Job Details
Occidental College,is recruiting anAssociate Vice President of Developmentto join their team in Los Angeles, California. This is a hybrid position working 3 days onsite and 2 days remotely. You will also be traveling locally and nationally to connect in-person with donors.
About Occidental College
Founded in 1887, Occidental College (“Oxy”) is a nationally recognized, private liberal arts college located in the vibrant Eagle Rock neighborhood of Los Angeles. With approximately 2,000 students from across the globe, Oxy offers a distinctive combination of rigorous academic programs, small class sizes, close faculty-student collaboration, and a strong commitment to justice, equity, inclusion, and diversity. The College’s location in one of the world’s most dynamic cities provides students, faculty, and staff with unique opportunities for academic engagement, professional development, community partnerships, and cultural enrichment. Guided by its mission to provide a transformative liberal arts education, Occidental prepares students to think critically, act ethically, and make a difference in the world.
About Occidental College & This Moment in Institutional Advancement
Occidental College's Institutional Advancement division is in an exciting period of growth and momentum. Under the leadership of Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the division has been thoughtfully strengthening its fundraising strategy, refining organizational structure, and building a culture centered on collaboration, accountability, and philanthropy. This is an exceptional opportunity to join a high-performing team during a pivotal stage of its evolution.
The Associate Vice President of Development will step into an organization with a strong foundation and the opportunity to make a lasting impact. This role will help shape the next phase of frontline fundraising by coaching and developing talented gift officers, advancing strategic fundraising initiatives, and partnering closely with colleagues across Institutional Advancement to strengthen donor engagement and philanthropic success. It is an ideal opportunity for a collaborative leader who enjoys building high-performing teams, leading through change, and contributing to an ambitious vision for the future.
About this role:
The Associate Vice President of Development (AVP) is a key member of the Occidental College Institutional Advancement leadership team providing strategic oversight and management for individual giving programs for leadership, major, and planned gifts. The AVP is also an active fundraiser managing a small portfolio of generous donors and donor prospects. They will demonstrate an ability to motivate and inspire staff and keep them engaged and focused on results through effective coaching, developing clear metrics expectations, and leading by example as a strong fundraiser.
Working closely with and reporting to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the AVP will inspire new levels of philanthropic support aligned with the College's objectives by translating institutional priorities into effective fundraising strategies, driving progress toward ambitious revenue goals, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and strong fundraising outcomes. The AVP will oversee donor cultivation strategies and events while partnering closely with colleagues across Institutional Advancement to strengthen engagement and philanthropic support for Occidental's mission. The role also serves as a key partner in preparing the College for its next comprehensive campaign.
Anticipated salary range: $167,100–$220,000
Scope & Impact
Frontline Fundraising Management & Effectiveness (40%)
- Lead, develop, and coach a high-performing team of gift officers across major, planned, and leadership giving.
- Lead and collaborate with the donor cultivation and stewardship strategist to inform cultivation, stewardship, solicitation strategies, and events.
- Build a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous improvement, and donor-centered fundraising.
- Recruit, hire, onboard, and retain fundraising professionals.
- Set and monitor fundraising goals, performance metrics, and accountability standards.
- Conduct performance reviews and provide ongoing coaching, mentorship, and professional development.
- Partner with advancement services and prospect research to strengthen prospect identification, portfolio optimization, and pipeline growth.
- Support fundraising prospect management and gift administration policies and practices.
- Streamline and manage gift officer work with volunteers and committees supporting initiatives including the Obama Scholars Program, Alumni Reunion Giving, and the Alumni Board of Governors.
Frontline Fundraising (40%)
- Manage and actively cultivate and solicit a portfolio of 50–60 high-capacity prospects and donors, including Trustees and volunteer leaders.
- Develop and execute annual goals and individualized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
- Partner with College leadership, faculty, volunteers, and advancement colleagues to advance donor relationships.
- Conduct donor visits, lead gift conversations, and manage proposal development and negotiation.
- Document donor activity and solicitation in accordance with College policies and procedures.
Institutional Advancement Leadership & Campus Partnership Collaboration (20%)
- Serve as a member of the Institutional Advancement senior leadership team.
- Collaborate across Principal Gifts, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Alumni and Parent Engagement, Annual Giving, Advancement Services, and Strategic Engagement.
- Champion Institutional Advancement priorities and goals.
- Contribute to campaign strategy, annual planning, fundraising forecasts, and strategic goals.
- Partner with senior leadership to align fundraising strategy with institutional priorities.
- Collaborate with communications, engagement, and stewardship teams to strengthen donor outreach and recognition.
- Support frontline fundraising policies and operations.
- Support budget planning and monitoring.
- Recommend improvements and innovations based on fundraising best practices.
- Participate in key advancement events including Homecoming, Family Weekend, Day For Oxy, Alumni Reunion Weekend, and campaign events.
Qualifications
Required
- Bachelor's degree.
- Minimum of nine years of progressive leadership experience in fundraising with a proven track record of securing major and planned gifts.
- Experience leading, supervising, and developing a metrics-driven fundraising team.
- Knowledge of fundraising principles, best practices, and standards.
- Proven ability to cultivate, solicit, and close gifts in the $100K–$1M range.
- Experience recruiting, developing, and evaluating fundraising professionals.
- Strong leadership, organizational, interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to build effective relationships with senior leaders, faculty, staff, volunteers, and external stakeholders.
- Experience leading change through influence and collaboration.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Preferred
- Master's degree.
- Higher education fundraising experience.
- Comprehensive campaign experience.
- Experience with Salesforce CRM.