Vice President of Development and Communications

Job Description

Job Description

Description:

Reports To: President and CEO

Who We Are:

Are you ready to work at a dynamic institution that believes in higher education with lower obstacles? Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (now known as Franklin Cummings Tech) is a nationally accredited non-profit, technical college serving Massachusetts. The college was seeded in 1791 with funds from the estate of Benjamin Franklin given to the City of Boston to proliferate access to apprenticeship and entrepreneurship. Today, that legacy has evolved into an accredited college that delivers accessible tech and trade education to level the playing field for aspiring talent.

With a mission to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic advancement, Franklin Cummings Tech offers a unique mix of certificates and degrees that appeal to enterprising students from Eastern Massachusetts and respond to employer demand for a well-prepared workforce. Intentional partnerships with the industries we serve coupled with high graduation and job placement rates, recently attracted the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the college from the Cummings Foundation, helping to spur incredible growth in the past four years.

Franklin Cummings Tech educates more than 1,000 learners annually across three student types: 1) certificate and degree seekers, 2) continuing education enrollees, and 3) early college students. As evidence that our mission holds resonance student enrollment is up and Fall 2027 applications have soared 16% year over year.

We seek optimistic, data-informed, and dedicated colleagues who are eager to increase student success outcomes and boost total enrollment to 1,500 learners by 2030. Join us in this mission-driven work!

Position Overview:

After completing a multi-year comprehensive campaign that realized almost $62 million for capital, scholarships, new programs and operations, then moving into its new 70,000 square foot Roxbury campus in early 2026, Franklin Cummings Tech is poised to reach new heights fueled by a culture of philanthropy. The college needs an entrepreneurial Vice President of Development and Communications (VPDC) to build on the success of the prior campaign. Current funding priorities are to: increase financial aid availability for tech and trade programs, and to secure the future of this engine of economic development for the next century. As an access college that provides scholarship packages to many students, this role calls for a leader who is undaunted by raising at least $10M annually while also designing an endowment campaign that will launch next year.

This leader will also oversee college-wide communications carried out via consultant teams. The VPDC will understand that transformational resource development requires clear messaging, and asset-based storytelling yields the most inspiring cases for support. Building on centuries of history and a stunning track-record of recent and long-term impact in the Career Technical Education and Workforce Development sectors, the VPDC will propel the college to:

• expand and deepen key partnerships through clear and compelling messaging
• leverage established networks and developing new ones with individuals and institutional partners to expand and enhance the college’s reputation and resources
• design and execute multi-year major gifts, planned to give, and endowment growth strategies
• develop and implement an elevated branding and integrated communications program
• develop plans for next multi-year comprehensive fundraising Campaign with heavy emphasis on expanding scholarship resources and the college’s endowment

Duties and Responsibilities:

Revenue Generation and Expanded Strategic Partnerships

• Through direct asks and team-based goals, meet or exceed annual fundraising targets by converting partnerships and individual interest in our mission into financial support. Philanthropy goals are approached with strategic contributions from the Board of Trustees, the Development Committee, and senior leaders at the college in service of this aim.
• Identify innovative revenue opportunities tied to partnerships, strategic events, and novel proposals or initiatives that align with partnership strategy.
• Coach and inspire a team of five (Assistant Director, Grant Writer, Major Gifts Officer, Development and Communications Associate, Data Entry Coordinator, along with a Sr. Development Consultant) to grow impact through existing tools—like the President’s Council—a stewardship group for annual major gift donors from individuals and corporate sectors, and new ones.
• Establish a planned giving program to secure legacy giving at one of the oldest trade schools in the nation.
• Explore leveraging the new Roxbury campus as an event space to yield revenue and new networks that create shared value through joint initiatives, corporate sponsored community events, and other programs that bring volunteers and visitors into our orbit.
• Represent Franklin Cummings Tech at external events and comfortably interact with C-Suite business leaders to expand the college’s brand positioning and reputation.

Integrated Communications and Marketing

• Maintain a lens and framework through which to benchmark and build visibility and reputation among multiple audiences including individual funders, institutional donors, and people of influence in political and other spheres
• Manage against an integrated college communication plan that ensures clear strategic direction and coalesces opportunities to leverage for impact
• Engage different teams (both consulting and in-house) responsible for various aspects of the college communications efforts digitally, press, internal storytelling, fundraising campaigns, collateral, and events—to ensure all channels are aligned with the Building Momentum strategic plan

Organizational Strategy and Cross-Team Integration

• Serve as a member President’s Accountability Council (PAC): Advise on organization-wide issues, drive collaboration and alignment among teams, refine strategic priorities, build progress towards mission and alignment with values, maintain an optimistic outlook on the sector
• Collaborate closely with Trustees and senior leadership to advance partnerships and communications central to strategic planning and priorities
• Develop annual team and individual goals for all initiatives ensuring accountability and measurable success

Required Qualifications:

• College Degree.
• Experience raising 7-figure gifts for complex organizations
• Established comms and/or marketing background with evidence of good editorial judgement and attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including an ability to build rapport easily with a diverse array of stakeholders, and the ability to translate complex issues into accessible, persuasive stories
• 3-5 years of management experience with strong management skills (i.e. ability to delegate, deliver expectations on time and on budget, a coaching style)
• Ability to prioritize well and manage up appropriately—especially during busy seasons

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience engaging with press, shaping traditional and digital media strategy, and comfort with public appearances, public speaking, and interviews
• An aptitude for identifying productive brand collaborations that build shared value.

Compensation: This role will be paid based on experience and the range is $125,000-$185,000 annually.

To Apply:

This search is co-chaired by John Donohue, Chair of Development Committee at Franklin Cummings Tech, and Norman Stein, CEO, Development Solutions, LLC. We ask that applicants please conduct this brief survey along with supplying your resume and cover letter indicating what motivates you to apply for this role. The cover letter should indicate how you would approach fundraising at an institution that does not have a broad constituency base in the traditional sense.

Survey Questions:

1) How much philanthropy have you been directly involved in raising over the past three years?

2) How many direct reports have you ever managed at one time?

3) When and for how long did you manage this team?

Equal Opportunity Employer

Franklin Cummings Tech is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee on any grounds protected under federal, state, or local law, including race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, pregnancy, disability (including those related to pregnancy or childbirth), sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, veteran status or any other characteristic or activity protected under federal, state or local law.