Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations, Columbia School of General Studies

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $220,000 - $250,000

Position Summary

The Columbia University School of General Studies (GS) occupies a singular position within Columbia University and higher education, extending access to a rigorous Columbia undergraduate education for students whose paths do not follow traditional timelines. Founded in 1947 amid the postwar influx of veterans supported by the GI Bill, GS today serves a dynamic and diverse student body that includes veterans, community college transfers, first-generation and low-income students, working adults, parents, entrepreneurs, artists, athletes, international dual-degree students, and postbaccalaureate premedical students. Fully integrated into the Columbia undergraduate classroom, GS students reflect both the promise and evolving demographics of American higher education. GS has long been a laboratory for innovation, from creating the nation’s first postbaccalaureate premedical program to building domestic and international pathway programs that expand access and strengthen Columbia’s global reach. With a leading commitment to student veterans, growing community college pipeline programs, more than 25,000 alumni, a highly engaged Board of Visitors, and significant recent fundraising momentum—including 25 gifts of $1M or more since 2018 totaling approximately $60M, largely in support of financial aid—GS is poised to advance its development and alumni affairs work to even higher levels of distinction.

The Associate Dean for Development and Alumni Relations serves as the School’s chief development and alumni relations officer, directing a comprehensive advancement program that supports GS’s ambition to be recognized worldwide as the premier and most innovative college for exceptional nontraditional students, meet the full financial need of its diverse student body, and advance its unique mission of increasing access and opportunity to a liberal arts education for persons who follow a diverse and often non-linear path to Columbia University or take advantage of our path-breaking, innovative dual degree programs. With a dual reporting relationship to the Dean of the School of General Studies and the Vice President of Development, Office of Alumni Relations and Development (OAD), the Associate Dean is a member of the School’s senior leadership team and the primary liaison to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development, the Columbia Alumni Association, and University development partners.

The Associate Dean will lead fundraising and alumni engagement strategy to increase philanthropic support and deepen alumni connection to GS. Working closely with the Dean, Vice Dean, School leadership, faculty, alumni volunteers, OAD, Principal Gifts, institutional fundraising partners, and CAA, the Associate Dean will build a sustainable advancement program aligned with the School’s priorities.

The Associate Dean will direct the GS development and alumni relations team; manage and expand a portfolio of major- and principal-gift prospects; guide engagement with the Board of Visitors and the School of General Studies Alumni Association; develop and implement a strategy to engage parent and family support and strengthen alumni engagement across the full student-to-alumni lifecycle. The role is critical to increasing alumni participation, volunteer leadership, donor retention, annual and major giving, endowment support, and operating and programmatic funds from alumni, individuals, parents/families, foundations, corporations, and other partners.

Responsibilities

Fundraising Leadership

• Serve as the School’s chief development and alumni relations officer, partnering with the Dean, Vice Dean, senior leadership, faculty, the VP of Development, and colleagues in the Office of Alumni Relations and Development to advance fundraising priorities and provide strategic leadership for increasing endowment, current-use, annual fund, and other philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, foundations, and other donors.
• Manage an individual portfolio of approximately 40 major- and principal-gift prospects while leading the development team in identifying key initiatives, top prospects, volunteer leaders, engagement opportunities, and strategies to move support toward longer-term commitments when appropriate.
• Serve as the lead fundraiser for the Columbia University Center for Veteran Transition and Integration.
• Provide leadership and work collaboratively with the Dean, Vice Dean, events team, and development/alumni staff for GS signature fundraising efforts, including the Columbia Military Ball, Scholarship Dinner, Reunion Weekend, Giving Day, and other key events.
• In collaboration with the Dean, Vice Dean, and new parent/family development engagement officer, create and implement strategies to engage and enhance fundraising from parents and families of GS students and alumni.
• Work constructively and collaboratively with colleagues across the University on shared prospects, interdisciplinary initiatives, institutional solicitations, and advancement priorities.
• Participate in Office of Alumni Relations and Development management, prospect coordination, campaign planning, and University Development meetings; use the University’s prospect management systems and databases to manage prospects, document strategies, communicate progress, and coordinate activity with colleagues across the University.
• In partnership with the Vice Dean/Chief Administrative and Financial Officer, develop and monitor budgets, expense summaries, event reports, fundraising pipelines, and other operational tools necessary to support the advancement program.
• Oversee the preparation of funding proposals, talking points and scripts, briefings for the Dean, Vice Dean, and other University leadership, and stewardship reports for all assigned prospects, and ensure that all interested parties and stakeholders are involved in key efforts focused on specific prospects.
• Ensure compliance with grants, contracts, agreements, University policies, and nonprofit fundraising guidelines.

