Assistant Vice President, Development
Location: St. Charles Campus · Type: Full time · Posted:
2026-09-10 · Reference: R0016585
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Upon hire, employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor's (employee,
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JOB TITLE SUMMARY
Job Title: Assistant Vice President, Development
Division: University Advancement
Evaluation Group: Staff Administrator
FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports To: Senior Vice President, University Advancement
Positions Supervised: Director, Development; Director, Leadership Annual
Giving; Director, Corporate and Foundation Development; Director, Athletics
Development; Assistant Development Officer, Athletics
About Lindenwood University Advancement
Located in historic St. Charles, Missouri, Lindenwood University is a premier,
independent comprehensive institution known for student-centric focus and
innovation. Lindenwood is committed to providing an exceptional, values-driven
education that prepares students to thrive in a dynamic world. It is an
exciting time to join the Lindenwood Advancement team. As we prepare to launch
a comprehensive fundraising campaign, we are aligning our operational
infrastructure, building high-impact philanthropic opportunities, and
enhancing our engagement with alumni, donors, and regional constituents to
support student success, experiential learning, and innovative campus spaces.
At Lindenwood, we benefit from working at a picturesque, historic campus,
located in a thriving micro-urban community that's adjacent to a major
metropolitan city. In fact, in Business Insider named St. Charles the best
college town in Missouri, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recognized
Lindenwood University as the Best College/University.
Job Summary
The assistant vice president (AVP) of development provides strategic
leadership for Lindenwood University's development functions, including
planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, major and principal
giving, and leadership annual giving. This is a centralized position
supporting all colleges and units across campus, including athletics.
Reporting directly to the Senior Vice President for Advancement, this role
serves as a key driver of philanthropic growth and a critical partner in
preparing for the university's upcoming comprehensive campaign.
Essential Job Functions and Performance Indicators
The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types
of duties and level of responsibility that will be required of positions given
this title. This job description shall not be construed as a declaration of
the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular
position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than
those specifically presented in this description.
Job Responsibilities and Execution
Provides strategic leadership for university development functions,
aligning fundraising strategies with the university's institutional
priorities and campaign goals
Leads the development and execution of strategies to secure philanthropic
support from individuals, corporations, and foundations
Leads and mentors a growing team of professionals focused on a wide range
of development functions, including major gifts, annual giving, athletics
giving, planned giving, and corporate and foundation philanthropy
Partners with Deans and other academic leaders to advance fundraising
initiatives and donor relationships
Provides leadership for campaigns and other strategic fundraising
initiatives
Maintains a personal portfolio of donor prospects, including major,
principal, and planned giving prospects
Serves as the institution's planned giving officer
Ensures gift agreements and stewardship plans are properly created,
reviewed and executed for all major gifts
Oversees development's use of Raiser's Edge NXT, ensuring the CRM is
utilized for all development work, including opportunities, substantive
engagement tracking, reporting, portfolio and moves management, and
performance and productivity tracking
Builds and oversees clear fundraising metrics, performance standards, and
reporting processes that guarantee accountability and fuel continued
revenue expansion
Leadership and Strategic Thinking
Orchestrates the cross-functional alignment of fundraising strategies with
long-term institutional priorities, translating high-level vision into
actionable campaign milestones
Collaborates with the AVP of Advancement Operations and the Director of
Stewardship and Donor Relations to develop a strategy to steward and
engage previous donors, requalify and cultivate prior donors, and ensure
all donors receive stewardship touch points after gift closure
Pioneers innovative approaches to donor acquisition and pipeline
expansion, leveraging advanced analytics and market insights to anticipate
philanthropic trends and secure transformational support
Drives institutional agility by designing scalable development frameworks
that empower academic leaders and advancement staff to capitalize on
emerging opportunities
Champions a culture of strategic accountability and continuous
improvement, deploying data-informed decision-making to optimize resource
allocation and maximize return on investment across all fundraising
verticals.
Keeps current on tax regulations and planned giving policies to expertly
advise development officers and donors on complex, tax-wise charitable
giving strategies
Establishes long- and short-term strategic goals based on assessment data
and ensures standards for the department and its field are met or exceeded
Manages budget, personnel, prospect research, and proposal development
Maintains relationships with current and potential donors
Employee Management and Development
Supports the mission of the University and serves as an ambassador of the
Q2 culture of service excellence
Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University's values
Recruits, interviews, recommends, welcomes, observes, and monitors
performance of department staff
Sets clear performance expectations and holds employees accountable
Conducts annual employee evaluations based on evidence, observation, and
feedback
Manages human resources reporting for the department, including time
keeping and other personnel matters
Determines metrics used to evaluate performance of advancement officers
Job may require other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications – An equivalent combination of education,
training, and experience will be considered. Additional requirements may be
designated by position.
Bachelor's degree in related field
Minimum of 5 years' experience in non-profit fundraising
Master's degree preferred
Experience utilizing Raiser's Edge NXT or another Advancement CRM for
portfolio management, reporting, etc.
Proven experience with major and principal giving cultivation,
solicitation, and closure
Strong communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
Campaign experience preferred
Experience with planned gift and non-cash gift solicitations preferred
Experience developing strategic fundraising plans and managing donor
portfolios and relationships preferred
Experience in comprehensive fundraising reporting, goal setting, and
performance management preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities – May be representative, but not all
inclusive, of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform this
job competently.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse
communities and cultures
Comprehensive knowledge of comprehensive advancement concepts and
principles
Ability to drive strategic direction
Management skills
Strong verbal and written communication skills, including persuasive
communication skills
Portfolio and moves management skills
Knowledge of general office hardware and Microsoft Office Suite
Knowledge of Raiser's Edge fundraising software
Excellent creative, interpersonal, and organizational skills
Ability to exercise good judgment, think critically, and multitask
Strong professional integrity and ability to maintain strict
confidentiality
Ability to understand and implement general principles of accounting and
best practices in gift management
Ability to establish and maintain effective and collaborative
relationships with faculty, staff, alumni, students, community, and media
partners
Work Environment – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly
associated with the performance of this job's functions. Please click here to
view Lindenwood University's flexible work designation descriptions.
General office setting
Some travel required
Evening and weekend work required as needed
Non-Standard Flex
Physical Abilities – The physical demands described below are
representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully
perform this job's essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made
to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
Ability to work effectively at a computer for extended time daily
Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time
Adequately mobile in order to travel to visit donors as well as to attend
events on and off campus
Ability to carry up to 20 pounds, set up, work, and break down events
Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function
Equal Opportunity Employer
Lindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer. The University
complies with appropriate federal, state, and local laws and provides equal
employment opportunities and access to educational programs without regard to
race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity,
national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status to
all qualified applicants and employees. Lindenwood University is committed to
a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive
discrimination-free educational work environment.
