Executive Brief

Assistant Vice President of Development - Colleges, Schools and Units
Georgia Tech Institute for Technology

The Organization: Georgia Tech

The Georgia Institute for Technology (Georgia Tech)

Georgia Tech is a top-ranked public research university situated in the heart of Atlanta, a diverse and vibrant city with numerous economic and cultural strengths. The Institute serves more than 45,000 students through top-ranked undergraduate, graduate, and executive programs in engineering, computing, science, business, design, and liberal arts. Georgia Tech's faculty attracted more than $1.4 billion in research awards this past year in fields ranging from biomedical technology to artificial intelligence, energy, sustainability, semiconductors, neuroscience, and national security. Georgia Tech ranks among the nation's top 20 universities for research and development spending and No. 1 among institutions without a medical school.

Georgia Tech - At a Glance:

Mission & Values:

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything they do:

  1. Students are our top priority.
  2. We strive for excellence.
  3. We thrive on diversity.
  4. We celebrate collaboration.
  5. We champion innovation.
  6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
  7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
  8. We act ethically.
  9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

Academic Excellence:
  • Georgia Tech is ranked #3 in Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs. All of Georgia Tech's graduate engineering programs rank in the top 10 (Source: U.S. News & World Report).

  • Scheller College of Business ranks #21 among all Undergraduate Business Programs and #17 for their Part-Time MBA (Source: U.S. News & World Report). 

  • Computer Science ranks #6 by U.S. News & World Report's Undergraduate Program Rankings#7 by U.S. News & World Report's Graduate School Rankings, #17 by Times Higher Education World University Rankings, and #28 in The Guardian's QS World University Rankings.

  • In the category of Statistics and Operational Research, Georgia Tech ranks #9 in The Guardian's QS World University Rankings. Georgia Tech's graduate urban planning program is ranked #6 in the U.S. and #2 in Big City Programs by Planetizen.

Diversity:
  • The Institute is consistently rated among the top universities in the nation for graduation of underrepresented minorities in engineering, physical sciences, and architecture and planning.
     
  • With more than 60 chartered student organizations exploring religious, racial, sexual, and ethnic identity (but open to all), Georgia Tech's students find a way to celebrate, strengthen, and share their part of the robust cultural melting pot that thrives in the university's community.

Georgia Tech Office of Development (DEV)

The Office of Development is committed to securing the philanthropic resources that are transforming Georgia Tech. We engage alumni, friends, families, corporations, and foundations in the life of the Institute and encourage financial investment in Tech's future.

The fundraising team at Georgia Tech currently consists of 100+ professionals who are focused on securing transformative philanthropy (major and principal gifts) to support the strategic priorities of the Institute and its colleges, schools, and programs including Athletics.

Learn about the groups that make up the Office of Development:
College & School Representatives
College & School Representatives

From endowed chairs and professorships to undergraduate scholarships, graduate fellowships, and facilities, donors can support the college, school, or academic program of their choice.

Corporate Engagement
Corporate Engagement

Building partnerships with the corporate community is a top priority for Georgia Tech. Working together, the group grows philanthropy and helps companies connect to Tech through research, recruitment, and diversity initiatives.

Foundation Relations
Foundation Relations

Support from foundations provides vital resources for Georgia Tech strategic initiatives, making it possible for the Institute to advance knowledge across all disciplines.

Gift Planning
Gift Planning

Gift planning begins with a donor's desire to make a gift. Whether the choice is a bequest provision in a will or revocable trust, or a life-income gift, the gift planning team assists with all gifts.

Intercollegiate Athletics
Intercollegiate Athletics

Athletic excellence has long been a source of pride and passion at Georgia Tech. The university wants to become one of the elite athletics programs in the nation with the best combination of athletics and academics.

International Development
International Development

Georgia Tech's vision of leadership in the 21st century is a global one. Moving international efforts to the next level cannot happen without private philanthropy.

