Assistant Vice Chancellor, Advancement Services
Job No: 498865
Work Type: Staff Full-Time
Location: Denver, CO
Categories: Alumni / Development / Fundraising, Business Operations / Services, Admin / Executive / Office Support, Advancement
About the University of Denver
The University of Denver (DU), a private university, is the oldest independent university in the Rocky Mountain region, with approximately 12,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. DU is classified as an R1: Doctoral University.
At the University of Denver, we're doing higher education our way: authentic to the Rocky Mountain West's confident optimism and pragmatic independence. It sets us apart. We're preparing young people to be the solutions in their own stories, empowering them to face uncertainty with confidence and uncommon sense.
We're fiercely ambitious and forward-thinking, surpassing all expectations to redefine success and how to achieve it. And we're true to our mission as a top-tier private R-1 institution dedicated to making the world a better place - contributing to our communities and making positive change in the world.
About DU Advancement
The Denver Difference campaign is our most ambitious campaign yet. It marks a dramatic shift in conventional thinking about what the university experience can and should be. DU is setting the bar with our approach to higher education, developing and preparing students to be successful in life in every way. The University of Denver is building an advancement enterprise that mirrors the excellence and innovation of our great institution. Inclusive of alumni engagement, development, operations, and campaign leadership, DU Advancement is building and fostering a culture of deep engagement and philanthropy in support of our bold vision.
About Advancement Services
Advancement Services is the strategic and operational backbone of the University of Denver's Advancement division, providing the systems, data, analytics, and business processes that enable fundraising excellence and meaningful alumni and donor engagement. The team partners closely with advancement leadership, development officers, alumni engagement professionals, and university stakeholders to ensure that decision-making is informed by accurate data, efficient operations, and innovative technology solutions.
The team encompasses gift and records administration, prospect development, advancement technology, reporting, business intelligence, and analytics. Together, these functions support the full philanthropic lifecycle-from identifying and engaging prospective donors to processing and stewarding gifts, measuring impact, and advancing long-term fundraising success.
Advancement Services is committed to maintaining the highest standards of data integrity, compliance, and service while continually improving the infrastructure that supports advancement activities. The team leverages technology, analytics, and emerging tools-including artificial intelligence and automation-to strengthen constituent engagement, enhance operational effectiveness, and provide actionable insights that help the University achieve its philanthropic goals.
Position Summary
The University of Denver seeks a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as Assistant Vice Chancellor for Advancement Services, providing enterprise leadership for the systems, data, and operational infrastructure that power fundraising and alumni engagement success.
Reporting directly to the Senior Vice Chancellor for advancement, The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Advancement Services provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for all advancement infrastructure functions, including gift administration, constituent records, prospect development, advancement systems, and analytics. This role ensures data integrity, supports fundraising strategy, and drives data-informed decision-making across the advancement division.
The ideal incumbent will possess sound judgement, and sophistication to navigate dynamic and complex environments. In addition, the Assistant Vice Chancellor will demonstrate both experience with and appreciation of higher education advancement, and the mission of a university dedicated to the public good.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience (Veterans with equivalent combination of military certification/education and experience may substitute for the degree qualification)
10 years of progressive advancement services experience
5 years of experience managing personnel
Preferred Qualifications
Experience working in a University setting or similarly complex non-profit environment
Experience leading advancement operations in a higher education setting
Demonstrated success in leading advancement services during a comprehensive campaign
This position is eligible for hybrid work which includes the ability to work from an alternate work location up to two days per week.
Essential Functions
Advancement Services Leadership
Set the strategic vision and priorities for Advancement Services in alignment with institutional and advancement goals
Provide comprehensive leadership of Advancement Services including supporting the day-to-day functionality of a large and complex team of advancement professional. The Assistant Vice Chancellor directly supervises 5 FTEs and indirectly supervises an additional 14+ employees
Lead the annual goal-setting process for Advancement Services, including setting individual and team goals for staff members within his/her purview
Effectively manage his/her direct operating budget as well as the associated budgets under his/her purview. This includes monitoring transactions and participating in budget modeling and forecasting processes
Partner with Senior Vice Chancellor for Advancement and senior leadership to anticipate future needs related to campaigns, growth, and donor engagement
Champion the strategic use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation across advancement services, including applications in prospect identification, data enrichment, predictive modeling, workflow optimization, and personalized donor engagement-while ensuring responsible, ethical, and compliant use of data and technologies
Provide leadership and oversight for all areas within Advancement Services to elevate the integrity of the advancement database and prospect development strategy as well as increase the accessibility of strategic data and analytics. Increase the efficiency and effectiveness of all internal advancement processes to provide timely, accurate, and customer-oriented service delivery
Integrate service centers across Advancement and develop a shared strategy for delivering exceptional support to the entire team
Partner with the University's Controller to fully align Advancement's fundraising, gift accounting, and stewardship of current and endowed funds with the financial planning, policies, and practices of the University of Denver.
Strategic Team Management
Gift & Records Administration
Provide strategic oversight of gift processing, receipting, compliance, and data integrity functions
Ensure policies and practices align with industry standards (CASE, IRS) and institutional financial controls
Guide long-term improvements in data governance, audit readiness, and operational efficiency
Prospect Development
Shape the overall strategy for prospect identification, research, and pipeline development
Ensure alignment between prospect development efforts and fundraising priorities
Support the evolution of portfolio management and data-informed prospect strategy
Advancement Information Systems
Provide strategic leadership for Advancement Information Systems, ensuring Advancement's technolog
