Bentley University, a private, not-for-profit university, is a place for successful leaders who set out to create positive change in our communities, organizations and the world. Bentley believes in doing business and doing good at the same time.
By combining business education with arts and sciences, Bentley provides students with the critical thinking and practical skills to help them collaborate effectively, communicate clearly and lead successful, rewarding careers.
Bentley is more than just one of the nation’s top business schools. They are a community of leaders committed to making an impact that doesn’t just move business forward, but that moves us all forward. Bentley prepares students to be a force - a force for business and a force for good.
Bentley's Student Outcomes:
Bentley University ranks No. 8 among colleges and universities offering the greatest return on investment - with a net economic gain of more than $1 million 20 years after graduation and $2.25 million 40 years after graduation.
Bentley University ranks No. 1 in Career Services – 99% of students are employed or attending grad school within 6 months, with a $68,000 average starting salary.
Bentley University was ranked among the top highly selective private colleges for economic mobility by the New York Times.
Leadership Spotlight
E. LaBrent Chrite, Ph.D. - President
E. LaBrent Chrite, Ph.D.
President
E. LaBrent Chrite, the ninth president of Bentley University, is an experienced higher education leader who believes business can change lives for the better. He served most recently as the president of Bethune-Cookman University, where he led the institution through an extensive review that resulted in continued accreditation and strengthened institutional governance and fiscal integrity. Prior to joining Bethune-Cookman, Brent served as the dean of the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver and dean and professor of management at the Feliciano School of Business at Montclair State University. Over the course of his career, Brent has helped governments, universities and foundations across the world to develop programs and research initiatives aimed at bolstering emerging markets, entrepreneurism and capital development and reducing poverty. Originally from Detroit, Brent has a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, M.S. from the University of Missouri-Columbia and B.A. from Michigan State University.
Chris Grugan - Vice President for University Advancement
Chris Grugan
Vice President for University Advancement
As head of Advancement, Chris oversees the university’s fundraising, alumni engagement and Pulsifer Career Development Center. Before joining Bentley, Chris served as the executive director of Principal Giving for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University. In this role, he was responsible for developing and leading a newly created principal giving team, which worked with many of the university’s most generous alumni, parents and friends. Before serving in this capacity, Chris also served as the senior executive director of Individual Giving, where he led a 90-person team responsible for generating philanthropic support for the university’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Before that, he held advancement leadership positions at Boston University’s Questrom School of Business and Tufts University. Chris holds a B.A. in Geology from Colgate University.
The Opportunity - Associate Vice President for Development
The Associate Vice President for Development (AVP) is a key partner to the Vice President of University Advancement overseeing Bentley University’s Major and Principal Giving, Corporate and Foundation Relations, International fund-raising, and Gift Planning functions. The AVP is an integral member of University Advancement’s (UA) leadership team providing leadership, staff management, strategic and budget oversight for the departments under their purview while contributing to the success of Bentley’s broader Advancement functions as a thought partner, strategist, and collaborator with colleagues on the UA leadership team and campus partners including the president, provost, deans, and other institutional leaders.
The incumbent will be a positive leader who is able to work collaboratively across the organization with a commitment to excellence and accountability. This role is best suited to someone who is agile, adaptable, solution-oriented, and committed to innovation and continuous improvement. The incumbent should be excited to shape a team committed to becoming a peerless advancement organization and will be a keeper of a strong, positive culture committed to personal and professional growth in a fun, collegial, and flexible work environment.
Essential Duties:
Reporting to the Vice President for University Advancement, the AVP will be a senior member of the UA leadership team, leading functions responsible for generating philanthropic support from individuals, corporations, and foundations.
Develop a best-in-class development function with a particular focus on hiring, coaching, and developing a team of talented fundraising professionals by: developing a rigorous training curriculum focused on building the skillset, priority fluency, and mindset necessary for fundraisers to thrive and achieve ambitious results; by providing coaching and support to help team members grow, while being comfortable providing difficult feedback with clarity, empathy, and directness when necessary; and by establishing annual work plans, goals, and performance metrics to provide team members with clear expectations and accountability.
Work collaboratively with the UA leadership team and campus partners to develop and implement a multi-year fundraising plan.
Will work closely with the Executive Director of Advancement Communications, the VP for UA, and campus partners to translate institutional priorities into fundraising priorities. Will market-test ideas and conduct feasibility conversation with prospective donors and key volunteers such as trustees and members of advisory boards to provide insight from the philanthropic market that will be used to prioritize fundraising initiatives, develop goals, and tailor messaging to prospective donors.
Will provide strategic leadership and oversight of a discrete set of fundraising initiatives and will work closely with the VP of UA, Cabinet members, Deans and University President, and members of the Board of Trustees to advance these initiatives. Will be a primary liaison to a set of campus partners such as the Athletic Director, Center Directors, etc. and will support these campus partners in their development work.
Effectively manage a targeted portfolio of major and principal gifts prospects, resulting in successful cultivation and solicitation of major and principal gifts in support of identified university priorities.
Develop, manage, and provide strategic direction for an emerging volunteer structure including the establishment of a President’s Council and other advisory boards designed to deepen prospect engagement and build a robust pipeline of future volunteer leaders for Bentley.
Will engage partners in Advancement Services and Prospect Research and Management to ensure optimal coverage of Bentley’s prospect pool. Will be committed to rigorous use of data to inform decisions and will ensure the timely and accurate maintenance of information including trip reports and proposals in our database of record.