Parent Giving
Parent Giving

Parents play a vital role in the life of Georgia Tech. Through advocacy, volunteering, and philanthropy, they have a unique opportunity to become stakeholders in every Yellow Jacket's future.

Regional Development
Regional Development

Regional development representatives travel extensively, connecting with alumni and friends and sharing opportunities for supporting Georgia Tech through private philanthropy.

Reunion Giving
Reunion Giving

Each year, milestone reunion classes celebrate through combined philanthropic giving that advances Georgia Tech and enhances opportunities for students – today and for generations to come. 

For fiscal year 2022, the DEV team’s efforts resulted in over $211 million in new gifts and commitments, which helped to publicly launch Georgia Tech’s largest comprehensive campaign in the Institute’s history Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech which is intended to bring over $2 billion in new commitments and gifts from individuals, foundations, corporations, and other organizations. One of the most significant priorities within Transforming Tomorrow is ensuring access of the brightest undergraduate, graduate and professional students to Georgia Tech, regardless of their socioeconomic background. To learn more about Transforming Tomorrow and the other thematic priorities of the campaign, click here.

Georgia Tech Office of Development (DEV) - Leadership Spotlight:

Jim Hall - Vice President for Development

Jim Hall
Vice President for Development


Jim Hall serves as Georgia Tech’s vice president for Development. Hall has been with Georgia Tech since 1998, serving most recently as the senior associate vice president for Major Gifts and Next Generation Philanthropy. In the role, Hall oversaw fundraising efforts in the Colleges, Schools, units, and internationally. He has been a top fundraiser at the Institute and previously served as the associate vice president for development (athletics) and executive associate athletics director with the Georgia Tech Athletics Association. Under his leadership, the Alexander-Tharpe Fund reached record levels of giving. The Athletics Initiative 2020, a three-year drive to raise $125 million, exceeded its goal by more than 40%.    

Hall has secured multiple seven-figure commitments for Tech Athletics and Schools and Colleges across the Institute. In 2010, he was named the University Division Fundraiser of the Year by the National Association of Athletic Development Directors (NAADD), and he served as Georgia Tech’s interim vice president for Development in 2022. 

Before coming to Georgia Tech, Hall was responsible for intercollegiate athletics fundraising and the letter winners association (I-Club) at Indiana State. He previously worked at the University of Oklahoma, where he helped start OU’s Sooner Club. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s from the University of Oklahoma. 

Hall assumes the role as the Institute continues Transforming Tomorrow: The Campaign for Georgia Tech, the more than $2 billion comprehensive campaign which is increasing support for students, advancing research and innovation, enhancing the Institute’s campus and community, and expanding its impact worldwide. 

The Opportunity: Assistant Vice President of Development - Colleges, Schools and Units

Georgia Tech - AVP of Development, CSU - Job Description (PDF Download)

Position Summary

The Assistant Vice President of Development – Colleges, Schools and Units (CSU) will serve on the Office of Development's senior leadership team and be responsible for building and maintaining an effective partnership with the deans, school chairs, institute leaders, and other senior academic and administrative leadership across campus. This position will partner with stakeholders to develop more effective strategies that elevate the sights of our major gift supporters and advance both college, school, and unit-based needs, as well as the lnstitute's priorities. The AVP of Development – CSU will be required to maintain a portfolio of major and principal gift prospects to demonstrate how mission-driven fundraising can be achieved at a greater pace and higher level of investment. In addition, this position will be responsible for accelerating Development's success in achieving the public phase goals for the office’s Transforming Tomorrow campaign. The AVP will be responsible for establishing group/departmental/division goals, determining the resources needed to meet those goals, assessing group/departmental/division performance feedback, and making pay decisions.

The Role and Responsibilities

Responsibilities:
  • Provide strategic leadership to major gifts programs. Offer professional leadership for the major gifts team comprised of highly experienced frontline officers and program staff. Collaborate with area teams to structure robust major gift prospect portfolios and pools at the $100K+ (data-rated) level that will ensure maximum fundraising opportunities and success.
     
