Occidental College

Vice President of Institutional Advancement

Occidental College (Oxy), an urban liberal arts institution grounded in the values of academic excellence, equity, community, and service seeks a visionary, dynamic leader and collaborative campus partner to serve as the Vice President of Institutional Advancement (VPIA).

Situated on a 120-acre residential campus in the heart of global Los Angeles, Occidental's location serves as a springboard for putting theory into practice and ideas into action. The distinctive interdisciplinary and multicultural focus of the College's academic program seeks to foster both the fulfillment of individual aspirations and a deeply rooted commitment to the public good. Oxy provides a gifted, diverse group of students with an educational experience of the highest quality, preparing them for leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent and pluralistic world. For 16 consecutive years Oxy has been one of the country's top producers of student Fulbright Awards, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education's annual Fulbright rankings. The skills inculcated by an Oxy liberal arts educationcritical thinking, creative problem-solving, effective communication, the ability to negotiate differenceare essential in the modern economy. Faculty define the academic experience at Oxy. They are scholars and thought leaders, bringing their expertise into the classroom and creating an active and engaged intellectual community. The work of Oxy's faculty elevates the College and produces graduates who are well-equipped to address society's biggest challenges.

Oxy's Institutional Advancement program seeks to foster and sustain a highly engaged, vibrant community of alumni, parents and friends to strengthen Oxy through philanthropy and engagement, ensuring it remains a beacon of excellence, equity, community and service for generations to come. A centralized team of approximately 50 professionals work in close collaboration with campus partners to achieve this goal. Oxy completed the most ambitious campaign in its history in 2023, exceeding its goal and demonstrating that the future of advancement is bright at the college.

The VPIA will join this remarkable community at an extraordinary moment in its history. Guided by its integrated strategic plan, The Occidental Promise, the College seeks to be the principal destination for a distinctive urban liberal arts experience. In addition, Oxy welcomed Tom Stritikus as the 17th president of the College on July 1, 2024. President Stritikus is a seasoned leader who brings a deep commitment to higher education and strong experience in advancement to his role.

The VPIA will be a strong principal gifts fundraiser and strategic thought partner to the president, faculty, staff, alumni, and trustees as well as an institution-wide leader and critical member of a highly collaborative and collegial leadership team that is advancing the College's mission and strategic direction with pace and purpose. The next VPIA will develop and implement a strategic framework for Institutional Advancement to leverage the impact of philanthropy for the benefit of Oxy's students and faculty. They will build a highly productive and collaborative relationship with the president; lead, inspire and maximize the talents of the IA team; and ensure operational excellence in all aspects of advancement. In partnership with the president, the next VPIA will be expected to raise the sights of the College and IA team for alumni, parent, community, and donor engagement and support of Oxy, inspiring a spirit of optimism, excitement, and urgency.

The ideal candidate will bring a depth of experience in and a broad understanding of all aspects of advancement with a particular focus on principal gifts. The next VPIA will have a proven record of innovative approaches to engaging and cultivating support from traditional Oxy donors as well as those not yet affiliated with Oxy to achieve fundraising goals. The VPIA will be a deeply relational leader, adept at building collaborative partnerships on campus and in the broader community of Los Angeles. While success in fundraising is essential to this role, an appreciation for higher education and Oxy's unique mission would be ideal. Equally important will be the leadership presence to gain the trust and partnership of various constituents, ability to listen with empathy and concern, and an aptitude for harnessing data to inform analysis, assess programs and processes, develop goals and metrics, drive strategy, and hold the team and institution accountable for progress.

Applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a resume and letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile which can be found at www.wittkieffer.com.

WittKieffer is assisting Occidental College in this search. The review of candidate materials has begun and will continue until an appointment has been made. For full consideration, materials should be received no later than July 18, 2025. Application materials, nominations and inquiries can be directed to Suzanne Teer, Greg Duyck and Alejandra Gillette-Teran at OXYVPIA@wittkieffer.com.

The anticipated compensation range for this position is between $300,000 and $325,000 annually.

Occidental is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Occidental is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and just environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. A comprehensive benefits package is available that includes excellent health, dental, life, and retirement benefits; tuition benefits for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and dependents; additional perks including use of gym facilities and the College Library. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://www.oxy.edu/offices-services/human-resources/benefits-information.

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance. Occidental College will work with and provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with qualifying disabilities. If you need reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the application or employment process, please contact Human Resources (hr@oxy.edu). As a condition of hire for a staff position and for appointment to a faculty position, Occidental College requires that all candidates who have received a conditional offer of employment complete an application form (if they have not already done so) and consent to a background check. Satisfactory completion of a background check, along with pre-employment verifications and references are required as a condition of employment, but only as permitted by federal, state, and local law.

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