Vice President for Advancement

Vice President for Advancement
Maryland
Guiding our state, nation, and world toward a more
sustainable future.
The Opportunity
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
(UMCES) seeks an experienced, engaging, and mission-driven vice
president for advancement (VPA). A Globally Eminent, Locally
Relevant institution, UMCES has a long history of leadership in
the science of coastal and ocean environments and their watersheds.
For more than 90 years, we have been dedicated to advancing the
environmental sciences through discovery, integration, application,
and education, leading the way toward better management of
Maryland s natural resources and restoration of the Chesapeake Bay
the nation s largest estuarine system.
UMCES is committed to leveraging our research infrastructure and
intellectual expertise to address some of the most pressing
environmental problems facing society, and the VPA will play in
integral role in championing this mission and providing strategic
vision and leadership for all fundraising and stewardship
activities. Reporting directly to the president, Dr. Peter Goodwin,
and as a member of the UMCES executive leadership team, the VPA is
the primary fundraiser for UMCES and will work in close
collaboration with the president, unit directors, and faculty to
conceive of and execute fundraising efforts that will further UMCES
and its priorities and strategic initiatives. The VPA personally
manages a portfolio of high-level prospects and donors, among them
UMCES most important individual, corporate, and foundation
supporters.
The ideal candidate must possess proven leadership and
organizational skills, a keen understanding of fundraising
best practices, a strong record of securing major and principal
gifts, and a demonstrated ability to build a highly efficient and
effective development program. The VPA must demonstrate a high
level of integrity and trust, as well as a deep commitment to
diversity, equity and inclusion. The successful candidate will be a
self-starter who thrives in an entrepreneurial and team-oriented
environment, with a sense of urgency and a clear set of priorities,
but with the ability to adapt to quickly changing circumstances.
The VPA will have strong communication skills and be an open,
achievement-oriented professional with a proven ability to lead and
motivate colleagues and volunteer board members to keep them
engaged, energized, and focused on results. All inquiries,
applications, and nominations for this opportunity should be
directed as indicated at the end of this document.
University of Maryland Center for Environmental
Science
Today our work is more important and wide-ranging than ever, and
our faculty engage in applied science and advisory work across
multiple disciplines encompassing such research areas as ocean,
coastal, and estuarine science; climate and energy; environmental
chemistry and toxicology; fisheries and aquaculture; molecular and
microbial processes; terrestrial ecology and land management; water
resources and watersheds; marine biotechnology; and environmental
entrepreneurship. UMCES serves as a trusted scientific advisor to
state and national leaders, providing world-class, unbiased
research to inform public policy, while educating future scientists
to meet the global environmental challenges of the 21st
century.
With a current annual operating and research budget of
approximately $50 million roughly half of which comes from the
state UMCES encompasses a network of four laboratories spanning
the Allegheny Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean, along with the
Maryland Sea Grant Program, which operates in partnership with the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. UMCES is home to
some 350 scientific and support staff, including 75 faculty members
and nearly 100 graduate students who engage in cutting-edge
research and science application within the Chesapeake Bay
ecosystem and in locations around the world. In 2016, UMCES was
granted accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher
Education to award Masters and PhD degrees, setting the stage for
further advancement and expansion of our educational
programming.
Our unusual combination of assets and strengths include:

Innovative science towards a public
service mission. Outstanding research across diverse disciplines
working at local, regional, national, and international levels with
contemporary relevance to such issues as climate change, ocean and
coastal health, and ecosystem management. Nearly all of our faculty
are engaged in research activities that have applied science,
advisory, and policy elements.

Stature and credibility within
Maryland, a state that has a longstanding commitment to higher
education, that supports and values basic and applied research, and
that is dedicated to the health and sustainability of the
Chesapeake Bay and its ecosystems.

An intimate organizational culture of
collaboration, shared governance, and effective leadership.

Proximity to Washington DC and
national policymakers. UMCES graduates have gone on to
environmental policy roles in Washington, and DC is a potential
marketplace for UMCES professional education
opportunities.

As a comparatively small, independent research and education
unit within a sizable, highly respected public higher education
system, UMCES has both flexibility and strong institutional support
to continue to play an outsized role in environment research,
education, and problem-solving, and to demonstrate to the public
why this work is crucial.
Vice President for Advancement
This is a rare and compelling opportunity for an entrepreneurial
and mission-driven vice president for advancement (VPA) to assume
leadership in designing, articulating, and implementing a
comprehensive fundraising strategy for UMCES. This individual will
be a proven producer, capable of actively building and managing a
portfolio of high-net-worth individual and institutional funders,
and clearly communicating and prioritizing the case for supporting
UMCES unique mission.
The broad challenges and objectives for the vice president for
advancement are as follows:

Provide impactful leadership for
fundraising efforts, building an infrastructure that supports
UMCES short- and long-term goals and creates local, regional, and
national affinity;
Further develop a prospect research
process to build the pool of individual high-net-worth prospects.
Deepen alliances with current donors and board members, and launch
systematic initiatives to identify and target individuals capable
of making major and principal level contributions;
Grow UMCES base of corporate and
foundation support. Provide insights and develop new strategies and
tailored cases for support to enhance the organization s
relationships with the business and foundation communities;
Guide and support the president in
his role as a chief spokesperson and fundraiser. Work closely with
the president and senior leadership to support public awareness
opportunities as they relate to fundraising;
Provide comprehensive, timely, and
compelling stewardship. Prioritize the stewardship of all gifts and
grants in ways that strengthen donor interest in, engagement with,
and commitment to UMCES;
Plan and carefully manage the
development budget, ensuring that dollars are spent efficiently and
effectively in support of UMCES goals and objectives;
Manage a small team in support of the
priorities of the office of the VPA.

Qualifications and Experience
The successful candidate should also possess many of the
following personal characteristics and professional experience:

A deep respect for, belief in, and
ability to articulate UMCES values and mission, and a passion for
strengthening the social, economic, and environmental well-being of
the region;
A self-motivated and entrepreneurial
approach to building and guiding an advancement program, and an
ability to work independently to drive growth;
A track record of successfully
cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding leadership gifts and grants
at the six- and seven-figure level;
At least five years of experience
building a development program, formulating and executing a
successful fundraising plan;
Excellent written, presentation, and
communication skills, and the experience and inclination to be an
effective, outgoing spokesperson for UMCES;
Adept at fostering dialogue with
multiple constituencies, building coalitions, and achieving results
through influence, empowerment, and understanding of the dynamics
of difference and privilege;
A personal commitment to diversity,
equity, and inclusion and demonstrated ability to build
relationships and successfully advance diversity, inclusion, and
positive change;
A flexible and adaptable leader who
can positively impact both strategic and tactical fundraising
initiatives and work well with individuals from all
backgrounds;
Integrity, imagination, strong
listening skills, and a high level of energy;
Bachelor s degree required.

To Apply
Please submit a cover letter, resume, and contact information of
three references using the UMCES job portal below. Review of
applications will begin December 14, 2021 and the position will be
open until filled.

UMCES is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer.
The USM and UMCES value gender, ethnic, and racial diversity.
Women, members of minority groups, individuals with disabilities,
and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. The Chronicle of Higher Education. Category: Marketing & Biz Dev, Keywords: VP of Fundraising