Western Carolina University continues to rank high on Forbes Best Employers lists each year. Including:
2024 - Ranking in the top 8.5% on Forbes Americas Best Midsize Employers list, WCU was ranked 34 out of the top 400 employers across all industries.
2023 - Ranked in the top 20% on Forbes Americas Best Midsize Employers list, WCU was ranked 97 out of the top 500 employers across all industries.
2022 - Ranked 14th in the top 100 employers in North Carolina in Forbes Americas Best Employers by State list.
Western Carolina University is the UNC systems westernmost campus and has been consistently ranked as one of the top 15 public regional institutions in the South.
Employees of WCU are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other resources, policies and programs to ensure a happy and healthy work/life balance. Benefit eligible employees have access to dental, vision and health insurance plans - eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.
Eligible employees have access to tuition waivers for up to three courses per academic year; employee may enroll at any of the constituent UNC System campuses. Also offered are free group exercise classes multiple times per week, a discounted membership to the campus recreation center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays and 24 hours of paid community service leave each year. Leave earning employees (staff and 12-month faculty) who work at least half of the working days of their first month of employment will begin accruing vacation and sick leave immediately. Paid parental leave after 12 months of continuous service.
WCU offers an abundance of training and development programs, certifications, workshops and conferences - many of which are offered free of charge.

The primary location of this position is the Cullowhee, NC campus.

The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development will play a leadership role in the successful completion of Fill the Western Sky: The Campaign for Western Carolina University. The campaign will launch publicly in October of 2024 has already met key milestones for academic support and immediate use gifts. The public phase will focus primarily on athletics facilities capital needs and immediate use athletics gifts.

The Assistant Vice Chancellor will directly supervise the Senior Director of Development, the Director of Donor Relations, the Director of Prospect Management and Research, the Director of Development for Health and Human Sciences, and the Director of Development and Corporate Partnerships. The Assistant Vice Chancellor, in partnership with the Vice Chancellor and development officers for the various colleges, will be responsible for developing fundraising strategies for increasing the base of philanthropic support for Western Carolina University.
The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development will be responsible for the management and direction of the operations and programs of Western Carolina Universitys fundraising efforts. This includes the full span of the donor cycle from prospect management data, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, stewardship, and donor relations programming. The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development will be knowledgeable about higher education fundraising best practices, trends, and campaign planning and execution.

This position has indirect supervision of the unit-based directors of development through the Senior Director. The Assistant Vice Chancellor will create, execute, and monitor activities which support the fundraising priorities of the division and the University.

The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development will serve as a member of the leadership team for the Division of Advancement, will advise the Vice Chancellor for Advancement on strategic and operational aspects of development and will effectively promote internal and external understanding of the universitys mission and vision as correlated with philanthropic priorities and giving goals.

The Assistant Vice Chancellors primary responsibilities are to (1) implement university-wide and unit-specific strategies for development including any comprehensive and/or project- or program-specific major campaigns; (2) build and lead the necessary staff infrastructure to support these efforts including research and prospect management, gift officers, and donor relations management ; (3) serve as the lead, in collaboration with the Vice Chancellor, for traditional and complex planned gifts; (4) serve as the coordinator for corporate and foundation relations among gift officers and collaborate with campus partners including Sponsored Research staff to increase corporate and foundation gifts; (5) Serve as the point person for all real estate gifts; (6) staff the Vice Chancellor for Advancement and other key internal leaders in their work with top prospects, donors and volunteer boards; (7) manage a personal portfolio of principal, planned, and/or corporate and foundation gift prospects; and (8) serve as a strategic partner to the advancement services team, the engagement team, and the athletics development team.

The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Development will perform evening and weekend work as appropriate, travel extensively and accept and execute other duties as assigned

To be considered, you must apply online.

Please include a cover letter, resume, and a listing of at least three professional references to complete the application process. Please include the complete contact information of your references.

For questions or additional information, please contact Ben Pendry, Vice Chancellor for Advancement, at bjpendry@wcu.edu

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate has been selected for hire.