Montclair, NJ

Vice President for Development, Montclair State University

The Organization

Montclair State University is a nationally recognized Research Doctoral University that empowers students, faculty, and researchers to exceed expectations and drive innovation. Montclair State University delivers the instructional and research resources of a large public university in a supportive, sophisticated, and diverse academic environment. Building on 114 years of distinguished history, Montclair today has ten colleges and schools that serve more than 21,000 undergraduate and graduate students with more than 200 doctoral, master’s, and baccalaureate degree programs.

Montclair ranks among the top 20 universities nationally for social mobility and is noted for its exceptional student that far exceed experts’ predictions. Montclair is also one of only two federally designated Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) in New Jersey and the largest in the state. Situated just 12 miles from New York City on a beautiful 252-acre suburban campus, the University welcomes a diverse population of students representing 42 U.S. states and territories and 113 countries. As an HSI institution, Montclair State University is majority-minority serving. More than 33% of undergraduate students are the first in their family to pursue higher education and nearly 44% are Pell eligible. Montclair also ranks in the top 13% of 4,500 postsecondary institutions in the U.S. for return on investment.

In addition to a broad range of traditional programs, Montclair State University offers programs in more contemporary and evolving areas such as Molecular Biology, Nutritional Science, Public Health, Child Advocacy, TV/Digital Media and Sports, Events and Tourism Marketing, Recording Arts, Data Science, Business Analytics as well as cross-disciplinary programs in areas such as justice studies, sustainability, language engineering, computational linguistics, and math education. Montclair has a doctoral program in Teacher Education and Teacher Development that is one of very few in the nation that explicitly prepares educators of teachers. Montclair offers a Ph.D. in Environmental Management which combines interdisciplinary research in the sciences with training in management and policy formation, as well as a Ph.D. in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Montclair State University also offers a Ph.D. in Communication and Speech Disorders and the Au.D. in Audiology occupying one of the finest clinical and research facilities in the tri-state region. The instructional programs of Montclair are distributed among the following colleges and schools: 1) College of Humanities and Social Sciences; 2) College of Education and Human Services; 3) College of Science and Mathematics, 4) Feliciano School of Business; 5) College of the Arts; 6) John J. Cali School of Music, 7) School of Communication and Media, 8) School of Nursing and 9) The Graduate School.

KEY FACTS 

  • Founded as the New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair in 1908
  • Located in New Jersey communities of Montclair, Little Falls, and Clifton
  • Main campus encompasses 252 acres
  • Over 300 majors, minors, concentrations, and certificate programs; over 200 degree programs
  • 21,784 total students, the largest enrollment in Montclair history
  • 17,290 undergraduate students
  •   4,494 graduate students
  • 22 residential communities capable of housing 5,200 students
  • Student to teacher ratio: 17 to 1
  • Average class size: 24.5
  • Recent faculty awards and honors include a MacArthur “Genius” Grant, a Carnegie Fellowship, and multiple National Science Foundation Early Career Award winners.

 FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS 

  • Montclair State University’s annual budget for the current fiscal year is $430 million.
  • To support its commitment to affordability, MSU has consistently maintained tuition rates among the lowest of the four-year public colleges and universities in the state, and increased scholarship funding by more than 63 percent over the past five years.
  • Keeping low tuition rates has been challenging in a state that historically does not fund its institutions well. While general operating support allocated by the State of New Jersey has increased by almost one-third in the current fiscal year, state appropriations fund only 21 percent of the operating budget today, compared to 46 percent in 2001.
  • Credit ratings agencies continue to rate Montclair State University as a financially strong and stable university. Moody’s currently rates MSU as A2, and Fitch as A+ with a stable outlook.
  • Montclair State University has enjoyed much recent success at developing additional revenue sources. Extramural research funding has trended strongly upward, reaching a record high of $22 million received in the most recent fiscal year.
  • Philanthropy is also becoming a more important source of funding. The Soar campaign, which concluded on June 30, 2020, raised $82 million (exceeding its goal of $75 million). The campaign, the biggest in MSU’s history, was fueled by gifts from 20,000 donors. It helped to increase the institution’s endowment to its current high watermark of $90 million.

