UCONN Foundation Hiring for President/CEO at Storrs, CT  Full Time

****Please do not apply through this posting. It is for informational purposes only. Executive Search Firm, Spencer Stuart, is leading this search. To learn more and apply, contact Jennifer Bol at

THE FOUNDATION

The UConn Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, is integral to the success of the University of Connecticut. Its staff of approximately 170 solicits, administers, and invests private funds for the sole benefit of the University and drives alumni engagement. In the most recent fiscal year, the Foundation raised approximately $160 million, including a $40 million gift to support the School of Nursing. The Foundation partners with the ambitious leadership of the University of Connecticut to develop the relationships and resources required to support UConn’s current needs and future aspirations. The UConn Foundation is governed by a dynamic volunteer board of elected directors who are deeply committed to the University.

THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT

Founded in 1881 and located in the heart of New England between New York and Boston, the University of Connecticut has grown into one of the top public research universities in the nation, and an unprecedented commitment from the state of Connecticut ensures UConn attracts internationally renowned faculty and the world’s brightest students.

The University enrolls more than 32,000 students across 14 schools and colleges, with students hailing from 49 states and 114 countries. Its picturesque main campus is located in Storrs, complemented by four vibrant regional campuses, and schools of Law and Social Work located in the state capital of Hartford. Connecticut residents comprise 74 percent of UConn’s more than 24,000 undergraduate students and 64 percent of the graduate students on UConn’s campuses. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 16:1, undergraduate students have a dynamic experience. Undergraduate freshmen applications now exceed 40,000, which has nearly doubled over the last decade. A student-centered institution, the richly diverse and inclusive campus community is enhanced by more than 700 clubs and organizations, six cultural centers, five on-campus theaters, three museums, and one of the highest percentages of students living on campus of any public university.

Highlights:

UConn has medical and dental schools and owns its own hospital and outpatient practice plan. UConn Health has a budget of more than $1.4 billion and is based in Farmington. Every year, the schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine train 650 students and over 800 residents, and the medical and dental schools execute approximately $170 million in sponsored research and are hitting record highs year after year. UConn Health’s clinical enterprise handles over 1.3 million patient visits and over 70,000 dental visits annually.

UConn has a long history in clean energy research, innovation, demonstration, and deployment. Together with our President’s leadership, UConn has set a target to be carbon neutral by 2030 and carbon zero by 2040. UConn has over 170 faculty who are experts in climate change, clean energy, and clean water, and has been selected by the Department of Energy to lead a national effort in clean energy technology independent evaluation.

• The Peter J. Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation links the ecosystem of resources, programs, academic courses, funding, mentorship, education, and activities relating to entrepreneurship and innovation throughout the University. Established in 2017, the Institute seeks to unlock an innovative mindset in students, instilling an inquisitive approach to rejecting the status quo and creatively attacking the challenges we face. It is ranked in the top 40 of University Entrepreneurship programs nationally and encompasses more than 60 initiatives, including the Stamford Startup Studio (S3), the Center for Neurodiversity and Employment Innovation, HackUConn, and the NetWerx student-alumni mentoring network.
• UConn is a national research leader in energy, genomics, health behavior, cybersecurity, manufacturing, materials science, neuroscience, and human rights. A Carnegie Foundation R1 Research University, UConn is the preeminent public research university in the Northeast. UConn’s expansive million research enterprise yields discoveries and innovations that contribute significantly to the economy, environmental sustainability, public health, and quality of life.
• UConn’s $312.6 million research enterprise spans the main campus in Storrs, UConn Health, the Law School, and campuses at Avery Point, Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury. UConn Research advances short- and long-term initiatives to strengthen UConn’s research capabilities in support of societal impact and innovation. UConn Research’s dynamic approach funds faculty investigator projects and interdisciplinary collaborations across UConn’s 14 schools and colleges, develops partnerships with leaders of state and national industry, and assists entrepreneurs with launching University-driven start-ups.
• The Dodd Center for Human Rights supports programming, educational initiatives, and events dedicated to the theme of human rights. The Dodd Center also houses numerous University institutes and initiatives, including the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute and its Dodd Human Rights Impact programs, the University Library’s Archives & Special Collections, and the Center for Judaic Studies and Contemporary Jewish Life.
• UConn enrolls more than 8,000 doctoral, masters, and professional students. Its programs in psychology, linguistics, kinesiology, and engineering have gained national distinction.
• The University’s academic community has grown considerably within the last 10 years with more than 2,100 faculty, the majority of whom are tenured or tenure track. These scholars are involved in nearly $400 million in annual sponsored research. In addition, efforts continue to diversify faculty ranks. Women constitute 47 percent of the faculty at the Storrs and regional campuses, and 47 percent at UConn Health. People of color (including non-U.S. citizens) comprise 23 percent of faculty at the Storrs and regional campuses and 40 percent at UConn Health. The University also employs more than 6,500 professional staff at all locations combined.
• UConn’s scholar-athletes have inspired the University and captured state and national attention for decades. Seventeen of UConn’s 21 athletics programs compete in the prestigious Big East Conference, where the Huskies have enjoyed decades of success. Since 1995, UConn has garnered 20 of its 23 NCAA national championships, with the men’s and women’s basketball programs winning dual national championships in 2004 and 2014 (an accomplishment no other Division I school has matched), with the men capturing its fifth national title in 2023. Additionally, the UConn football team has been to seven bowl games since 2004, including a berth in the Fiesta Bowl following the 2010 season.
• UConn is supported by a large and loyal alumni body. Currently there are nearly 277,000 alumni, with about 49 percent living within the state and the New York area and many more in surrounding areas.

