Hiring Organization Information
Position Information
At UW Medicine, we work to improve health for all people through excellence in clinical, research, and education and training programs. As the only comprehensive clinical, research and learning health system in the five-state WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho) region, UW Medicine provides the most up-to-date care for each individual patient, leads one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive medical research programs, and provides innovative learning programs for students, trainees, and practitioners in the health professions.
The passionate, 79-person team at UW Medicine Advancement works collaboratively to connect donors with meaningful opportunities to enhance patient care, expand educational opportunities and advance research at UW Medicine. This inspiring, challenging and rewarding work provides team members an opportunity to grow their careers, while making a difference in people’s lives, in our community and around the world. In the 2023 fiscal year, UW Medicine Advancement raised $268 million in gifts and private grants (43 percent of the University of Washington’s total) from over 16,000 donors to support the mission of UW Medicine. You can find out more about UW Medicine Advancement’s priorities and office culture on our career website: https://give.uwmedicine.org/careers/
The Assistant Vice President for Development Marketing and Communications (AVP) is responsible for leading and integrating the functions that build and enhance the reputation of UW Medicine. The AVP will focus most of their effort on strengthening the relationships with donors, friends, volunteers, alumni and the general public in a direct effort to increase philanthropic support for UW Medicine. This position will be a driving force as UW Medicine Advancement prepares to launch its next campaign while ensuring alignment with UW Medicine and University of Washington brand and organizational goals.
To this end, the AVP will serve as a collaborator and confident advisor to UW Medicine Advancement’s Chief Advancement Officer/Vice President for Medical Affairs and three Associate Vice Presidents; UW Medicine’s: Chief Communications Officer and several leaders in that department, CEO/Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the School of Medicine; as well as University and University Advancement leaders, academic leaders, volunteers, and other advancement staff to plan, administer, and direct the communications and special events activities that support fundraising and in conjunction with future fundraising campaigns.
This position will be a key leader on the UW Medicine Advancement team in driving strategic communications and events that cultivate and steward donors and prospective donors across the integrated clinical, research and learning health system with a single mission to improve the health of the public.
The AVP will lead efforts of the UW Medicine Advancement Communications teams (Digital Engagement, Brand and Creative and Strategic Communications teams) to develop strategic communications to help ensure overall fundraising success. They will oversee the efforts of the UW Medicine Advancement Events team to provide strategic direction and leadership for UW Medicine’s special events, with the goal of creating inspiring and meaningful experiences that cultivate and steward donors and prospective donors and showcase the impact of philanthropic giving at UW Medicine.
The AVP will assist in the creation, dissemination and adaption of UW Medicine Advancement’s brand and messaging platform for current and future giving priorities, including for the future fundraising campaign. They will develop and lead a comprehensive donor, prospective donor, and alumni engagement plan in partnership with UW Medicine Advancement fundraisers and alumni staff that incorporates innovative and measurable strategies and tactics across multiple programs and functions.
They will foster a culture of collaboration and open communication across functions and teams at UW Medicine Advancement in order to support and inform one another’s work, as well as to support the work and goals of the fundraising teams. They will develop successful partnerships with UW Medicine Strategic Marketing & Communications and University Marketing and Communications in order to maximize opportunities for partnership. They will partner with the Assistant Vice President for Campaign for UW Medicine to develop an engagement plan that drives philanthropy for campaign priorities.
The AVP supervises four teams of diverse programmatic staff, with 15 total staff members. The four teams include: the Brand and Creative Team, the Digital Engagement Team, the Special Events Team, and the Strategic Communications Team. The AVP has three direct reports, including the Senior Director for Engagement and Communications, the Director of Strategic Communications, and the Director of Brand and Creative. The AVP will build and maintain a fully integrated, highly efficient team in order to best support the communications and special events needs of UW Medicine Advancement.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategy (40%)
• Set and oversee the implementation of the strategic communications and events direction for UW Medicine Advancement’s priorities and fundraising initiatives.
• In partnership with UW Medicine Advancement’s leadership, create and set communications and events strategies and tactics for a multi-year, multi-faceted approach to fundraising, including decisions regarding resources allocation and budget administration for communications and events.
• Develop and implement campaign communications and events strategies to support campaign priorities across the UW Medicine integrated health system, and when applicable, in alignment with University Initiatives and intra-institutional fundraising partnerships.
• Develop and execute advancement marketing strategies that support a culture of philanthropy in the UW Medicine health system in alignment with state and federal (HIPAA) privacy regulations.