  • Function as a valued strategist, advisor, and resource coordinator for the college, school, and unit major gift officers. Provide support in coordinating the participation of senior academic leadership, faculty, staff, and volunteers in achieving fundraising objectives for major gift prospects. Develop an inclusive, positive working environment across the major gifts team leading to reaching shared performance goals and objectives, as well as enhancing our ability to recruit and retain high-quality talent.
     
  • Create a working relationship with academic and program leaders (deans, chairs, center, institute leaders, etc.) that builds a climate of collaboration, trust, and transparency around all Development fundraising work to support the colleges, schools, and units.
     
  • Develop effective resources, tools, reports, and other materials for key academic and program leaders regarding fundraising opportunities, progress, challenges, etc. directly impacting their areas of the Institute.
     
  • Be a visible and accessible partner to the teams supervised and the academic program leaders served. Collaborate with the VP and academic partners to define, deploy, and track major gift metrics for each college, school, or unit-based team.
     
  • Work with major gift officers and their respective leaders to fully activate and strengthen our advisory councils, boards, and other volunteer leadership structures.
     
  • Manage a portfolio of major and principal prospects with institution-wide interests reflecting best practices in identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship. Participate as a strategist on major and principal prospect teams, with particular focus on individuals and organizations that can support the campaign and larger priorities in Georgia Tech’s strategic plan.
     
  • Work with prospect management and research and IT/IM colleagues to establish dashboards and other tools/resources that track and promote development officer effectiveness, create greater transparency around fundraising progress, and allow for more effective forecasting.
     
  • Provide critical leadership support to college, school, unit, or central Development colleagues in the creation of effective solicitation and stewardship efforts.
     
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Expectations and Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Knowledge: 

  • Knowledge of fundraising best practices, policies, and operations.
     
  • Working knowledge of cultural competencies needed to navigate the changing demographics and diversity in Georgia Tech's quickly changing student and young alumni populations.

Skills:

  • Expert in written and verbal communication, analytical thinking, people management, problem-solving, customer service, organization, strong attention to detail, interpersonal relationship building, and creativity skills.
     
  • Proficient with Microsoft Office products.

Abilities:

  • Exceptional ability to organize, establish objectives and priorities, and achieve goals in a centralized or hybrid fundraising environment.
     
  • Demonstrated ability to serve as a productive portfolio-holding gift officer.
     
  • Demonstrated ability to supervise multiple fundraising teams and achieve elevated outcomes.
     
  • Proven ability to develop and sustain confidence of internal and external stakeholders who directly impact fundraising success.
Qualifications:

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
     
  • Seven years of job-related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Ability and willingness to travel, as well as engage effectively with stakeholders in a variety of settings (one-on-one calls in-person and virtual, small group events, and larger campaign activities). Successful use of data analytics to drive greater fundraising, forecasting, and performance outcomes.
     
  • Advanced-level degree or currently progressing toward.
     
  • Seven or more years of progressively responsible experience in fundraising within higher education or another similarly complex non-profit environment. Experience in either leading or participating in a comprehensive fundraising campaign effort.

Applications & Nominations

The Georgia Institute for Technology has partnered with Boyden Executive Search. For more information about this opportunity or to submit a cover letter and resume, please email:

Lisa Vuona
Managing Partner, Boston
lvuona@boyden.com
LinkedIn

Lisa Vuona has decades of experience in executive search and human resource management, primarily in the non-profit, healthcare and education sectors. She is distinguished by her track record and network, and by her approach, which combines the strategic power of data with a finely tuned ability to understand the client’s organization and identify high-caliber leaders who fit the culture.

Leslie Smith
Executive Search Consultant, Boston
leslie.smith@boyden.com
LinkedIn

Leslie Smith has helped numerous individuals and organizations achieve their goals. She works with non-profits and educational institutions, helping to define leadership needs and connecting them with the right talent. Along with extensive knowledge of the non-profit sector, she has a passion for strengthening mission-driven organizations and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.

Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden Boston is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.

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