Top ranked and internationally recognized for its specialty studies, Emerson College is the only higher learning institute in the United States that focuses exclusively on the study of communication and the arts. Emerson College is ranked #8 in U.S. News & World Report’s 2017 Best Regional Universities in the North; #10 on the list of Best Film Schools in the country by The Hollywood Reporter; top journalism program in the country by College Factual; and in the top ten for Best College Radio Station, Best College Theater, and LBGTQ-Friendly lists for 2017 by the Princeton Review. Emerson also has positively impacted the Boston community with development of its “Campus on the Common,” reviving that area of the city and bringing to it a new vitality.

It is a new era of exciting, impactful fundraising at Emerson. Under the leadership of President Lee Pelton, and in collaboration with the Emerson Board, the Office of Institutional Advancement is about to embark on its first-ever campaign. With illustrious alumni that include talk show host Jay Leno ’73, actors Henry Winkler ’67 and Denis Leary ’79, television producers Norman Lear ’44 (All in the Family), Vin Di Bona ’66 (America’s Funniest Home Videos) and Kevin Bright ’76 (Friends), and entrepreneur and makeup artist Bobbi Brown ’79, among many others, this unprecedented campaign will tap into a vast and powerful donor base.

The Opportunity

Reporting
to the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, the Associate Vice President for Major Gifts (AVP) will provide
strategic and managerial leadership to advance individual and institutional
major, principal and legacy giving. S/He will lead a team of gift officers
and prospect researchers in an effort to double annual philanthropic giving in
the lead-up to a major campaign launch. A member of the senior advancement
team, the Associate Vice President will collaborate closely with her/his peers
in Advancement Operations, Individual Giving, Marketing, and Communications to
develop and deliver on fundraising goals. In addition to managing a team,
the AVP will oversee the identification, cultivation, solicitation and
stewardship of major gift prospects and donors, and personally maintain an
active portfolio of approximately 60-75 highly-rated prospects. Eight-plus years
of progressively responsible positions in major gift fundraising and campaign
work, including a minimum of 3 years in a managerial role, is required. The
ideal candidate will bring a high level of integrity and credibility with
extraordinary communication and interpersonal skills.