Oakton Community College, a caring community of educators dedicated to excellence and learning, invites applications for Executive Director of College Advancement

A premier comprehensive community college, Oakton is 17 miles from downtown Chicago.  Oakton serves the near northern suburbs of Chicago with campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie with buildings totaling over 700,000 square feet of space resting on 192 acres.  These campuses serve almost 10,000 students annually that are enrolled in over 82,000 credit hours of instruction.  This position will be based out of the Des Plaines campus. The College's Operating Funds' budget (Education and Operations & Maintenance Funds) for the academic year ending on June 30, 2017 amounts to $69.3 million.  The College has undertaken a five year, $68.5 million Master Plan which included the construction and recent opening of the 93,000 square foot Margaret Burke Lee Science and Health Careers building on the Des Plaines campus.

The College is known for its academic innovations, commitment to serving students, solid financial position, and supportive environment for both students and employees. Oakton seeks a Executive Director of College Advancement who is an innovative leader and who will continue a strong tradition of excellence.

Candidates with a commitment to working in a culturally competent environment are especially valued at Oakton.

We encourage applications from candidates who reflect the increasing diversity of Oakton's student body and community, enhance and promote engagement with other cultures, and have demonstrated a commitment to working with and as part of a multicultural faculty and diverse student body and community.

 

Job Description:

Basic Function and Responsibility:

The Executive Director of College Advancement provides overall leadership for the College's marketing and development programs and related activities.  The Executive Director reports to the President and provides overall leadership for the institution's development plan and fosters a culture of philanthropy within the College and its community.  Serving as the Executive Director of the Educational Foundation, the position supports Oakton and connects its mission to that of the Foundation, its Board members, alumni, volunteers, community leaders and organizations.  The position is also responsible for the development and implementation of a strategic plan geared toward effective donor cultivation, strong corporate and community relations, and increased giving levels that provide tangible benefits to the College and its stakeholders. This position requires a strategic and analytical leader who has the ability to work collaboratively and creatively with both internal and external stakeholders.   The Executive Director is also responsible for helping to build and manage the College's brand and all aspects of marketing communications in order to raise awareness of the organization. 

Specific responsibilities include:

• Provide sound management, leadership and stewardship in developing strategies and programs that support the mission of the College and the Educational Foundation.
• Provide leadership for a public relations plan which enhances the College image and effectively influences public opinion.
• Oversee the institutional marketing plan and provide direction for marketing plan components.
• Lead the College's philanthropic and advancement efforts, including but not limited to: annual giving, planned giving, corporate giving, major gifts, special events, board development, donor development and retention, database management, alumni relations, grant solicitation, record keeping, and allocation of financial resources.
• Work collaboratively with the Office of Financial Assistance in developing, managing, and marketing a scholarship program that ensures appropriate disbursement of funds, promotes awareness of scholarship opportunities, and maximizes the overall effectiveness of the funds awarded to students.  
• Direct, manage, and support the work of all Foundation Board members, staff and volunteers.   Work collaboratively with the President, the executive team, administrators, faculty, staff, volunteers, students, alumni, community groups, and others.
• Provide leadership and stewardship of Foundation finances through sound fiscal management policies, procedures and strategies; direct the process and production of accurate and updated financial information concerning all aspects of the Foundation's operations including monthly, quarterly and annual reports, audit, and 990 submission.
• Lead strategic planning process and creation of strategic plan for fundraising program ensuring appropriate resources are utilized; metrics established; and results monitored, achieved and evaluated.
• Demonstrate accountability in the collection and reporting of metrics designed to evaluate progress, results and continuous improvement in meeting Foundation goals concerning fundraising, operations, events, reporting, and Board management.
• Provide direct support to both the College President and the Foundation President in defining and implementing their roles in fundraising.
• Honor the Donor Bill of Rights at all times and maintain the highest standards of ethics and confidentiality.
• Direct the management of campus-wide public relations events and development of college publications.
• Play an active collaborative role in the development of the College enrollment plan.
• Other job duties as assigned.

