Chicago Booth is searching for a Chief Advancement Officer (CAO). This position reports to the Dean of Chicago Booth and is part of the school’s senior leadership and is responsible for the strategy and day-to-day execution of Advancement’s mission – to broaden and strengthen alumni engagement, thereby supporting the school’s philanthropic needs and broader business goals. Managing a global team of over 75 staff, the CAO oversees the functioning and integration of all Advancement functions, including fundraising (annual fund, leadership giving, major and principal gifts), alumni engagement, and advancement operations (analytics and business intelligence, campaign management, communications, donor relations, events, operations, project management, and prospect development.) The CAO is responsible for maintaining and reinforcing a strong integration between alumni engagement and development, by advocating for strong communication and joint initiatives and metrics.

The CAO balances an internal and external role, with more than fifty percent focused externally on fundraising initiatives. Internally, the CAO directs a large team to ensure an ongoing successful operation. In addition, as a senior administrator, the CAO is the lead communicator and partner to school-wide partners. The CAO is a critical partner to deputy deans, Booth faculty, the MBA Program Offices, Academic Centers, Global Campuses, and Executive Education, in leveraging alumni to support school-wide goals and metrics. The position collaborates closely with the V.P. of Alumni & Development at the university to ensure team alignment and coordination on fundraising strategies, policies, campaigns, and trustee engagement. The CAO will oversee the new campaign, which is now in the early development stage. The CAO serves on the Booth Management Group (BMG) and ARD’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Externally, the CAO is the chief development officer of the school, actively managing a PG portfolio as well as overseer of the dean’s portfolio and fundraising priorities and strategies. The CAO oversees the school’s senior volunteers, including the Council on Chicago Booth and Global Leaders Group (GLG), which support the school’s priorities and key initiatives.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

As a member of Booth’s senior leadership and the Booth Management Group (BMG), I contribute significantly to school-wide strategy and key performance indicators. Communicate strategies internally and work closely with all BMG partners (Booth departments and centers) to leverage alumni to execute Advancement and school-wide priorities successfully.
Builds strong relationships with Booth faculty and understands the faculty culture at Booth. The CAO relies on faculty to participate in key Advancement activities, and the faculty partnership and endorsement are critical to the success of the CAO and Advancement.
Leads and develops, through the Advancement Senior Team, an organization of more than 75 staff in multiple global locations; setting the department's strategic direction, in terms of overall business objectives, talent management/workforce planning, and budget.
Motivates, inspires, and brings energy to the entire Advancement team. Mentors staff individually as well as by meeting with teams and cohort groups.
Creates, directs, administers, and evaluates integrated alumni engagement and fundraising strategies, applying state-of-the-art and best practices techniques across all key markets to ensure robust and effective programs. Leverage technology, faculty, and partners to innovate and experiment in providing alumni of all levels with what will compel them to engage with the school (lifelong learning, events, content, etc.).
Leads the planning and execution of a strategic global alumni engagement plan. As a critical component of the CAO position, strong alumni engagement indicators are directly linked to future giving. The CAO oversees all elements of alumni engagement, including key market planning, reunions and events, lifelong learning, faculty engagement, student-alumni engagement, the alumni database, externally facing technology and communications, and partnering with Booth teams that leverage alumni to meet their goals.
As chief development officer, cultivates, solicits, and stewards a portfolio of principal gift prospects and contributes significantly to the School’s fundraising success. Supports the dean and the dean’s prospect portfolio. Directs the discussions between the president and dean as it relates to prospect strategy and campaign planning priorities
Ensures the prioritization of a major gift prospect pipeline development process, from ongoing research to developing prospect identification strategies. And processes for a steady pipeline of prospects and the strong pipeline of developing fundraising proposals for major donors and prospects.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree/MBA preferred.
A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible management/leadership experience is required, with demonstrated strategic leadership skills in leading a large team. A minimum of ten years of fundraising and alumni engagement experience, preferably in managing a global operation and a large, multi-functional team.
Professional work experience in a non-profit environment, including academia and business schools, or other large organizations (hospitals, arts organizations, etc.).
Experience working with and serving multiple internal and external constituencies. Proven ability to initiate and maintain networks with senior leadership, alumni, volunteers, students, and other stakeholders required.
A results-oriented and successful track record of working with high-net-worth prospects and donors and securing PG-level gifts is required. Experience and success in managing capital campaigns.
Willingness and ability to travel, both domestically and internationally, required.
Strong knowledge of database systems and prospect management reporting processes and metrics is required.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information, please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination. Academic job seekers needing reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5671 or email ACOppAdministrator@uchicago.edu with their request. Staff Job seekers needing reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-834-1841 or email talentacquisition@uchicago.edu with their request.