Position Summary

Reporting to the UConn Foundation Board of Directors, the President/CEO of UConn Foundation will provide vision and direction to a full-scale advancement program across fundraising, principal and transformational gifts, annual giving, the current University-wide campaign, alumni affairs, marketing and communications, and donor relations. The President/CEO of UConn Foundation will lead the planning, launch, and implementation of all aspects of the University’s fundraising strategy and be responsible for further building an organization that is well aligned with that strategy, driving quality execution to meet best-in-class expectations. Key to this leader’s success will be the ability to partner effectively with the University President, the Foundation Board of Directors and the University Board of Trustees, and the academic, athletic, and administrative leaders within in the University. Specifically, the President/CEO will:

• Accelerate UConn’s fundraising success by:
• Expanding and diversifying UConn’s donor base.
• Enhancing UConn’s ability to identify and cultivate donors capable of making major and transformational gifts.
• Cultivating emerging opportunities from non-traditional sources.
• Developing a pipeline of potential donors for the future.
• Recruit, motivate, and mentor a high-performing team and build a healthy organizational culture.
• Lead long-term design, planning, and implementation of institutional campaigns and fundraising initiatives.
• Extend alumni engagement to ensure meaningful connections across a diverse population of alumni, parents, partners, and friends.
• Develop or improve existing processes, systems, and infrastructure necessary to support a comprehensive advancement operation.
• In concert with the University President and her leadership team, cultivate a culture of philanthropy within UConn alumni and parents.

IDEAL EXPERIENCE

The successful candidate will be a seasoned, results-oriented leader and manager with a track record of successful and impactful leadership, including change management, within a university development enterprise or an institution of similar complexity. Specifically, they will have:

• Proven success in stewarding and closing major and principal gifts, with a track record of driving fundraising expansion and growth, preferably including leadership within a campaign setting.
• Successfully cultivated a wide range of donors, alumni, and volunteers leading to meaningful engagement.
• A track record of recruiting, retaining, and leading a talented staff of highly functioning and collaborative individuals.
• Experience working productively with boards.
• Experience working across and leading successfully within complex institutions, multiple stakeholders and partners, and diverse agendas.
• Financial fluency.
• Bachelor’s degree or greater.

CRITICAL LEADERSHIP CAPABILITIES

Strategic Leadership

The President/CEO will be a strategic thinker who can move fluidly between the big picture and the details. They will formulate a bold vision, see around corners, and provide the creativity required to motivate, inspire, and realize a new level of philanthropic success and alumni engagement by:

• Developing, communicating, and executing a strategic vision in a distributed organizational context, responding to both opportunities and challenges to meeting stated goals.
• Translating UConn Foundation’s fundraising goals and strategy into clear, specific objectives for development of staff, board members, internal partners, and stakeholders.
• Effectively employing data-driven decision making to support strategic aims.
• Making strategic investments in technology to enhance internal operations and processes and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of external outreach and engagement.

Team Leadership

The President/CEO will be a culture-carrier and will create a positive, collaborative environment and culture that fosters a high level of performance and accountability by:

• Leading and growing a talented and motivated staff to develop and execute a strategic plan. Especially important will be an ability to facilitate successful change management to ensure full engagement and alignment across the institution.
• Developing a positive and productive organizational culture characterized by trust, mutual respect, accountability, operational excellence, innovation, optimism, collaboration, velocity, and rigor.
• Translating fundraising and alumni engagement goals into priorities and individual performance measures that are aligned with organizational objectives. Communicating regularly about long-term goals to reinforce the bigger picture.
• Creating an inclusive workplace environment that attracts, retains, and develops underrepresented talent for the organization, encouraging open communication.

Relationship Building

The President/CEO will work closely with many stakeholders and partners across the UConn community and beyond. They will be a relationship builder who will partner cross-functionally and work effectively with various levels of the organization by:

• Building relationships through trust, open communication, shared goals, and devotion to the UConn mission.
• Demonstrating resourcefulness, creativity, and respectful persistence in forging new relationships with University leadership, Foundation staff, stakeholders, prior transformational donors, potential donors, and external partners, including community, corporate, and other industry leaders.
• Inspiring and galvanizing the advancement team, wider staff, leadership, board, and donors around fundraising, and broadening the culture of philanthropy internally and externally.

OTHER CHARACTERISTICS

• Outstanding communicator and connector
• High energy with an exemplary work ethic
• High integrity and values-driven
• Intellectual curiosity
• Creative and entrepreneurial