Assistant Vice President for Development

The Development and Alumni Relations organization at Johns Hopkins University has a development team of approximately 550 individuals and an overall budget of $70 million. The division enjoys tremendous support from the academic leadership of Johns Hopkins University and Medicine. More than 190 frontline fundraisers help generate an average of $800 million in total commitments annually, with the last three fiscal years averaging over one billion dollars per fiscal year.

The division has embraced a set of core operating values that have helped steer the organization and the behavior of the entire team. These values are:

• A deep commitment to collaboration and working across boundaries;
• A focus on people through the professional development and growth of the staff;
• A driving awareness of the responsibility to build internal and external relationships for the University;
• A fundamental commitment to integrity;
• An embrace of creativity and innovation;
• A trust in and respect for colleagues and the spirit of transparency.

Assistant Vice President, Development

The Assistant Vice President (AVP) will bring their senior development and fundraising strategy experience to act as an executive leader within Development and Alumni Relations (DAR), providing oversight of multiple university-based development programs and schools.


Reporting to the Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, the AVP will lead through partnerships with other members of DAR leadership, including intentional, strategic partnerships with central DAR teams and services. This role jointly manages multiple senior leaders, partners with academic leaders and deans on vision, drives accountability and high performance within teams, and facilitates cross-institutional collaboration on donor strategy and giving opportunities.


Duties and Responsibilities:

DAR Leadership and Management:

• Strengthen organizational effectiveness:
• Manage staff spread across the institution with the use of clearly defined and measurable goals and metrics to assess individual and team performance; such systems should inspire all staff and engender a commitment to reach all professional goals.
• Establish annual goals, plans, progress, and operations, and make decisions related to organizational strategic planning and vision.
• Work closely with the members of DAR leadership to help facilitate organizational goals, increase organizational capacity, shorten time to decisions, and strengthen the organization's overall performance.
• Foster a positive working environment
• Lead and inspire the development and alumni relations team by fostering a culture where effective teamwork, collaboration, innovation, excellence, and inclusion are recognized and rewarded; lead by example regarding professionalism, creativity, entrepreneurship, appropriate risk-taking, and cross-organizational cooperation.
• Work with the staff throughout the entire division as a leader, advocate, mentor, catalyst, and expert.
• Cultivate a culture that embraces DAR and JHU values and engages and grows staff throughout their tenure at Hopkins.

University Development Program Management and Oversight:

• Oversee vision and leadership for multiple university fundraising programs, schools, institutes, and centers of excellence.
• Work with the VP, Deans, and academic leaders on fundraising planning, operations, staffing, and related activities.
• Provide oversight of the development office (DOFF) leader in each school/program to help guide the work plan goal setting, pipeline building, strategies, and progress toward fundraising goals. Drive personal and organizational accountability to the stated objectives each fiscal year.
• Partner on prospects and visits with leaders, as needed, to enhance relationship building and donor engagement.
• Work with DOFF leaders on their respective Advisory Boards and leadership councils. Attend meetings, strategize, assist in building relationships, and identify new members.
• Assist with strategies for alumni relations and development communications.
• Partner with academic leaders on hiring and management of the Associate Deans.
• Align DOFF practices and strategies with central resources and priorities. Bridge communication and strategic planning gaps and identify and champion areas for improved partnerships and resource utilization.
• Work closely with partners and leadership outside of DAR to build a culture of philanthropy across the university.
• Support team transitions, occasionally acting as interim fundraising leader and supervisor for programs facing vacancies.
• Partner with direct reports to establish campaign goals and decision-making related to campaign management and completion.

Donor and Volunteer Management:

• Develop, in coordination with the Vice President, an individual portfolio of twenty key donors/prospects to work with, in conjunction with divisional Deans, and the President.
• Work directly with donors, trustees, and volunteers in partnership with the VP on key opportunities, including but not limited to gift commitments, trustee committees, and philanthropic advice/guidance.

In addition to the duties described above:

• Take on permanent and temporary leadership of teams and initiatives within DAR, leveraging change management tools and succession planning to lead shifting programs towards success.
• Serve as the executive sponsor of special projects or emerging priorities as identified by DAR leadership.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, advanced degree preferred.
• Senior leadership responsibilities at a comprehensive university and/or medical center, with at least ten years of development experience.
• A record of achievement in managing leaders and in building and retaining high-performing teams of talented individuals.
• Campaign planning and implementation experience, preferably within a research environment.
• Significant gift solicitation and negotiation experience at the seven- and eight-figure dollar level.
• Experience working with senior academic leaders in building key projects and goals and developing philanthropic opportunities.
• Proven collaboration and partnership skills to accomplish shared goals involving colleagues and other senior leaders.
• Demonstrated skill at directing/managing multiple complex projects concurrently and within stipulated budgets and timelines.

Preferred Qualifications

• Diplomatic, politically astute, and patient.
• Collaborative and collegial.
• Strategic, dynamic, and foresightful thinker regarding a broad spectrum of organizational issues.
• High emotional intelligence, excellent interpersonal and listening skills.
• Energetic self-starter.
• Keenly intelligent.
• Excellent communicator.
• Poised, confident, calm, and resilient.
• Detail-oriented.
• Creative problem solver and multitasker by nature.

Classified Title: Assistant Vice President
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Assistant Vice President for Development
Role/Level/Range: ADMOFF/01/EX
Starting Salary Range: Targeted salary: $250,000
Employee group: Full Time
Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:30am-5:00pm
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Mount Washington Campus
Department name: 10001645-VP Development & Alumni Relations
Personnel area: University Administration


This salary range does not include all components of the Development & Alumni Relations compensation program. This position may be eligible for a discretionary bonus. Therefore, the actual compensation paid to the selected candidate may vary slightly from the salary range stated herein. For more information, please contact the hiring department.