Vice President, Development, Alumni, & Community Engagement

As the Vice President of Development, Alumni, and Community Engagement, you will provide strategic leadership for philanthropic giving, alumni relations, and community engagement at Southern New Hampshire University. Your role will integrate these responsibilities into a cohesive strategy that supports the University's mission and growth. As an ambassador for the institution, you will maintain, long-term relationships with donors, alumni, community leaders, board members, and university partners.

As an important member of the Office of External Affairs and Communications leadership team, you report to the Executive Vice President and Chief External Affairs and Communications Officer. Leading a team of advancement, alumni relations, and community engagement professionals, you will bring bold, mission-driven leadership that models a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous development.

In philanthropic giving, you are the primary architect of a comprehensive, multi-year development strategy that expands revenue through major gifts, planned giving, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, and campaign programs. In alumni engagement, you build an active, invested network of alumni who advance the institution's mission and reputation. In community engagement, you provide leadership to strengthen and expand community partnerships and promote service-learning opportunities, and ensure SNHU is an embedded and trusted partner in the Manchester community and beyond.

What you'll do:

You will lead efforts to engage alumni, donors, foundations, community partners, and volunteers, drawing on their expertise, commitment, and generosity to support SNHU's priorities. This role is responsible for securing external support to promote the university's vision of accessible, affordable, and transformative education. Through strategic planning, informed decision-making, and inclusive practices, you will expand fundraising opportunities and strengthen SNHU's relationships with the communities it serves.

• Strategic Planning & Prioritization: Develop a coordinated strategy that connects philanthropy, alumni relations, and community engagement to SNHU's mission. This includes establishing a clear vision, setting measurable goals, and aligning resources with the university's priorities. Your leadership will also provide strategic guidance to senior leaders on fundraising, alumni engagement, and community partnerships.
• Development and Annual Giving: Lead the development team in building donor relationships and securing philanthropic support for SNHU's priorities. This includes creating a fundraising strategy for annual giving, major gifts, and planned giving, while assigning donor relationships and fundraising responsibilities across the team to expand outreach and strengthen connections. In this role, you will set clear performance expectations and provide the tools, data, and support team members need to succeed.
• Donor Relations: Provide strategic direction for donor relations, ensuring existing and prospective donors experience stewardship, meaningful recognition, and a genuine connection to SNHU's mission and impact.
• Alumni Engagement: Manage a dynamic and creative alumni engagement program that fosters meaningful, lifelong connections with alumni. Lead the development of programs and events that promote engagement and give alumni purposeful and varied ways to invest in SNHU's success, as donors, volunteers, advocates and community leaders.
• Community Engagement and Service: You will strengthen and expand community giving and partnerships, support service-learning opportunities, and oversee programs that reflect SNHU's mission and values. Your leadership will help establish SNHU as a trusted and engaged community partner in New Hampshire and beyond, ensuring these efforts connect to and promote the university's broader mission.
• Advancement Services: You will oversee advancement services, including database management, gift processing, prospect research, and reporting. Your leadership will promote the use of accurate, relevant data to guide donor strategies, support informed decisions, and strengthen accountability. This includes using advancement data to identify opportunities, measure progress toward goals, and communicate results to partners.
• Grant Management and Capacity Building: You will develop and establish sustainable grant management capabilities. Establish clear processes, a compliance framework, and institutional policies to minimize risk and enhance the university's capacity to pursue and manage external grant funding.
• Stakeholder Collaboration: You will serve as a trusted strategic liaison between Advancement, university leadership, and institutional partners, strengthening engagement with alumni, donors, volunteers, and community partners. Through collaborative, cross-functional leadership, breaking down silos in support student success, and amplify institutional impact..
• Team Leadership & Culture: You will lead and support a team across philanthropy, alumni engagement, and community programs, fostering collaboration and a shared sense of purpose. In this role, you will set clear expectations for accountability, teamwork, and high-quality work while building practices that encourage knowledge sharing and professional growth. Your leadership will help foster an inclusive, mission-driven culture where team members understand how their work supports SNHU's mission and learners.

What we're looking for:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in fundraising, advancement, development or related fields, including success building and scaling fundraising programs and teams.
• Bachelor's degree in nonprofit management, higher education administration, business, public administration, or a related field
• Experience securing major philanthropic gifts and building lasting donor relationships that promote sustained investment.
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing diverse, teams with experience building collaborative, accountable, and high-performing team cultures.
• Written and verbal skills, with the ability to inspire and engage donors, community leaders, board members, and institutional partners.
• Strategic planning and organizational experience, with the ability to set vision, prioritize resources, and translate strategy into measurable outcomes.
• Curious mindset, with a genuine understanding of and appreciation for service and community work.
• Understanding of how data, technology, and operational systems work together to advance strategic priorities.
• Unify a broad, diverse team around a shared strategy spanning philanthropy, alumni engagement, and community work.
• Demonstrated commitment and understanding of SNHU's mission of accessible, affordable, and transformative education.