Executive Director: Institutional Advancement, Communication and Student Recruitment (Post Level 3) at University of the Free State

Duties and responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Fundraising Development:

• Expand the university’s international fundraising footprint, with a focus on high-impact relationships in different global regions. 
• Build and steward relationships with multilateral agencies, embassies, and development aid organisations to unlock funding opportunities for key university projects. 
• Build a culture of philanthropy within the UFS community and provide executive-level leadership on fundraising campaigns and donor engagement initiatives.
• Develop and manage comprehensive fundraising plans to secure philanthropic investments for strategic university priorities, including research, infrastructure, scholarships, and community engagement.
• Cultivate and steward High Net Worth Individuals (HNWIs), foundations, corporate donors, and government funding agencies.
• Support the establishment and growth of regular giving programmes.
• Develop donor pipelines through prospect research and alumni engagement.
• Lead the drafting of grant proposals, funding applications, and donor reports that communicate institutional impact and vision.
• Ensure that communication, marketing, and recruitment initiatives align with and support fundraising and advancement goals.
• Build strategic partnerships with corporate, governmental, and multilateral stakeholders to secure long-term investment and collaboration.
• Represent the University at national and international forums to advocate for higher education funding and strategic alliances.

Alumni engagement and Global Network Building: 

• Lead the University of the Free State’s alumni engagement strategy, strengthening relationships with alumni. 
• Support the expansion of alumni chapters, providing networks that benefit both alumni and current students. 
• Cultivate alumni as volunteers, mentors, and ambassadors for the university, ensuring they contribute time, talent, and treasure to the institution. 

Communication, Marketing and Branding:

• Provide strategic oversight of the University’s marketing and communication functions to build brand awareness and promote UFS as a globally competitive institution.
• Direct the development of impactful content across multiple platforms, including digital media, publications, and institutional campaigns.
• Ensure consistent messaging that enhances the institution’s visibility and reputation among internal and external stakeholders, including donors and alumni.
• Align communication strategies with student recruitment, advancement, and institutional objectives.

Student Recruitment:

• Guide the strategic direction of student recruitment, ensuring that marketing and communication efforts support enrolment targets and transformation goals.
• Integrate recruitment messaging into broader advancement efforts to attract diverse, high-performing students locally and internationally.
• Monitor market trends and demographic shifts to refine recruitment strategies and promote the UFS brand in priority regions.

Operational and Financial Management:

• Oversee budget planning and financial reporting, ensuring compliance with donor intent, grant agreements and ethical fundraising principles. 
• Collaborate with finance, legal, and governance structures to ensure transparency and accountability in all advancement activities. 

Inherent requirements

• A postgraduate qualification in higher education, public administration/relations, business, communications, marketing, international relations/development, or a related field.
• A minimum of five (5) years of progressive leadership experience in major gifts, global fundraising, and resource mobilisation, preferably in the higher education sector (eight (8) years of experience is preferred). 
• A minimum of five (5) years of experience in higher education (eight (8) years of experience is preferred).
• Demonstrable success in leading major fundraising campaigns and securing high-level donor commitments.