Assistant Vice President, Faculty Engagement
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
**PLEASE NOTE: This search is being managed by Pearl Street Collective. Please direct all applications and inquiries to Adele Mezher via email:**
**Adele Mezher (she, her, hers)**
Managing Partner
Pearl Street Collective
adele@pearlstreetcollective.com
While the campaign has elevated philanthropy to remarkable new levels and in ways that change the future of cancer research and care, Dana-Farber faculty and staff lead the development of new treatments and write the cancer care protocols used around the world. Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Campaign and Strategic Engagement, the Assistant Vice President, Faculty Engagement directs the interactions and management of the Division of Philanthropy’s 300+ person team with Dana-Farber’s faculty (450+ individual interactions annually) pertaining to donor engagement and stewardship. This position will boost processes, efficiencies, and standards of excellence to maximize the donor experience through collaborative efforts between philanthropy staff and faculty, and to assist the entire Division with reaching financial goals.
The incoming AVP will establish and lead a new Faculty Engagement function for the Division of Philanthropy including setting the strategic direction for this center of expertise to source philanthropic priorities from Dana-Farber leaders, train faculty members in philanthropy, assign prospective donors, train gift officers on Institute initiatives, and manage a team of Faculty Engagement Directors, including overseeing the budget, performance management, evaluation of results, and creation of strategies to readjust goals as needed to achieve objectives in supporting the Division of Philanthropy’s $400M+ annual fundraising target.
The ideal candidate is a collaborative, strategic, and relationship-driven leader with a deep understanding of donor relations, faculty engagement, and philanthropy in complex, mission-driven organizations. They will bring a proven track record of designing and scaling programs that align diverse stakeholders around shared goals, ideally in healthcare, research, or academic settings, and will excel at fostering productive relationships between diverse constituents, including faculty, donors, and philanthropy professionals.
This individual excels at translating institutional priorities into compelling donor cases for support, fostering alignment and understanding between faculty and Philanthropy teams. With exceptional organizational and analytical skills, they are adept at managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment, ensuring high standards of execution and results. A forward-thinking mindset and solutions-oriented approach will be critical, as will a steadfast commitment to Dana-Farber’s mission to create a world without cancer.
The onboarding of this role will include a comprehensive training process which includes completion of online modules, shadowing colleagues, as well as hands-on learning experiences throughout the first calendar year in the role.
Embody Dana-Farber’s Core Values: Impact; Excellence; Compassion & Respect; Inclusion & Diversity, and Discovery every day. Add value to the Dana-Farber community by seeking opportunities to collaborate across the Institute. Foster an ethical, positive, results-oriented culture founded on open communication.
**APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS:**
Resume and cover letter required with application submission. If you wish to disclose your personal pronouns, please include them within your resume and cover letter submission.
Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.
+ Establish and lead a new Faculty Engagement function for the Division of Philanthropy including setting the strategic direction for this center of expertise in sourcing philanthropic priorities from Dana-Farber leaders.
+ Manage a team of Faculty Engagement Directors (three and one Assistant), including overseeing the budget, performance management, evaluation of results, and creation of strategies to readjust goals as needed to achieve objectives in supporting the Division’s annual financial goals.
+ Collaborate with Dana-Farber’s executive leadership team, department chairs, and their delegates to develop and manage processes to regularly articulate and monitor fundraising priorities, in partnership with relevant Division of Philanthropy leaders.
+ Lead the Faculty Engagement team’s partnerships with gift officers and faculty members to deliver transformative experiences for donors and prospective donors through their interactions with faculty, including providing strategic support and direction for donor visits, gift proposals, stewardship reports, and event participation, among other examples. On average, 450+ unique faculty, staff, early career researchers, and others will be engaged with at the direction of the Faculty Engagement team.
+ Oversee the creation of portfolios of faculty for the team to ensure that all faculty have a point of contact within the Division of Philanthropy and all priority areas of the Institute are covered.
+ Build out and lead expectations and execution of regular cadence of faculty meetings for the team including best practices for sharing prospect pipelines, donor engagement, resource progress, and relevant financials.
+ Curate and conduct a comprehensive training and education curriculum for faculty and philanthropy staff.
+ Partner with faculty and the Division of Philanthropy’s Prospect Research team in donor acquisition, gift officer assignment, and ongoing qualification efforts.
+ Contribute as a leader within the Division of Philanthropy supporting a culture of engagement, inclusion, learning, and improvement.
**SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:**
+ This role manages, evaluates and mentors four direct reports (three Directors, one Assistant).
+ Bachelor’s degree required.
+ 10+ years of donor and volunteer experience required.
+ Leadership experience in developing or growing new initiatives or functions required.
+ Management of professional staff required.
**KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES REQUIRED:**
+ Excellent track record of collaborating with academic or industry experts and executive leadership in achieving fundraising goals.
+ Strong ability to coordinate and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment to meet deadlines.
+ Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
+ Strong organizational skills, analytical skills, strategic planning experience, and attention to detail.
+ Demonstrated skills in building, developing, and effectively leading a team to achieve goals.
+ Ability to effectively interact with a variety of constituencies, including donors, trustees, volunteers, vendors, and staff at all levels.
+ Ability to work in a collaborative manner with colleagues in creating and implementing solicitation strategies.
+ Ability to exercise sound judgement and maintain a high degree of confidentiality.
+ Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office applications and development databases.
+ Ability to work independently and be self-motivated.
+ Willingness to travel, primarily local travel.
**PATIENT CONTACT:**
Yes, as appropriate.
**WORKING CONDITIONS:**
This position is considered remote and will be expected onsite each week at 10 Brookline Place, Brookline, MA for leadership team meetings and to engage with staff. Employees must reside in New England: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont. Travel and evening and weekend work may be required.
**DIVISION OF PHILANTHROPY INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, & EQUITY COMMITMENT STATEMENT:**
We’re stronger together. In the Division of Philanthropy, we believe in the power of different voices. We encourage the authenticity and diversity of every individual within our community. Our collective voices – donors, volunteers, staff, and patients alike – allow us to work together toward a world without cancer. Committed to being a place of inclusivity, belonging, and change, these are our core values.
**_DFCI DISCLAIMER:_**
External and internal applicants, as well as position incumbents who become disabled as defined under state or federal law, must be able to perform the essential job functions either with or without a reasonable accommodation. The above information on this description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties (including essential functions), responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job. Non-essential and/or marginal job functions may be adjusted to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities.
This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise. Employment with Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is “at will.”
DFCI offers a competitive benefits package including generous healthcare and retirement plans, at minimum 3-weeks’ vacation time in addition to 10 paid holidays, a flexible work environment, and work/life balance. Dana-Farber offers a variety of personal, professional, and leadership development opportunities to all members of its workforce through Institutional programming. Division of Philanthropy offers 75+ specialized professional development sessions designed for staff each year through its in-house learning program, the Center for Advancement Training.*
*All benefits subject to Institute changes
_We’re hiring!_ _Learn more_ _about working in the Division of Philanthropy and view all open positions._
At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.
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