Associate Vice President for Fundraising Priorities

Princeton University seeks a dynamic proven leader to serve as the Associate Vice President for Fundraising Priorities (AVP). Princeton graduates are among the most loyal and engaged alumni of any institution in the world. Their level of service and generosity to their University is legendary, exemplified by the extraordinary number of hours they give annually in service to the University and the high participation rates of the Annual Giving program.

The AVP is a strategic, creative, and highly collaborative senior leader within a high-performing University Advancement organization. Reporting directly to Vice President for Advancement Kevin J. Heaney and serving as a key member of the Advancement senior leadership team, the AVP provides the vision, strategy, and momentum that drive all capital and restricted fundraising efforts across the University.

The AVP plays a central role in shaping the University’s philanthropic priorities—leading the process that defines fundraising initiatives, partnering with faculty and administrative leaders to articulate compelling cases for support, and ensuring the effective “arc” of gifts from initial vision through engagement, solicitation, documentation, and stewardship. In addition to the Vice President for Advancement, the AVP will work closely with the President, Provost, Executive Vice President, Dean of the Faculty, Deputy Provost for Resource Planning, deans, and faculty across disciplines to advance initiatives aligned with the University’s strategic framework.

The ideal candidate is an innovative strategist and exceptional communicator with demonstrated experience navigating complex academic environments. They will bring highly honed judgment, strong management and interpersonal skills, rigorous analytical capabilities, and a deep commitment to the mission of liberal arts education and the University’s teaching and research enterprise. An intellectually curious problem solver, the AVP will bring a sophisticated understanding of the relationship between academic priorities and philanthropic support, along with a strong track record of success and credibility working across academic and advancement leadership.

The ideal candidate will have a minimum of ten years of professional higher education, academic administrative, or development-related leadership experience. They will demonstrate strong strategic planning and project management skills, as well as an advanced knowledge of the principles of fundraising and the current philanthropic landscape, including current best practices, strategies, and policies related to annual and capital/restricted giving. A bachelor’s degree is required; an advanced academic degree at the doctoral or master’s level, or an advanced degree in another applicable field such as business or law, is strongly preferred.

Jack Gorman is leading this search with Grace Zakim and Ryan Cheung.