Vice President of External Affairs

NOTICE OF VACANCY

Position Title: Vice President of External Affairs

SALARY: Dependent on Experience

REPORTS TO: University President

BENEFITS: Institutional fringe package includes health, dental, & vision coverage, life insurance, FSA, and retirement plans.

POSITION DETAILS: Full-time; FLSA Exempt

HOURS: Monday-Friday; 8:00AM to 5:00PM

START DATE: Negotiable

SUPERVISORY SKILLS: Will supervise all leadership and full-time staff within the areas of Alumni Relations, Foundation Advancement and External Affairs.

ABOUT USAO: The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (USAO) is a public liberal arts college located in Chickasha, Oklahoma, about 40 minutes from Oklahoma City, and is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC). It is charged by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education “to provide an outstanding general education program for the State of Oklahoma with strong offerings in the liberal arts and sciences. The experience will feature interdisciplinary team-teaching and will extend throughout the undergraduate experience.” To support this charge USAO is directed “to assemble a faculty whose interests, knowledge, and experiences transcend their specialized fields of graduate study and who are dedicated to liberal arts education.” For more information about USAO, see www.usao.edu.

POSITION SUMMARY: Reporting to the President, the Vice President of External Affairs is a key member of the administrative leadership team and will lead initiatives that build and execute brand, strengthen marketing and communications, foster strategic partnerships, and expand relationships with policy makers, industry leaders, and other influencers and stakeholders.

The VP-EA is the most senior advancement professional at the university and is on the frontline of creating donor partnerships and stakeholder relationships that can generate resources, partnerships, and elevated visibility locally, regionally, and nationally.

The VP-EA acts as the executive director of the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Foundation (a 501 c3 entity) and directly supervises the university areas of fundraising, alumni relations, marketing and communications. The VP-EA is a pivotal leader in developing strategic community partnerships to elevate the university’s reputation and expand its engagement in economic development efforts.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Provide overall strategic direction in setting annual and long-term goals for increasing revenue for the university.
• Collaborating with the senior leadership team to identify internal and external fundraising and donor communications opportunities and develop and execute appropriate strategies to support them.
• Ensuring data-driven evaluations and projections of fundraising goals.
• Create, implement, oversee, and measure the success of a comprehensive marketing and communications strategy for the university, including a robust digital and social media strategy.
• Act as the liaison between local and regional business entities and the university to strengthen and expand the university’s micro-credential offerings.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully with colleagues at all levels of the organization to achieve common goals.
• Translate ideas and insights into actional programs, initiatives, thought leadership and research projects with specific and measurable outcomes.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and a minimum of five years related administrative leadership experience.
• Experienced development and communications professional with a track record of successful fundraising.
• Ability to seamlessly interface with multiple external constituencies to further the goals of the university.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS, EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

• Demonstrated ability to frame and structure problems, projects, and initiatives and synthesize complex information from a multitude of resources.
• Highly proficient in data management, data governance and reporting.
• Exceptional oral and written communications skills. Dynamic public speaker possessing the ability to communicate with and gain the confidence of people from a variety of constituencies.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.
• Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

TO APPLY:

Complete the USAO application at ( https://usao.edu/about/personnel.html ). When completing the USAO application, please attach a letter of interest, detailed resume, 3 professional/academic references, and any necessary transcripts.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

This institution, in compliance with Titles VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Executive Order 11246 as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and other federal laws and regulations, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, or status as a veteran in any of its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid, and educational services.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Work Location: In person