 

Requirements:

Required:

• A Master's degree in a discipline appropriate to the duties and responsibilities of the position is required or a Bachelor's degree in a discipline appropriate to the duties and responsibilities of the position and either a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) or Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFE) credential.
• Seven years of progressively responsible experience in the areas of development (preferably in higher education) that includes supervisory experience leading a team responsible for institutional philanthropy initiatives are required. Demonstrated successful marketing and public relations experience required.

Preferred:

• Demonstrated ability in implementing leadership and management principles with non-profit organizations, board management, and volunteer management; demonstrated knowledge related to the development and implementation of recordkeeping systems and procedures, along with concurrent short and long term goals and plans of a complex nature; skills in the use of fundraising software and databases as a tool to maximize fundraising and donor cultivation efforts; experience overseeing and managing nonprofit budgets, quarterly financials, annual audits, and compliance issues; effective written and oral communication skills; strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to relate to and work effectively with diverse constituencies, and establish a collaborative work environment within the Foundation and College Relations teams and across the College; ability to represent the College and the Educational Foundation to the larger community and provide mission related presentations to local community areas, institutions, and the general public; an ability to maintain the highest standards of ethics and confidentiality. 
• Demonstrated experience working with a culturally diverse student population.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a culturally diverse workforce.
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership in organizational change.
• Excellent interpersonal, cross-cultural communication, diversity, organizational and problem-solving skills.
• A clear understanding of cross-cultural, international and diversity communication theory.
• Understanding of and commitment to diversity and cultural competence.
• Cultural Competency is defined as a composite awareness, emotional maturity, insights, and skills including, but not limited to:
• Self-insight, ability to suspend judgment and take responsibility for self
• Self-control of emotions and demonstration of empathy.
• Experience with and success in valuing and working with people of different gender, gender identity, race, ethnicity, religion, national origin, socio-economic status, sexual orientation, etc.
• Adaptability and flexibility in understanding and addressing problems and opportunities in situations where different cultural perspectives and points of view are in play.

 

Additional Information:

COMPENSATION
The salary range for the 2017-18 fiscal year associated with the Executive Director of College Advancement: Minimum annual salary: $101,154. Salary midpoint: $134,136. Maximum annual salary: $167,115.  Placement in the salary range is based on educational qualifications, related experience, and internal equity.

Appointment to an administrator position is contingent upon approval by the College's Board of Trustees. It is anticipated that recommendation for appointment of one of the finalists will be presented to the Board of Trustees at the October 2017 Board meeting. 

The anticipated start date is November 2017.

 

Application Instructions:

To become an applicant, interested individuals must complete the online application linked from the posting found on the Oakton website.  Electronic copies of a cover letter, resume/cv, list of three (3) references with contact information, two letters of recommendation and transcripts must be submitted by the applicant via uploading to the Oakton employment website.  Please indicate the position code (DCA-17) on the cover letter. Uploaded documents need to be under 2 MB in size and in either .doc, .txt, or .pdf format. A total of 8 separate documents may be uploaded to an application file that has been successfully submitted to the College.

TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED:
An unofficial copy of transcripts must be submitted at the time of application by the applicant.

Official transcripts for all degrees earned are required prior to appointment.

Recommendation letters may either be original documents with signature or e-mailed from the reference to adminsearch@oakton.edu.  Official transcripts or a placement/credential file should be e-mailed to adminsearch@oakton.edu.  Official transcripts or placement/credential files sent by postal mail should be sent to:

Oakton Community College
Director of Student Life and Campus Inclusion (Position Code DCA-17)
c/o Human Resources
1600 East Golf Road
Des Plaines, IL  60016

Please contact Matthew Robitaille, Employment Specialist at 847.635.1868 or mrobitai@oakton.edu if you encounter any difficulties with electronic submission of these documents.

Posted positions may be removed from the Oakton website without notice when it is determined that no additional applicants are required.

 

URL: www.oakton.edu