and administrative support.
• Recruit, train, mentor, and retain a committed and productive team of professional staff that is well prepared to meet the ongoing challenges and aspirations for the College; set high standards, clear expectations and metrics for success. Meet regularly to discuss progress toward goals and hold staff accountable for individual and team goals.
• Ensure fundraising staff execute effective moves management strategies that result in meaningful engagement and successful solicitation of donors.
• Foster a positive and supportive environment that strives for excellence through best practices and the implementation of new ideas utilizing the skills of individual staff members and creating a collaborative work environment.
• Partner with the VPAC, the president, trustees, and senior staff to identify, engage, and steward major and principal gift prospects.
  

Frontline Fundraising (40%)

• Personally cultivate and solicit major and principal gift prospects from a portfolio of 75-100 current and prospective donors, both individual and institutional; actively engage and interact with all members of the College community.
• Formulate a keen understanding of the priorities and funding needs of the academic groups, and business units at Pitzer and help to articulate those priorities in clear and compelling cases for support.
• Conduct a minimum of 75 visits per year and submit a minimum of 30 proposals resulting in a minimum of $1,000,000 in personally secured gifts.
  

Volunteer Engagement (5%)

• Engage with volunteers; facilitate discussion among trustees and committee members to ensure that any initiatives undertaken align with the goals and objectives set forth by Advancement, the VPAC, and Pitzer leadership toward the betterment of the College.
• Ensure continuity and capability in the volunteer pipeline, identifying alumni and friends who have demonstrated an interest in supporting the College, are prominent in their fields and who may be willing to serve on panels, committees, boards or in other capacities.
• Convey to volunteers that their service is valued by the College and their support is appreciated; demonstrate to volunteers the impact of their contributions to the College.
  

Fundraising Events and Other Duties (5%)

• Support and regional engagement events, interact and inform attendees about Pitzer programs and activities, and cultivate support for the College.
• Attend and support major campus-wide events including Orientation, Family Weekend, Alumni Weekend and Commencement in which potential donors are interacting with faculty, staff, and students.
• Participate in staff committees and contribute to campus life and activities as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

The individual must possess knowledge, skills and ability to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

• The ability to analyze information and think strategically, critically, and creatively; the ability to transform new ideas into action and sustainable programs; a problem-solver who can contribute to effective solutions to issues facing not just Advancement but across the College.
• An approach to management that brings out the best in staff and yields pride, ownership and a sense of team effort.
• Collaborator who works across an institution and educates and engages stakeholders in the fundraising process.
• Excellent writer, editor, and communicator.
• Strong leadership and collaboration skills with a commitment to a team-based work environment.
• Natural aptitude for technology and expertise with MS Office, including expert level use of Excel.
• Ability to problem-solve and use analytical skills to develop and implement creative solutions.
• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to take initiative to work proactively, meet deadlines, organize and prioritize multiple projects, think strategically, and work with numbers and data.
• Exhibit personal integrity and ability to appropriately handle confidential and sensitive information.
• Exhibit a positive attitude, strong work ethic, and sound professional judgment.

Experience/Education: Bachelor’s degree required and a minimum of ten years of successful and progressively responsible leadership in all aspects of a mature development program with strong experience in using data and interpreting analytics in a fundraising environment.

A demonstrated ability and experience building existing development programs, including individual and institutional philanthropy that increases support; success in increasing the effectiveness of a development program and staff through established objectives and performance standards.

Personal success in cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major individual and institutional donors at the six- and seven-figure levels; the ability to inspire high-capacity individuals and major foundations and corporations to philanthropic leadership.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree.
• Campaign planning and implementation.
• Experience with complex gift planning structures and opportunities.
• Advancement experience at a liberal arts college.
• Passion for the Pitzer mission and core values.

Licenses/Certifications: CFRE and/or CSPG a plus. Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license and driving record acceptable to the College’s automobile insurance carrier.

Supervisory Responsibility: Yes

• Staff: Yes

Time Type: Full Time

Work Schedule: This is a regular, exempt, staff position, working 12 months per year. The regular schedule for this position is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hours may vary depending on the operational needs of the College or department, including evenings and weekends as required.

Compensation: Budgeted Salary Range: $160,000-$175,000 per year
Pitzer College is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, tuition exchange program

Work Model: Hybrid (3 days in office, 2 days remote)

• Must have access to reliable and secure computer and internet connection.
• Must have access to a dedicated and suitable workstation at remote location, including desk or table and supporting, upright chair. Must ensure workstation is safe and free from hazards and ergonomically appropriate.

Physical Requirements: This is generally a sedentary position. Must be able to sit for prolonged periods of time and operate a computer for prolonged periods of time. You must have the ability to drive locally for events and appointments.

Application Materials: Upload the following materials to complete your application:

• Cover Letter: Indicate your reason for interest in this position, describe how your qualifications make you an ideal candidate, and explain which of Pitzer’s core values best relates to your own.
• Resume: List relevant qualifications and dates of experience.
• Professional References: References will be contacted for select applicants and advance notice will be provided. Provide the names of at least three (3) individuals who can speak to your professional qualifications. Include their business titles, contact information and an indication of how you are acquainted with them (e.g., former supervisor, coworker, etc.).