Director of the Advancement Office - DAO202620

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of the Advancement Office provides strategic leadership and oversight of the University’s fundraising, donor relations, and advancement operations, ensuring compliance, transparency, and alignment with USEK’s institutional priorities.

The Director of the Advancement Office establishes unified national and international advancement frameworks encompassing donor engagement, CRM management, stewardship, and reporting, bridging the work of the Lebanon-based team and other USEK advancement regional/international offices.

The incumbent plays a key role in strengthening USEK’s governance, building trust with donors and promoting sustainable fundraising across all programs.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND TASKS

Strategic Leadership and Governance:

1. Leads the design and implementation of USEK’s multi-year Advancement Strategy and Fundraising Growth Plan.
2. Ensures institutional advancement practices align with national and international standards (such as GDPR, IRS, and OFAC).
3. Develops and oversees Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for fundraising, donor data, and stewardship.
4. Monitors compliance, risk management, and donor-intent verification across all advancement activities.
5. Reports progress, risks, and performance indicators (KPIs) to the Senior Advisor to the President.

Fundraising and Donor Relations Oversight:

1. Supervises all fundraising, donation, and endowment campaigns (such as annual giving, scholarships, and capital projects).
2. Reviews and approves donor proposals, sponsorship packages, and solicitation materials.
3. Oversees major donor portfolios managed by the Deputy Director of the Advancement Office.
4. Ensures consistent donor acknowledgment, stewardship, and impact communication.
5. Strengthens relationships with individual, corporate, and foundation donors locally and internationally.

Data Integrity, CRM and Reporting:

1. Oversees the Advancement CRM system, ensuring accurate donor information and data protection.
2. Leads efforts to consolidate donor records across finance and local systems.
3. Approves donor data privacy policies and supervises data audits in coordination with IT and the Office of Legal Affairs.
4. Approves dashboards and analytical reports on fundraising progress and donor engagement trends.
5. Ensures regular reconciliations between the Advancement Office and the Financial Administration.

Interdepartmental Collaboration:

1. Ensures coordination between advancement offices based in Lebanon and abroad, including the United States.
2. Coordinates with the international focal people for USEK advancement to align donor cultivation, events, and reporting.
3. Collaborates with the Financial Aid Office, the Marketing and Communications Office, and the Financial Administration to maintain transparency in donor-funded scholarships and projects.
4. Represents the Advancement Office in institutional meetings and external events as required.

Leadership, Supervision, and Capacity Building:

1. Directly supervises the Advancement Office team and focal people for advancement.
2. Fosters a culture of accountability, ethics, and innovation across the advancement team.
3. Identifies capacity-building needs and implements training for staff in stewardship, compliance, and CRM.
4. Conducts performance appraisals for all advancement staff.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

1. Philanthropic governance, risk management, and financial accountability.
2. Data privacy and regulatory frameworks (such as GDPR, IRS, and OFAC).
3. Donor CRM platforms (Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, or equivalent).
4. Knowledge of higher education development and university governance structures.
5. Strategic planning and analytical decision-making skills.
6. Excellent written and verbal communication (English and Arabic; French is a plus).
7. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and CRM reporting tools.
8. Strong leadership, negotiation, and diplomatic communication skills.
9. Ethical judgment, confidentiality, and high professional integrity.
10. Familiarity with AI tools for data analysis.
11. Demonstrated discretion, ethics, and transparency in all donor and institutional matters.
12. Strong leadership presence with collaborative, inclusive management style.
13. Proactivity, solution-oriented, and ability to handle complex multi-stakeholder coordination.
14. Commitment to USEK’s values of professionalism, integrity, and service.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE

1. Master’s degree in Business Administration, Communication, Nonprofit Management, or a related field.
2. Advanced training or certification in institutional program development related to fundraising and data governance (CASE, CFRE, GDPR certification) is preferred.
3. 8 years+ of progressively responsible experience in fundraising and strategic donor management, preferably within the higher education or nonprofit sectors.
4. Demonstrated success in building and managing advancement systems and overseeing multi-million-dollar fundraising programs.
5. Experience in cross-border donor relations, compliance, and reporting.
6. Experience in institutional advancement models, donor lifecycle management, and stewardship systems.

Candidates must meet all employment requirements, including - but not limited to - education and certification requirements, reference checks, and criminal background checks.

Additional details about this position will be provided to shortlisted candidates only.