Position Overview

THE OPPORTUNITY

Montclair State University seeks a dynamic, experienced and growth-minded development leader to serve as its next Vice President for Development. Reporting directly to President Jonathan Koppell, the next Vice President will play a critical leadership role as the chief development officer for the University and leader of the MSU Foundation.  The Vice President is a member of the President’s Cabinet, and, together with the University’s other senior administrators, shares broad responsibilities to advance the mission, reputation, and capacity of the University to fulfill its important purposes.

This is an exciting time to join Montclair as President Koppell has laid out an ambitious agenda with the goal of establishing Montclair as the model of a 21st century public-serving research university.  This is already taking shape with the acquisition of Bloomfield College, launch of the Next Generation Service Corps and externally-funded collaborative community projects in nearby communities. The University has been singled out in rankings and news coverage as an emerging star that is worthy of attention and tracking in the years ahead.

The Vice President for Development will work closely with Koppell to identify philanthropic investors who are attracted to this vision which includes an institution dedicated to accessibility, excellence and civic engagement. This includes activating an alumni base of more than 130,000, who are dedicated but represent an underdeveloped resources, as well as building more support from a surrounding community of high-net worth individuals who embrace the progressive mission of the University. The Vice President will receive the full support of the President and the Board of Trustees in amplifying the University’s development efforts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Create and lead the University’s strategies for identification and cultivation of prospects, closing major gifts and leveraging data and analytics to drive fundraising.
  • Cultivate and steward current and future donors, and raise the visibility of philanthropy within the University community.
  • Provide exemplary leadership to the existing development team while planning for expansion in the future.
  • Oversee all aspects of Montclair State University’s development operation, which includes major gifts, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, alumni engagement, annual giving and donor relations, and the Foundation.
  • Direct a team of experienced development professionals responsible for progressive results towards the University’s fundraising goals.
  • Develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive fundraising program for the University.
  • Build strong relationships with an expanded donor community, including corporations, foundations, individual philanthropists, and alumni.
  • Expand the University’s fundraising achievements such as, Soar, The Campaign for Montclair State University, where the University achieved close to $82 million exceeding its goal of $75 million; $20 million gift to the School of Business, the largest donation in the University’s history; endowment in excess of $100 million.

QUALIFICATIONS

REQUIRED:

  • Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university.
  • Minimum of 10 years of experience with substantial and successful fundraising experience in a public or private university environment or closely-related non-profit environment.
  • A track record of substantial major gift acquisition.
  • Demonstrated leadership and team-building experience.
  • Familiarity with the laws, regulations, and professional standards related to fundraising.
  • Outstanding written, face-to-face, and presentation communication skills and the capacity to influence, with sincerity and passion, for a mission-driven public institution of higher education.
  • Absolute integrity and comfort working in a large, highly diverse, public institution.

PREFERRED:

  • Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university.
  • A track record of fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion; experience building and leading in an inclusive environment.
  • Experience working with a variety of financial vehicles related to gifting methodologies.
  • Experience working effectively with various information management systems related to fundraising and donor accountability, such as Raiser’s Edge.
  • Familiarity with best practices and effective options of annual giving programs, corporate and foundation relations, major gifts programs, etc.
  • Knowledge of, and the capacity to function effectively in, the competitive and fast-paced New Jersey/New York City region.
  • Proven ability to function effectively in a dynamic environment with multiple and changing priorities and objectives.
  • Experience serving as a key consultant and advisor to a president or other senior executive on matters of donor, board relations, and philanthropic initiatives.
  • Ability to apply professional expertise as the chief development officer and fundraising strategist to the broader Montclair State University community, its leadership, and internal stakeholders.

For further details, visit: https://www-dev.montclair.edu/vp-development-prospectus/

How To Apply

To apply, visit:  https://montclair.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/JobOpportunities/job/Vice-President-for-Development_R1002732

Procedure for Candidacy: Applicants should include a resume and cover letter describing how their background, skills and education match the needs of the University. When applying, please take a moment to carefully read and follow the steps in the application instructions.

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