VP, Chief Advancement Officer

Job Title:         VP, Chief Advancement Officer

Department:    Institutional Advancement

Reports to:      Chief Executive Officer

Location:         Troy, NY

Date:                August 2023

WMHT Public Media, located in New York State's Capital Region, serving Eastern New York and Western New England, is the only locally owned, nonprofit, multichannel public communications organization that reaches beyond the traditional broadcasting model to act as a leader by convening arts, culture, learning and civic interests. WMHT focuses on Community, Culture and Connections by providing entertainment, enrichment and engagement through television, radio, digital media, and educational services.

WMHT also houses the largest television studio between New York City and Montreal.  The station’s production services for clients help sustain our mission-based work.  Our production services business attracts clients from across the country including PBS, APT, feature films, public and commercial media producers, Canada-based producers, and partnerships with New York State.     

We strive to create a workplace culture that values diversity of perspective and lived experience.  We provide a place where people are supported to do their best work. 

JOB DESCRIPTION – VICE PRESIDENT, CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

Summary: As a member of the Leadership Team, the VP, Chief Advancement Officer (CAO) works collaboratively with team members to establish and execute a plan for significant growth.  Key areas of focus include the continued development and strengthening of team members.  They will also improve the utilization of data and planning with an emphasis on the cultivation of existing donors and the acquisition of new donors and corporate sponsors to raise the resources needed to carry out the mission of WMHT.   

Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following:  Other duties may be assigned.

Participate as a member of the WMHT Leadership Team to provide a united, visible, and strong leadership presence across the organization.

Strengthen and build an agile and results-oriented Institutional Advancement Team.

Evaluate donor experience and design, implement, and continually improve the advancement model based on researched best practices.  

Lead innovation and data-driven giving solutions, positioning WMHT as a visionary market leader by donors, philanthropic organizations, media, corporate sponsors, and community.

Create, integrate, and adapt technological platforms and strategies to improve the donor experience.

Drive new growth opportunities.  Identify, prioritize, develop, and launch new products, services and business models that elevate the donor experience.

Ensure fundraising efforts support revenue goals. Such model components include workplace development, individual and major gifts, planned giving, affinity groups, corporate sponsors, volunteer engagement, and revenue producing events.

Ensure that the Customer Relationship Management System (CRM) is consistently and accurately used to provide a comprehensive view of existing and potential donors. Use the data to inform strategies. Ensure information about needs, interests, expectations of these individuals and organizations is used to enrich relationships.

Ensure that donor segmentation models are in place and used to inform fundraising plans.  

Ensure that segment specific strategic engagement plans are developed for building relationships that support fundraising efforts. 

Promote cross-functional collaboration as a component of operationalizing the strategic plan and annual goals.

Ensure relationship-based development practices, intended to ensure an exceptional donor experience are in place and attract and sustain both financial and non-financial resources.

Lead the strategic priorities of planned giving, and grants. Lead the team to build annual plans that support overall revenue goals.  Ensure policies and procedures are followed.

Internal Management and Infrastructure

Recruit, train, manage and mentor team members. Continually review departmental infrastructure to ensure support of the organization’s revenue growth goals.

Effectively manage the Institutional Advancement department’s day-to-day operations, budget, and income forecasts.

Provide strategic oversight to all donor materials, and strategic support on the full range of external stakeholder communications.

Partner with the business/finance department to sustain efficient, effective, and transparent financial tracking and reporting processes.

Develop clear processes and collaborate with all other departments within the organization to create an understanding of and appreciation for the advancement function. Foster an environment of cohesiveness and collaboration.

Qualifications:  The following requirements are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required to satisfactorily perform the essential job duties.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience:  Minimum of Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing or related field.  Master’s degree preferred.  Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in the field of fundraising, marketing, sales, public relations, or related field. Supervisory experience required.

Knowledge of Account Management, Customer Service, Community Relations and/or Sales and Marketing, Project Management, and Volunteer Management.  Must have demonstrated experience operationalizing strategic plan successfully. Experience in managing teams is a must.  

Interpersonal Skills

Excellent active listening, persuasion, negotiation, presentation, and public speaking skills required. Strong complex problem solving, coordination, critical thinking, interpersonal and judgment skills required. Must have demonstrated a high level of experience and success in building productive professional/working relationships with diverse individuals and groups. 

Has great energy, and a very high degree of self-awareness. A spirit of curiosity about what motivates donors to give. A commitment to life-long learning about fundraising.  Is constantly aware of WMHT’s financial needs, goals, and progress toward achieving them from all sources.

Language Skills

Ability to read, analyze and interpret business periodicals, news articles and professional publications. Ability to present information to and respond to questions from groups of diverse organizational employees, managers, and senior level high profile decision makers. 

Computer Skills

Requires advanced knowledge of MS office software and Customer Relationship database programs.

Licenses

Valid driver’s License with a driving record that meets insurance requirements.

The yearly salary range is $120,000 - $135,000

WMHT Educational Telecommunications is an equal opportunity employer. The community and audience we serve is diverse, and we wish to foster that diversity in our workplace. Toward that end, WMHT does not discriminate against individuals in hiring, employment or promotion on the basis of race, religion, color, sex/gender, gender identity and gender expression, age, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, citizenship, handicap or disability, veteran or military status, political belief, pregnancy, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by law.