Vice President of Advancement

Position Overview:

Reporting to the President, the Vice President of Advancement will have the ability to translate the Institute’s mission into philanthropic partnerships.

The Vice President of Advancement will be a strong manager with the proven capability to lead and motivate members of the Advancement team, capitalizing upon their strengths and developing strategies to best utilize their time to advance KGI’s mission through the generous financial support of foundations, corporations, alumni, and other individuals.

The Vice President of Advancement will have demonstrated senior-level leadership and fundraising experience in an advancement team in prospect cultivation and management, direct solicitation, annual giving, major and planned giving management, comprehensive campaigns, community relations, and alumni engagement.

As the Institute’s chief fundraising officer, in partnership with the President and executive leadership colleagues, the Vice President of Advancement is the leading strategist, prospect, and donor relationship administrator (including identification and qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship) for the Institute.

Keck Graduate Institute (KGI) was founded in 1997 as the first higher education institution in the United States dedicated exclusively to education and research related to the applied life sciences. KGI offers innovative postgraduate degrees and certificates that integrate life and health sciences, business, pharmacy, engineering, and genetics, focusing on industry projects, hands‑on industry experiences, and team collaborations. KGI employs an entrepreneurial approach and industry connections that allow students to become leaders in healthcare and the applied life sciences.

Located in beautiful Claremont, California, KGI is a member of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of five undergraduate liberal arts colleges, two graduate institutions, and The Claremont Colleges Services, which provides shared institutional support services. Each nationally recognized college has its own campus, students and faculty, and distinctive mission, and each offers top‑notch curricula, small classes, distinguished professors, and personalized instruction. The Claremont Colleges consistently place at the top of national college rankings, including Forbes, Money and U.S. News and World Report, and the Princeton Review.

Education and Experience:

A bachelor’s degree in any related field or equivalent professional experience. A minimum of Eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience as a development professional and manager in an innovative, forward‑looking college environment is required. Demonstrated record of strategic relationship development, major gifts fundraising success, and experience in the implementation and understanding of marketing techniques is required.

An advanced degree, professional fundraising certification, alumni relationship development, and/or higher‑education fundraising campaign leadership experience are preferred.

An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the position may be considered.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities

Individuals must possess knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the essential function of the position or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions may be performed, with or without reasonable accommodations, using some other combination of skills and abilities.

The Vice President is responsible for the development, implementation, and execution of strategic, annual, and operating plan goals and objectives related to the various Advancement functions; the determination of related performance metrics; and the measurement and evaluation of the Advancement’s performance against those goals.
Participate in strategic discussions and develop programs to strengthen the financial resources of the Institute.

Institutional Giving

• The Vice President will develop short-term and long-range campaign strategies within Advancement and across other campus constituencies.
• The Vice President directly supports the President and the Board of Trustees in fundraising activities and supports and coordinates the fundraising activities of the Institute’s academic and executive leadership.
• Identify and secure partnerships with individuals, corporations, and foundations that can effectively support KGI’s philanthropic and community engagement goals.
• Play a lead role in the education of all audiences so that they understand that philanthropy is a shared job and that philanthropy is essential for continued outstanding care.
• Establish goals and objectives for campaign volunteer and staff structures, linking these goals with overall Advancement goals and fiscal year planning. Goals and objectives can be linked to tools, budgets, strategy, and metrics.
• Partner with the President, Cabinet, and own team to engage deans, and faculty partners in campaign planning and goal attainment.
• Maintain a dynamic portfolio of major gift prospects in all phases of qualifications.
• Document and maintain clear and timely records and call reports to track contacts, donor giving, and notes, and assist in the maintenance of an accurate database.
• Meet revenue goals for the institutional giving program as set by the President.
• Support all giving efforts, including developing a department‑wide yearly strategic plan.
• Update policies, processes, and procedures for institutional giving and other policies as assigned.
• Work with staff and key volunteers to develop, execute, and evaluate strategies to engage partners through outreach, education, invitations to special events, and personal contacts.

