Senior Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, Penn Dental

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Senior Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, Penn Dental

Job Profile Title

Job Description Summary

About Penn Dental:

Established in 1878, Penn Dental is among the oldest university-affiliated dental schools in the nation. The School has continued to reach new levels of discovery, sharing, and service in pursuing its mission of education, research, and patient care. Penn Dental students are among the nation’s best, and they are matched in quality by the high level of instruction and research among the School’s faculty. The School’s research encompasses all the basic and clinical sciences, and Penn’s emphasis on interdisciplinary scholarship encourages collaborations across disciplines. Penn Dental’s clinical care brings the latest techniques and technologies to patients within its teaching clinics and faculty practices.

The School has seen success in its fundraising and alumni relations efforts, with a strong foundation of corporate, philanthropic support. As it move into an exciting phase of growth under the leadership of Dean Mark Wolff, we seek a dynamic and visionary Senior Associate Dean to expand and elevate Penn Dental’s fundraising efforts to new heights, ensuring continued success for students, faculty, and groundbreaking research programs.

Position Summary:

Reporting jointly to the Dean of the School of Dental Medicine and the Associate Vice President for University Development (DAR), Penn Dental’s Senior Associate Dean is responsible for the overall conceptualization, planning and execution of a coordinated program of private and corporate source fundraising and alumni relations for the School of Dental Medicine. As the lead fundraiser for the program, the Senior Associate Dean is also responsible for growing and maintaining a robust overall pool and individual pipeline of prospects, donors and volunteer leaders on the school’s behalf.

The Senior Associate Dean serves as an integral member of the Dean’s senior leadership team and plays a key leadership role at the School. They will work closely with their team, the Dean, faculty, the Board of Advisors, volunteer groups, alumni and students, promoting their active involvement in the fundraising and alumni relations process, and orchestrating the use of their time and talent to advance Penn Dental’s quest for gift and grant support, as well as further alumni engagement and public awareness.

As part of the University of Pennsylvania’s hybrid centralized/decentralized DAR structure, the Senior Associate Dean also serves as a senior member of Central DAR’s University Development team and will be included in leadership planning within the program. Within this structure, the Senior Associate Dean has responsibility for cultivating and sustaining deeply collaborative relationships with Central DAR programs and colleagues in order to fully activate the additional capacity of the University’s centralized functions.

Duties also include leadership and management, mentoring and professional development of a staff of who manage the alumni relations, annual giving, board relations, major gift fundraising, stewardship, development events and DAR communications efforts for the School.

Both Penn Dental and Penn DAR are committed to cultivating a workplace that values equity, integrity, diversity, inclusion, and collaboration. We seek talented individuals who will help lead our efforts to create a more inclusive workplace in a community with a substantive institutional commitment to equity and justice. Diversity is prized at Penn as a central component of our mission and helps create an educational and working environment that best supports the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship.

Job Description

Specific Responsibilities:

Lead a comprehensive fundraising and alumni relations program which includes:

• developing and executing multi-year strategic planning with focus on program health, growth and sustainability;
• analyzing and utilizing constituent data to inform strategic planning;
• creating compelling cases for support of school priorities and writing impactful narrative for multiple, constituent audiences;
• building meaningful volunteer and alumni engagement opportunities;
• overseeing a multi-faceted, annual giving program focused on growth of leadership annual giving and complex modeling to determine growth trajectory;
• organizing events in partnership with board members, donors and alumni, to identify new prospects and grow pipeline;
• planning and executing comprehensive campaigns, as needed;
• Managing team finances and budget

Manage a targeted portfolio of prospects with the capacity to make six, seven and potentially eight-figure gifts for Penn Dental priorities. Develop, engage team and execute robust and sophisticated strategies to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward donors and prospective donors.

Engage the Dean, faculty, staff, board and volunteers in executing the required cultivation, solicitation and stewardship activities to advance the School’s quest for gift and grant support, as well as bolstering public awareness.

Expand and strengthen the school’s fundraising pool and pipeline of potential new donors through sophisticated methods of prospecting including data analysis, internal prospect research, collaboration with the Central DAR teams, sourcing leads through board members and other volunteers, etc…

With the Dean, and in collaboration with both Central DAR and the Office of the University Secretary, establish a plan to manage, engage and expand the School’s Board of Advisors, its premier volunteer organization. Responsibility for managing and staffing the Chair of the Board and key Board leaders in a timely and efficient manner. 

Lead and manage a team to achieve optimum results by: 

• Communicating financial and key performance indicators and results to direct reports
• Establishing priorities and goals for each staff member
• Managing staffing needs and identifying areas for organizational development updates or changes
• Guiding the talent identification and professional development needs, processes and outcomes within the department in line with the University’s diversity and inclusion priorities
• Setting clear performance expectations and holding staff accountable for outcomes through frequent feedback and coaching
• Ensuring open communication among staff, engaging in team building efforts and holding regular staff meetings that embrace and support the group’s diversity
• Inspiring and motivating staff to achieve optimum results
• Work to evaluate the need for new or different infrastructure on an ongoing basis and establish plans for integrating new roles and structures;
• Supervise and coach the Development and Alumni Relations staff to achieve departmental and individual goals, foster a strong team culture and professionally develop individual team members.

Serve as a member of the Dean’s senior leadership team and participate in key school-wide initiatives where Development and Alumni Relations is a meaningful partner. Collaborate with other senior Penn Dental leaders on schoolwide priorities. 

Collaborate with colleagues and partners throughout the University’s Central Development and Alumni Relations department, as well as other schools and centers across Penn, to communicate school priorities, collaborate around key strategies and solicitations, provide data, coordinate external activities and otherwise maximize the University’s DAR capacity in support of the school’s development and alumni relations efforts.

• Please provide a resume and cover letter in order to be considered for this role. Please upload all documents in the “Resume/CV” section of the application prior to submitting.**

Qualifications:

Penn Dental and Penn DAR actively seek and welcome people of color, women, the LGBTQIA+ community, persons with disabilities, and people at intersections of these identities, to apply. 

• BA/BS degree required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Seven to ten years of successful fund-raising experience including a proven record of success in securing six and seven figure gifts with increasingly more responsible fundraising duties, preferably at a major research university comparable to Penn or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Familiarity and appreciation of the role and mission of the School of Dental Medicine and its relationship to the University, as well as understanding the importance of education; capacity to articulate that role and interact comfortably with those individuals and constituency groups crucial to the advancement of Penn Dental.
• Demonstrated track record in the identification, cultivation and stewardship of leadership and major gifts ($250,000+).
• Strong management and program administration skills and the ability to establish objectives, set performance standards, and organize and motivate staff, faculty and volunteers to achieve fund-raising goals.
• Demonstrated experience in establishing effective relationships with volunteers.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Adaptability, flexibility and diplomacy.
• High motivation and a capacity for hard work within the context of a goal-driven environment.
• A demonstrated ability to analyze funding sources and relate their potential to the School’s long range goals; more particularly, to organize practical strategies to bring closure to gift and grant opportunities is required.
• Ability to function well independently, yet relate comfortably to a centralized framework for fund raising, participating in and contributing to a total team effort.
• Travel and evening work required.

Job Location – City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Development and Alumni Relations

Pay Range

$177,778.00 – $235,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and grade profile.

Affirmative Action Statement 

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 

Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.
• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn’s exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.
• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.
• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.
• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.
• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.
• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.
• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.
• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you’ll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.
• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.
• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.
• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay 

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