Vice President of Advancement

Vice President of Advancement

Reporting directly to the President, the Vice President of Advancement serves as the University's chief advancement and external relations officer and as a member of the President's executive leadership team. This executive provides strategic vision, leadership, and accountability for all philanthropic development, alumni engagement, donor relations, foundation partnerships, external partnerships, tribal relations, marketing and communications, and advancement operations in support of Southeastern Oklahoma State University's mission and long-term sustainability.

The Vice President will lead a comprehensive, growth-oriented advancement strategy designed to significantly expand philanthropic investment, strengthen community and alumni engagement, and enhance the University's regional and national profile.

The University welcomes candidates from higher education, nonprofit leadership, financial services, corporate leadership, healthcare, economic development, or other mission-aligned sectors who bring executive-level leadership experience, strong community credibility, and a demonstrated ability to mobilize significant financial and philanthropic resources.

This position requires executive judgment, fiscal stewardship, political acumen, and credibility with high-net-worth individuals, corporate leaders, foundation executives, tribal partners, governing boards, and community stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Fundraising

Serve as the University's chief advancement officer, providing strategic and ethical direction and accountability for all fundraising and external engagement activities.

Design and implement a comprehensive advancement strategy encompassing major and principal gifts, annual giving, corporate and foundation relations, planned giving, and campaign initiatives.

Personally cultivate, solicit, and steward significant philanthropic investments and high-value financial partnerships.

Lead or serve in a senior executive role in large-scale revenue, capital, or growth initiatives of significant financial scope.

Establish measurable performance benchmarks for revenue growth, donor pipeline development, campaign productivity, and return on investment.

Partner closely with the President, Foundation leadership, and senior administrators in high-level donor and partner engagement.

Ensure high-quality donor stewardship, recognition, and communications that reinforce donor trust, satisfaction, and long-term commitment.

Tribal Relations, Native American Initiatives, and Cultural Engagement

Provide executive oversight of the Office of Tribal Relations, the Native American Institute, and the University's Tribal Museum, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities, advancement strategy, and regional engagement goals.

Work in close partnership with Academic Affairs to integrate tribal partnerships, Native American Institute initiatives, and museum resources into the academic mission, including curriculum development, research collaboration, experiential learning, and scholarly programming.

Ensure the Tribal Museum and Native American Institute serve as active academic and cultural resources that support faculty engagement, student learning, research initiatives, and community scholarship.

Cultivate and sustain respectful, collaborative relationships with tribal nations and leaders in support of educational access, workforce development, and long-term institutional partnerships.

Advance defined fundraising goals related to tribal partnerships, Native American initiatives, scholarships, and cultural programming, coordinating efforts across Tribal Relations, Academic Affairs, and Advancement to strengthen mission-driven initiatives and institutional impact.

Alumni Relations

Provide strategic executive oversight of Alumni Relations, ensuring engagement efforts align with long-term philanthropic pipeline development and institutional priorities.

Strengthen alumni participation and philanthropic support through data-informed outreach, volunteer engagement, and targeted programming.

Ensure alumni and advancement initiatives operate within approved budgets and demonstrate measurable impact.

Marketing and Communications

Provide executive oversight of Marketing and Communications, ensuring alignment with the University's strategic plan, enrollment objectives, student engagement priorities, and advancement goals.

Partner closely with Academic Affairs, Enrollment Management, Student Development, and Athletics to develop integrated messaging that supports recruitment, student success, campus engagement, and institutional visibility.

Lead the development and stewardship of a cohesive brand strategy that strengthens the University's regional and national profile.

Ensure communications initiatives advance defined fundraising goals, donor engagement strategies, campaign messaging, and philanthropic storytelling.

Oversee digital, print, media relations, and public communications to ensure consistency, clarity, and mission-driven messaging across all platforms.

Foundation and Advancement Operations

Serve as the University's primary liaison to the Southeastern Oklahoma State University Foundation Board, ensuring strong alignment of governance, strategy, and fundraising priorities.

Oversee advancement operations, including financial management, gift processing, compliance, reporting, and data systems.

Manage a complex advancement budget with demonstrated fiscal discipline, transparency, and accountability.

Ensure compliance with all University, Foundation, state, and federal regulations and best practices.

Leadership, Management, and Collaboration

Lead, mentor, and develop the Advancement Division, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.

Build strategic partnerships across academic and administrative units to align fundraising and external engagement priorities with institutional needs.

Engage effectively with governing boards, advisory councils, and volunteer leaders to maximize philanthropic impact and institutional reputation.

Serve as a highly visible ambassador for the University within regional business, tribal, philanthropic, civic, and alumni communities.

Cultivate and steward high-level relationships that generate philanthropic investment, corporate partnerships, and long-term institutional support.

Qualifications and Experience

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's degree required.

Minimum of five years of senior leadership experience in fundraising, financial services, corporate development, nonprofit leadership, higher education advancement, or a related field involving high-level relationship management and revenue growth.

Demonstrated success securing significant philanthropic investments, capital commitments, major gifts, corporate partnerships, investment portfolios, or comparable high-value financial transactions.

Proven experience working directly with high-net-worth individuals, corporate leaders, foundation executives, or institutional investors.

Demonstrated ability to lead high-performing teams and manage complex organizational operations in a resource-constrained environment.

Experience managing complex budgets with a record of fiscal accountability and strategic resource allocation.

Exceptional interpersonal, organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.

An equivalent combination of education, senior leadership experience, and demonstrated institutional impact will be considered.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree.

Doctorate or terminal degree.

Experience in higher education advancement or working closely with educational institutions.

Experience working with governing boards, foundations, or volunteer leadership structures.

Experience leading comprehensive fundraising campaigns or major capital or revenue growth initiatives.

Demonstrated ability to modernize operations, leverage data systems, and implement best practices.

Commitment to student success and the mission of public higher education.

Key Attributes of the Successful Candidate

A steady, ethical, and collaborative executive leader with sound judgment and integrity.

Skilled in navigating complex stakeholder environments, including donors, boards, tribal partners, and community leaders.

Demonstrates fiscal discipline and accountability in managing budgets and philanthropic resources.

Effective at cultivating high-level relationships that generate philanthropic investment and strategic partnerships.

Provides clear executive leadership, aligning people and resources to advance student success and institutional growth.

Work Environment and Expectations

This position is based on campus in Durant, Oklahoma, with significant engagement on and off campus. The role requires substantial external engagement, including frequent regional and national travel for donor cultivation, alumni engagement, and University representation, as well as the flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed.

Southeastern Oklahoma State University, founded in 1909 as a teacher college, continues the strong tradition of producing outstanding educators for southeast Oklahoma and north Texas. Student enrollment on the campus(s) is approximately 6,000 and the campus is situated in rural Oklahoma. The main campus is located in Durant, Oklahoma, which is 80 miles north of Dallas, Texas, and 150 miles southeast of Oklahoma City. The community is close to Lake Texoma and the Choctaw Casino Resort. Southeastern Oklahoma State University continues to be among the nation's most affordable universities according to the U. S. News & World Report's America's Best colleges.

Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The preferred start date is July 1, 2026. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Southeastern offers a comprehensive benefits package including university paid health, vision, life insurance, long term disability, retirement contributions to Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System, as well as a tuition waiver for employees and spouse/dependents who wish to enroll at Southeastern. In addition to the SE paid benefits, there are many voluntary products available to employees such as 403(b), Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending Account, dental, short-term disability, dependent life insurance and a variety of ancillary benefits.