Team Management

• Lead, mentor, train, and manage a team of eight development and alumni relations professionals, ensuring that staff are high performing and aligned around prospect strategy, fundraising, alumni relations, institutional giving, volunteer engagement, stewardship, and campaign goals. The team includes a leadership gift officer, a major gifts officer, a Parents Program/family Board engagement officer, the Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations, the Director of Alumni Affairs, two alumni relations officers, and an administrative assistant.
• Provide direction and ongoing feedback to staff, conduct regular performance evaluation discussions, and support the professional growth of the development and alumni relations team.
• Develop key performance indicators, metrics, timetables, and reporting systems to track progress against annual and long-term goals for alumni engagement, fundraising, campaign commitments, donor retention, volunteer participation, and overall program impact.

Strategic Alumni and Constituent Engagement

• Provide strategic leadership for the School’s alumni relations program, with a focus on increasing alumni engagement, participation, volunteer involvement, donor retention, and financial support.
• Serve as the School’s primary liaison to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development, the Columbia Alumni Association, and University development leadership to ensure alignment, collaboration, and integration with broader University advancement priorities.
• Manage the School’s Board of Visitors in consultation with the Dean and Vice Dean, including planning the board’s activities, strategic direction, engagement, staffing, and solicitation opportunities.
• Supervise and provide mentorship and support to the Director of Alumni Affairs in planning and implementing GS alumni activities and events, including Reunion Weekend, Giving Day, Homecoming, Senior Gift, and other engagement programs in coordination with the Office of Alumni and Development, the Columbia Alumni Association, and University partners.
• Ensure that the Dean, Vice Dean, and senior School leadership are effectively and strategically staffed and deployed in fundraising and alumni engagement activities.
• Work closely with School communications, student affairs, academic affairs, educational financing, and other internal partners to ensure that development and alumni relations efforts align with School priorities, messaging, student engagement, and programmatic needs.
• Represent the School of General Studies with alumni, donors, volunteers, University partners, and external constituents with professionalism, discretion, sound judgment, and a commitment to exceptional quality and service.
• Perform related duties, special projects, and additional responsibilities as assigned or requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree is required.
• A minimum of 8 years of fundraising, alumni relations, nonprofit management, or comparable development experience is required.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, supervise, train, and motivate staff; manage individual performance; and foster a collaborative, high-performing work environment.
• Experience managing major- and principal-gift prospects and developing cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage prospect portfolios, identify new prospects, and move prospects through the donor cycle.
• Strong budget management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision-making, and reporting.
• Excellent written, analytical, and oral communication skills, with a high level of attention to detail and the ability to translate complex information to diverse audiences.
• Strong interpersonal skills and strong active listening skills.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize, meet deadlines, problem-solve, troubleshoot, manage multiple projects, and work effectively in a high-pressure, fast-paced, decentralized environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a dynamic team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with senior administrators, academic leaders, alumni volunteers, donors, faculty, staff, and University partners.
• Demonstrated excellence in project management, teamwork, analytical thinking, client/customer awareness, and service orientation.
• Must be able to negotiate issues, resolve problems, exercise strong influencing skills, and move strategic agendas forward.
• The successful candidate must be a strategic thinker, politically savvy, flexible in nature, and able to work well with all levels of management, both internally and externally.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, diplomacy, tact, confidentiality, and sensitivity are essential.
• Strong public speaking and presentation skills required.
• Must be professional, organized, creative, efficient, and able to work successfully both independently and as part of a team.
• Computer proficiency, including Microsoft Office and Google Workspace, required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree strongly preferred.
• Highly aspirational, creative, collaborative, and results-focused fundraiser, who has depth and breadth in all aspects of development and a proven track record in personally cultivating and stewarding major and principal gift prospects.
• Prior experience in higher education, alumni relations, advancement, or a similarly complex nonprofit organization preferred.
  Understanding of development and alumni relations in a complex academic environment is highly desirable.
• Experience working with diverse alumni populations and nontraditional student or alumni communities preferred.
• Knowledge of fundraising strategies and donor relations connected to veteran, military-affiliated, international, and other distinctive student and alumni communities is a plus.

Other Requirements

• This position requires evening and weekend work and travel as necessary.
• Subject to business needs, the Office of Alumni Relations and Development supports a hybrid work arrangement for this position. Options will be discussed during the interview process.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.