Associate Director Development, Ontario Veterinary College

Department: OVC Advancement
This position is represented by the agreement between the Professional Staff Association and the University of Guelph

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page in order to be considered as an internal applicant.
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General Purpose

Alumni Affairs & Development (AA&D)’s purpose is to maximize philanthropic support for the University of Guelph’s mission of creating unique solutions for the challenges facing our world. We achieve this purpose by building the kind of deep and sustained relationships with our donors, alumni and friends that increase awareness of, engagement with, and investment in the University of Guelph's work. As a member of this campus-wide team, the Associate Director Development (ADD), Ontario Veterinary College epitomizes the department’s shared values of respect, empowerment, integrity, appreciation, and forward focus.

The University of Guelph is currently planning to launch its first fundraising campaign since 2014. The campaign aims to expand on the University’s recent fundraising growth so that AA&D becomes a team that consistently raises $ 75 M a year by 2030 (a record $ 55M was raised in FY24/25). By aligning donor passions with the university's ambitious goals, the campaign will boost revenue, elevate the university's global profile, deepen donor relationships, and create a highly developed culture of philanthropy across the university community. Institutional leaders and volunteers will be highly engaged in advocating for the university's global impact and the vital role of philanthropy in achieving this vision.

The Alumni Affairs and Development (AA&D) team and the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) at the University of Guelph are seeking a passionate and innovative Associate Director, Development (ADD) to support OVC’s Healthy Futures Strategic Plan and the fundraising efforts associated with the construction of a new Medical and Surgical Learning Centre. This leadership role will develop OVC’s major and principal gift pipeline and will manage a fundraising team.

The Ontario Veterinary College is a global leader in veterinary medicine and health research. At OVC, we are committed to improving the health of animals, people, and our planet. We educate the next generation of health leaders and provide high-value experiential learning opportunities through an interdisciplinary, comparative approach. Joining our team means creating real-world solutions to real-world problems.

Duties and Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of OVC Advancement and working closely with the OVC Advancement team, the ADD is responsible for major gift and principal gift fundraising (contributions of $100,000 or greater) for the Ontario Veterinary College and management of a team of two to five fundraising staff members.

The ADD will work closely to advance OVC’s top priorities with an external audience ranging from alumni, corporations and friends of the University of Guelph. This occurs through donor qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship. More specifically, the responsibilities of the ADD include:

• Identifying, cultivating, soliciting and stewarding major and principal-level donors and prospects through the fundraising cycle.
• Maintaining a robust pipeline of major and principal-level donors.
• Preparing briefing materials to support Senior Administration (President, VPs, AVPs, Deans, Directors) fundraising activity.
• Collaborating with the Director, Advancement (OVC) and other internal partners to identify university priorities that will resonate with donors e.g. faculty support, and capital projects.
• Creating and presenting materials to advance fundraising asks and negotiating the closure of major and principal level gifts, including the creation of gift agreements and other supporting documentation.
• Managing a team of two to five development staff members which may include recruitment and training.

The ADD will also undertake complex planned giving discussions with donors, friends and alumni in order to promote planned giving as a means to achieve OVC’s fundraising priorities and create a legacy for donors on campus.

The ADD will participate in the stewardship of alumni, friends and corporations, and work closely with the OVC Stewardship Engagement Manager. This includes taking personal leadership on gift announcements/communications and supporting OVC partners to implement gifts.

Working collaboratively with the Alumni Advancement Manager, the ADD will help identify alumni for major gift cultivation and ensure that major gift alumni are engaged in college events.

In addition to these responsibilities, the ADD will contribute to strategic planning for OVC and other university initiatives along with fellow members of the OVC Advancement team. The ADD, in collaboration with the Director, will help to develop and implement a long-term fundraising strategy for OVC aligned with the overall AA&D multi-year and annual strategic plans, and work with other members of the team to implement the various projects and initiatives reflected in the strategic plan.

We believe that fundraising is a team sport and building strong internal relationships is key to success. The ADD will work collaboratively with both the Alumni Affairs and Development team members as well as the OVC External Relations team members.

Requirements

The university recognizes that no one individual will have the following skills/experience in equal measure but the qualifications below will be used to assess the suitability of candidates throughout the process:

• 6-9 years of experience in University or other public sector fundraising experience, with a proven track record of success securing principal and major gifts from a variety of stakeholders.
• An Undergraduate degree. Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) preferred. An equivalent combination of education and experience will also be considered.
• Experience leading and managing team members, volunteers and working with senior staff.
• Advanced knowledge of business community (in particular, veterinary community), and related issues and challenges.
• Ability to engage senior leadership in a variety of sectors at a strategic level.
• Superior strategic planning, people management and administrative skills to lead an advancement team ensuring fundraisers and other team members have both individual and group success.
• Superior interpersonal communications skills, including effective relationship building and experience working with individuals in senior or high-profile positions.
• Leadership and motivation skills, with proven ability to lead groups towards completion of long-term goals in dynamic environments.
• Experience with all aspects of the advancement environment, from alumni engagement, high-volume annual giving approaches to personal principal and major giving, to planned and legacy giving.
• Ability to think and act quickly and effectively under pressure, exercising tact, diplomacy, discretion and good judgment.
• Experience with public relations, communications and alumni relations programs.
• Successful experience managing personnel with diverse job requirements, both unionized and professional.
• Experience managing the personnel and resource requirements of competing projects and transitions between projects.
• Experience implementing complex processes and overlapping cycles of activity.

If you have a passion for animal welfare and/or background in animal, medical or healthcare charities, that would be a tremendous asset and will contribute to your success and satisfaction in this role.

Please include a cover letter along with your resume in your application.

Why choose the University of Guelph

• Comprehensive Extended Health Care Benefits: Immediate enrollment in extended health to cover yourself and your family
• Time off: Strong vacation allocation, floater days, and paid time off during the December closure to ensure that you are at your best
• Wellness: In addition to extensive wellness programming, the University offers a yearly flexible spending credit that can be allocated to any of the following: Health Spending, Wellness or Professional Development
• Learning & Development: Learning and development curriculum and other professional growth opportunities
• On-campus Activities: Discounts on food and apparel, fitness programming, access to networking events and team building opportunities
• Improve Life: Work that directly impacts a brighter future by turning knowledge into action

The university provides a flexible work arrangement. This position is required to be fulfilled both remotely and on-campus (Guelph Campus)

Employee Type: Regular
Position Number: 10923410
Classification: P&M FT- Band 07
Professional/Managerial Salary Bands
The target hiring salary for this position is minimum and up to 96% of midpoint for the salary grade.

*Tentative evaluation; subject to committee review.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date: 09/12/2025
Closing Date: 09/26/2025