• Represent UW Medicine Advancement on UW Medicine, University Advancement, and other University-wide marketing and communications committees, as well as with partner organizations.
• Keep up to date with latest trends in Advancement marketing and communications; implementing new strategic approaches to effectively communicate with donors and other stakeholders.
• Understand and apply metrics and key performance indicators to demonstrate ROI of communications and events in support of fundraising goals.
Communications (30%)
• Provide leadership and oversight of the UW Medicine Advancement Strategic Communications team, Brand and Creative team, and Digital Engagement team that is responsible for outreach activities/projects in support of alumni/fundraising communications (print/online), message development, and overall fundraising success.
• Work with UW and UW Medicine colleagues to ensure that advancement and alumni materials comply with applicable brand standards — in both message and design.
• In collaboration with UW and UW Medicine marketing and communications partners, implement and oversee the communications plan for UW Medicine Advancement’s next comprehensive fundraising campaign, including drafting executive leadership communications and major gift announcements.
• Partner with UW Medicine Advancement senior leadership, fundraisers and UW Medicine faculty and staff to facilitate the creation of campaign case statements and proposals that represent the priorities outlined in the campaign plan.
• Current communication projects include but are not limited to: electronic newsletters; creative for online giving campaigns; the production of a consolidated website; and design/editorial support for donor cases and proposals, Alumni programs, Donor Relations, Annual Philanthropy, Campaign initiatives and others. The communications team will also provide strategic partnership and design support to the special events team.
Special Events (30%)
• Working closely with the Senior Director for Communications and Engagement and the Director for Special Events, the AVP will provide leadership and oversight for the team that implements UW Medicine Advancement and UW Medicine Alumni special events — 50+ events each year that range from highly-visible fundraising events to major gift cultivation and stewardship events.
• While reinforcing UW Medicine’s mission, ensure that special events directly support and generate visibility for fundraising priorities, including facilitating conversations around major and principal gifts.
• Develop and implement events that align with fundraising and campaign priorities, including campaign launch events and special events, often in partnership with Medicine Advancement senior leadership and fundraisers and/or campaign volunteer leadership.
• Work with the Director of Alumni Relations to create synergy between the alumni and advancement programs.
CONDITITONS OF EMPLOYMENT
• This individual will be responsible for events outside the regular business day on a regular basis. Some evening and weekend work is required.
• The successful candidate will be expected to have regular, reliable transportation for local travel and be willing to travel when necessary.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES
The AVP supervises four teams of diverse programmatic staff, with 15 total staff members. The four teams include: the Brand and Creative Team, the Digital Engagement Team, the Special Events Team, and the Strategic Communications Team. The AVP has three direct reports, including the Senior Director for Engagement and Communications, the Director of Strategic Communications, and the Associate Director of Brand and Creative. The AVP will build and maintain a fully integrated, highly efficient team in order to best support the communications and special events needs of UW Medicine Advancement.
In this capacity, this position is responsible for hiring, performance appraisals, promotions/reclassifications, salary adjustments, disciplinary actions and/or handling complaints/grievances.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
• Bachelor’s degree in any field or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ten or more years of progressively responsible experience in non-profit or institutional advancement, marketing and public relations, special events or a related field with expertise in communications.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Values the UW’s commitment to inclusiveness and UW Medicine’s commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization. Demonstrates respect and commitment to diversity. Experience in digital marketing and website best practices.
• Knowledge and experience with fundraising principles as well as marketing principles and industry trends.
• Demonstrated ability to integrate, manage, encourage and motivate a high-functioning team. Must have outstanding skills in leadership, mentoring and management.
• Proven ability to work with a variety of constituents with unique objectives to define and articulate the organization’s image and priorities.
• Proven ability to work well in a fast-paced, complex environment with frequently changing and competing priorities.
• Ability to write clearly and concisely in order to distill complex scientific/medical information and data; ability to multi-task and complete assigned projects in a timely manner with the utmost attention to detail.
• Strong interpersonal skills and customer service orientation. Ability to communicate clearly, directly and empathetically in all interactions.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively and skillfully engage others in ways that manage conflicts and build consensus, all with the best interests of the organization in mind.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and act in a selfless manner and model ethical values of the UW.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
• Experience in a fundraising or development setting in healthcare and/or higher education
• Experience leading the communications and engagement plan of a campaign, preferably in an academic medicine setting