Director of Strategic Initiatives and Advancement Operations- Development and Alumni Relations

Summary

Reporting to the Vice President for University Advancement, the Director of Strategic Initiatives and Advancement Operations servesas a senior leader within Midwestern University's advancementorganization. The Director provides leadership for strategic planning, campaign readiness, advancement operations, prospectresearch, wealth screening, reporting and analytics, giftadministration, and donor agreement management.

This position accelerates philanthropic growth by translatinginstitutional priorities into integrated advancement strategies,strengthening operational infrastructure, expanding the major giftpipeline, and ensuring the effective administration of systems,processes, and resources that support fundraising, alumniengagement, donor stewardship, and campaign success across

Midwestern University's Glendale and Downers Grove campuses.

The Director works closely with University leadership, deans,faculty, clinicians, advancement staff, and external partners to identify philanthropic opportunities, advance institutional priorities, and foster a culture of data-informed decision-making,operational excellence, and donor-centered engagement.

• Lead the development and implementation of multi-yearadvancement strategies that align with Midwestern University'smission and institutional priorities.
• Translate executive-level objectives into actionable project plans, budgets, timelines, and measurable performance indicators.
• Conduct environmental scans, benchmarking studies, andstrategic analyses to identify opportunities for growth and innovation.
• Support the Vice President in advancing strategic priorities,special initiatives, and institutional fundraising goals.

• Lead campaign planning, readiness assessments, case development, prospect segmentation, and fundraising strategy formajor institutional initiatives.
• Coordinate campaign infrastructure, policies, procedures, and reporting systems to support comprehensive and multi-campusfundraising efforts.
• Partner with academic and administrative leadership to developcompelling philanthropic priorities and cases for support.
• Monitor campaign performance and recommend strategicadjustments to maximize fundraising
• Prospect Research, Wealth Screening, and Pipeline Development
• Oversee prospect research, wealth screening, donor analytics,and prospect management programs to identify, qualify, and prioritize major, principal, planned, corporate, and foundationgiving
• Develop prospect profiles, briefing materials, capacityassessments, relationship mapping, and strategic recommendations for University leadership and frontline fundraisers.
• Monitor pipeline performance and establish metrics to assessprospect movement, portfolio health, and fundraisingeffectiveness.
• Support major, principal, planned, corporate, and foundationfundraising strategies through data- driven decision-making.

• Provide leadership and oversight for advancement operations,including constituent records management, data governance, gift processing, reporting, advancement technologies, and operational effectiveness.
• Ensure the accuracy, security, integrity, and compliance ofadvancement data and records.
• Develop operational policies, procedures, and best practices that enhance efficiency, accountability, and service excellence.
• Collaborate with Information Technology, Finance, and other
  
  University departments to strengthen advancement systems and reporting capabilities.

• Lead the development and maintenance of dashboards, performance metrics, fundraising reports, and key performance indicators.
• Provide strategic analysis of fundraising performance, donortrends, campaign progress, and pipeline activity to University leadership and the Board of Trustees.
• Leverage technology, automation, predictive modeling, and business intelligence tools to improve fundraising outcomes and operational efficiency.
• Champion a culture of data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement throughout University Advancement.

• Oversee the accurate processing, acknowledgment, receipting,reconciliation, and reporting of all charitable contributions.
• Coordinate the preparation, review, execution, tracking, and management of gift agreements, endowment agreements, memoranda of understanding, and other philanthropic commitments.
• Ensure compliance with donor intent, institutional policies,accounting standards, IRS regulations, and applicable legal requirements.
• Monitor restricted and endowed funds to ensure stewardshipobligations, reporting commitments, and donor expectations are fulfilled.
• Partner with Finance, Legal Affairs, and University leadership to ensure proper administration of philanthropic funds anddonor-supported initiatives.

• Serve as a strategic liaison between University Advancement and academic,…