Alumni Engagement

• Develop and own the end-to-end alumni engagement strategy.
• Establish and maintain alumni engagement activities (panels, awards ceremonies, networking events, reunions) that offer professional value to engage alumni around their professional needs.
• Create coherent process where alumni engagement directly supports admissions, the student experience, academic excellence and corporate partnerships.
• Engagement-to-Investment Pipeline: Actively identify and qualify high- potential alumni through their participation and volunteerism, converting general engagement into a tangible pipeline of philanthropic support, advocates and ambassadors.
• Develop and own the end-to-end alumni engagement strategy.
• Establish and maintain alumni engagement activities (panels, awards ceremonies, networking events, reunions) that offer professional value to engage alumni around their professional needs.

Community Relations

• Supports the President in identifying and connecting with community partners, government leaders, professional partners, and prospective friends of the institution.
• Serves on the President’s Cabinet.
• Serve as Liaison for the Advancement and Marketing Committee of the Board of Trustees.
• Other duties as assigned.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Highly motivated, goal‑oriented, entrepreneurial self‑starter who is a strategic and creative thinker who can work independently and, in a team, setting.
• An open, transparent, and collaborative approach.
• Demonstrated major gifts fundraising success and experience in the implementation and understanding of marketing techniques.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills to identify and cultivate relationships to solicit and bring in significant contributions.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to leverage fundraising data as a tool; experience with using and managing relationship management platform(s) (CRMs).
• Clear and effective verbal and written communication with various faculty, staff, prospects, donors, vendors, and other stakeholders.
• Clear understanding of the role of advancement within the broader context of the Institute and ability to articulate the case for support and to interact with institutional giving partners and prospects at the highest level.
• Highly professional and ethical standards for handling confidential or sensitive information, including knowledge of nonprofit best practices.
• Experience managing a team of diverse professionals with a focus on utilizing metrics, systems, and relationship building skills to maximize the cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors.
• Excellent project management skills and ability to balance competing priorities and complex situations.
• Able and willing to work weekend and evening hours, as needed.
• Flexibility and willingness to travel independently, 20% + local, and overnight/extended travel is required as needed to meet institutional goals.

Hours, Classification, and Status

This is a staff, full-time, benefits-eligible, exempt position.

The regular hours of this position are Monday-Friday, 8:00 am-5:00 pm. Hours will vary due to the needs of the Institute or department.

Salary range: $190,000.00 - $260,000.00 annualized. The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to internal equity, experience, education, specialty, and training. Selected candidates will be offered a starting salary based on years of aligned experience and any specialized training or certifications (if preferred for the position). All offers will be made within the posted pay range and are not eligible for negotiation above the maximum. Our institute is deeply committed to equity and thus maintains a no-negotiation policy.

KGI offers a comprehensive compensation and benefit package. To learn more, visit

Physical and Mental Requirements

Ability to maintain good concentration level while dealing with interruptions; attention to details with emphasis on accuracy; capable of giving, receiving, and analyzing information, formulating work plans, and articulating goals and action plans. Sitting in a normal seated position for extended periods of time. Standing for extended periods of time. Reaching and extending hand(s) or arm(s) in any direction. Finger dexterity required to manipulate objects with fingers rather than the whole hand(s), or arm(s), for example, using a keyboard. Communication skills using the spoken word. Ability to see within normal parameters. Ability to hear within normal parameters. Ability to bend and stoop, for example, to file. Ability to move about. Ability to lift and carry short distances up to 20 lbs., for example to lift or move office supplies, files, books and packages.

Ability to travel locally as needed to meet business requirements, which may include driving or other modes of transportation. Occasionally, will be required to stand for prolonged periods of time at activities/events on and off campus.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

Keck Graduate Institute is an equal opportunity employer. It does not discriminate against qualified employees or applicants based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable state or federal law. Equal employment opportunity will be extended to all persons in all terms and conditions of employment.

Employment Eligibility

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without employer sponsorship. No visa sponsorship is available from Keck Graduate Institute.

KGI is a participating employer in E-Verify and uses the system to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees as required by federal law. For more information about E-Verify, please visit