Associate Vice President Development

Special Instructions to Applicants :

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Reporting to and working with the Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, the Associate Vice President for Development provides leadership, evaluation, and mentoring to the individual giving program, coordinating efforts to maximize philanthropic support for Rice University. The Associate Vice President for Development is a main point of contact with campus leadership, working to develop philanthropic and fundraising strategies, managing the participation of deans and other university leaders in philanthropy, and preparing them for prospect meetings and solicitations.

As a senior member of the fundraising team, this person is a member of the principal gifts team and manages a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects capable of gifts at the $1M+ level while managing the frontline fundraising operation, which includes Annual Giving, Major Gifts, Gift Planning, and Parents fundraising programs. As a senior leader in the division, this position serves on the division's leadership team and the campaign steering committee in an effort to maintain and improve the efficiency of Development and Alumni Relations' work while continuing to advance an already excellent donor experience.

The ideal candidate is a highly collaborative leader and strategic thinker with a demonstrated track record of leading development staff through the process of setting and achieving annual and long-range fundraising goals that are data-driven and support fundraising priorities. They should be adept at maximizing, motivating, mentoring, and advocating for talented staff to facilitate team success.

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Must possess (or have the ability to obtain within 30 days of hire) and maintain a valid Texas driver’s license with no more than three moving violations and / or at-fault accidents within the past 36 months, and no convictions or deferred dispositions for Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) or Driving Under the Influence (DUI) within the past five years.

• Exempt (salaried) positions under are not eligible for overtime.

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 7+ years of successful major gift (front-line) fundraising experience
• At least three years of experience leading a team of development professionals and working with deans, faculty, and senior administrators in fundraising initiatives

• Commitment to Rice University’s mission
• Strong leadership and strategic management skills
• Keen understanding of fundraising best practices
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to lead and motivate others
• Ability to manage a large number of fundraising activities simultaneously
• Ability to engage and motivate groups of diverse individuals
• Excellent attention to detail
• Advanced problem-solving skills
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• High level of creativity, initiative, and…