Embrace and model Bentley’s positive culture principles, where all community members are empowered, engaged, and thriving in their work and studies. As a member of the University Advancement Leadership team, embraces institutional values and takes seriously the role of leadership in modeling our values.
Other Duties:
Participate in university committees and other activities as requested by the VP of UA.
Develop and monitor budgets for cost centers reporting into this position.
Occasionally represent the VP for UA in various internal meetings and external events.
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree required.
10+ years of development/fundraising, and management experience required, preferably in an educational setting.
Experience qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding prospects capable of making gifts in the range of six to seven figures plus. Demonstrated success as a fundraiser and as a leader of a fundraising team.
Excellent writing and speaking skills.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and productively with a diverse set of colleagues.
Demonstrated management and leadership experience in a complex organization essential.
The ability to work well with colleagues, to lead by influence, and to bring disparate stakeholders together to advance institutional goals.
Familiarity and a comfort level with technology and Development Operating Systems are essential.
A demonstrated commitment to fostering a welcoming, diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all employees are valued.
The willingness to use new systems and experience using Microsoft Office suite required.
Work Environment:
Typical office setting with extensive sitting and computer work
Ability to travel within and outside of campus for work relevant events and meetings; travel and meetings may occur outside of normal business hours including nights and weekends.
The Organization - Bentley University
Committed to First Generation Students:
Bentley University is committed to providing a transformative educational experience to all students, and are especially proud of its efforts to attract and retain students who are the first in their families to attain a degree in higher education. Bentley has a variety of programs specifically targeted to first-generation college students (which they define as students whose parents or guardians have not attained a bachelor’s degree at any college or university). Bentley knows that first-generation college students are ready to take on business and society’s most pressing challenges, and Bentley will give them the tools they need to succeed.
In 1917, Harry C. Bentley first convened a class of 30 students on Huntington Avenue in Boston, with a goal of educating the next generation of accountants. Since opening our doors over 100 years ago, Bentley University has continuously reinvented business education and grown from those humble beginnings to become one of the top business universities in the U.S.
As a transformative lifelong-learning community, Bentley University prepares over 5,000 undergraduate and postgraduate students each year to use their business know-how to make a positive difference in the world. With a community of over 65,000 proud Falcon alumni, the impacts of a Bentley education stretch around the globe.
The Princeton Review ranks Bentley No. 1 in the nation for career services.
Bentley's Mission Statement:
Bentley University changes the world with a transformative business education, integrated with arts and sciences, that inspires and prepares ethical leaders who will confront the challenges of today and shape the opportunities of tomorrow.
Bentley's Vision:
As a preeminent business university, Bentley will be a knowledge-producing, engagement-based institution that develops learners for an innovation economy and empowers its community and stakeholders to address some of the world's most consequential challenges. We will achieve this by broadening our reach and impact, strengthening our programmatic portfolio, and creating a culture that becomes a beacon for inclusion and equity.
Diversity & Inclusion
Valuing diversity is one of Bentley's greatest strengths and is a core value. The Office of Diversity & Inclusion is responsible for fostering an inclusive community by leveraging interactions between offices, educating the entire community and working to increase the diversity at all levels of the University. While the office coordinates university-wide, diversity-related programs and initiatives, many other departments, centers, offices, and organizations at Bentley contribute to improving the diversity climate through varied and persistent efforts.
Diversity is critical to Bentley University’s mission of educating creative, ethical, and socially responsible organizational leaders. Bentley's institutional values are rooted in a belief that appreciating diversity means that they work in an environment that embraces diversity of opinion and that is free from hostility and intolerance.
Applications & Nominations
Don’t check off all the boxes or meet every single requirement? We have learned that potential candidates hesitate when applying for a job unless they meet every single requirement. Boyden Boston is dedicated to inclusivity and valuing diversity and equity in the workplace. If this opportunity excites you, but your background may not be a perfect match, we still encourage you to apply.
Expressions of Interest
Bentley University is an Equal Opportunity Employer, building strength through diversity. The University is committed to building a community of talented students, faculty, and staff who reflect the diversity of global business. We strongly encourage applications from underrepresented groups, individuals with disabilities, covered veterans, and those with diverse experiences and backgrounds.
Bentley University has partnered with Boyden Executive Search. For more information about this opportunity or to submit a cover letter and resume, please email:
Lisa Vuona has decades of experience in executive search and human resource management, primarily in the non-profit, healthcare and education sectors. She is distinguished by her track record and network, and by her approach, which combines the strategic power of data with a finely tuned ability to understand the client’s organization and identify high-caliber leaders who fit the culture.
Jill Coran started her career as a recruiter. After many successful years, she naturally moved into Human Resources Management. Jill worked early in the dot com, biotechnology, and media fields. After taking time off to raise her daughter and twin boys, she went back to work for a multimedia company as their Human Resource Manager. In addition to recruiting, Jill negotiated and administered benefit programs, as well as managing employee relation issues. Jill’s passion has always remained connecting top talent with local and national organizations. Her goal is to build strong, long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with candidates and clients alike.
Leslie Smith has helped numerous individuals and organizations achieve their goals. She works with non-profits and educational institutions, helping to define leadership needs and connecting them with the right talent. Along with extensive knowledge of the non-profit sector, she has a passion for strengthening mission-driven organizations and advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.
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