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Executive Director, Foundation and Institutional Advancement

Salary: $180,456.00 - $212,280.00 Annually
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: Executive Director2025
Closing: 7/22/2025 11:59 PM Pacific
Location: Norwalk, CA
Department: Executive Director2025
Division: Foundation

Description


Equity and Diversity

The District is strongly committed to achieving staff diversity and the principles of equal opportunity employment. The District encourages a diverse pool of applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation in any of its policies, procedures or practices. In fact, the college encourages applications from all segments of qualified people.

Closing Date

This position will close on July 22, 2025 at 11:59 PM.

College Profile

Cerritos College is ranked 14th among the top 100 schools with the highest Hispanic enrollment in the United States by the United States Department of Education. Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college's district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Enrollment currently averages 20,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at http://www.cerritos.edu.

Department Profile
The Cerritos College Foundation is a philanthropic, nonprofit organization led by committed individuals from the community. Our relevance stems from our deep commitment to our students, community, and the Los Angeles County southeast region. We partner in many ways with our generous Cerritos College retirees, faculty, staff, alumni, friends, corporate sponsors, and the community to create opportunities for our diverse student body. Together, we open pathways to success and help build bright futures.

The Executive Director is expected to grow donor revenue and expand fundraising capacity in alignment with institutional priorities, including launching major initiatives as identified by the President/Superintendent, Board of Trustees, and Foundation Board. The Executive Director also oversees the College's efforts in economic and community advancement, with a focus on fostering partnerships that align with workforce development and regional growth.

Summary
Plans, organizes, supervises, and evaluates the College Foundation, alumni relations, contract education, economic development, community advancement, and other programs and services that enhance external and internal community support to diversify revenue sources that maximize funding opportunities. Coordinates activities and fosters productive working relationships with District divisions and departments and various public and private groups. Provides highly responsible and complex professional assistance to the President/Superintendent and the College Foundation.

Distinguishing Career Features
The Executive Director, Foundation and Institutional Advancement reports to the President/Superintendent and is responsible for the development and implementation of an aligned strategic plan that typifies effective donor cultivation and strong corporate and community relations, leading to increased giving levels that benefit the District and its stakeholders. The Executive Director, Foundation and Institutional Advancement manages all aspects of the Foundation and ensures that effective infrastructure systems are in place, including oversight of the Foundation's investment portfolio and coordinating fund disbursement. This position oversees the programs and operations of contract education, economic development, and community advancement. The Executive Director, Foundation and Institutional Advancement establishes and maintains positive relationships with industry partners, corporations, donors, prospects, partners, alumni, and the Foundation Board.

Job Duties

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The District

• Manages daily operations of the Foundation to ensure transparency and accountability in all aspects of the organization.


• Leads, supervises, trains, and evaluates assigned personnel. Certifies payroll for assigned personnel. Applies the terms and provisions of applicable collective bargaining agreements; state and federal laws; and District Board Policies and Administrative Procedures in personnel matters.


• Provides leadership and oversight, assessment and evaluation for contract education, economic development, community advancement, including their programs, services, personnel, interagency reports, contracts and budgets.


• Anticipates, prevents, and resolves conflicts and problems under areas of supervision.


• Advocates for shared governance, collegiality, staff cohesiveness and for the core values of the District. Participates on and chairs committees, task forces, and special assignments. Works with shared stakeholders in order to assess economic development needs and partnerships with the potential donors to the Foundation.


• Prepares, reviews, and presents staff reports, various management and information updates, and reports on special projects as assigned by the President/Superintendent.


• Works in coordination with the District's public relations and marketing functions to enhance the Foundation's image, engage the community, and generate donor support.


• Prepares recommendations and/or contracts as appropriate and submits them to the administration and/or the Board of Trustees for consideration.


• Monitors changes in laws, regulations, and technology that may affect District or program operations; implements policy and procedural changes as required.


• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Fiscal Responsibilities, Fundraising and Scholarships

• Develops and monitors budgets to maximize financial resources. Prepares an annual operating budget, in conjunction with the finance committee, for adoption by the Board of Directors of the Foundation.


• Maintains a financial accounting system for Foundation fiscal activities that complies with the District's audit rules and regulations. Maintains accurate records of all gifts and donations to the Foundation.


• Works with assigned personnel to develop investment policy; determine asset allocation; researches investments; supervises investments; track and distribute Endowment Funds in concert with the President/Superintendent and Foundation Board


• Develops, implements, and maintains a comprehensive fund-raising program which includes individual, group, and corporate giving; capital campaigns; alumni outreach; District employee outreach; planned giving; and estate planning.


• Promotes, maintains, grows, and administers scholarship programs.


• Develops and maintains systems for identification of donors and potential donors, ensures timely acknowledgement of all contributions, and maintains communication with external prospects and donors on an ongoing basis.


• Identifies and seeks grant opportunities from private and corporate foundations.


• Stays abreast of new trends and innovations in the field of fundraising and alumni relations as they relate to the area of assignment.

Foundation Board and the Strategic Plan

• Recruits, orients, trains, and manages an appointed Board of Directors used for outreach and fundraising purposes.


• Plans and attends all meetings of the Executive Board of Directors of the Foundation and all meetings of the full Foundation Board of Directors. Prepares appropriate agendas, support materials, minutes, and financial reports.


• Leads the Foundation and Board of Directors in the development and implementation of a strategic plan that aligns with the District strategic plan.


• Ensures that the Foundation's strategic plan includes a mission and short- and long-term goals, objectives, actions, timelines, and responsibilities.

Community and Alumni Relations

• Develops, leads, coordinates, and implements an alumni association.


• Conducts consistent community outreach and actively participates in chambers of commerce, service clubs, organizations, and events within and outside the District.


• Coordinates Foundation activities with representatives of various campus constituencies, alumni, members of the Foundation Board, committees, and volunteer groups.


• Markets the Foundation's achievements in economic development and its significance to the local college community.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications for Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree required, recent experience in nonprofit management, public relations, marketing, business or public administration, or a related field. Five years recent, full-time, professional-level experience with progression in managing a multi-faceted fundraising/advancement program, and with a demonstrable record of comprehensive fundraising, resource development, financial and investment management, strategic planning, public relations/communications, and employee supervision and evaluation.

Understanding of and sensitivity to meeting the needs of a diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability, and ethnic background of the student, community, and employee population.

Supplemental Information

Knowledge and Skills

The position requires professional knowledge of:

• Written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to create effective and compelling donor materials.


• Theories, principles, and practices associated with higher education.


• Preparation and administration of large and complex budgets, allocating limited resources in a cost-effective manner.


• Methods and techniques for the development of presentations, contract negotiations, business correspondence, and information distribution; and research and reporting methods, techniques, and procedures.


• Principles of functional leadership, training and performance evaluation.


• Pertinent federal and state laws and regulations.


• Strategic planning in organization and management practices, assessment, analysis and evaluation of programs, policies and administrative needs.


• Foundation leadership, donor cultivation, campaign development, fund raising, major gift solicitation, planned giving, and event planning.


• Financial planning to recommend to the Foundation Board the services of qualified professionals in financial planning and planned giving.


• Managing, training, and leading non-profit boards and knowledge of non-profit organization legal and accounting standards.


• Marketing and public relations.

This position requires demonstrated skills in:

• Integrity, honesty, and ethics in the performance and duties of the position.


• Organizing work and building an effective team to meet the needs of the assigned areas.


• Oral and written language sufficient to prepare reports and professional correspondence.


• Human relations/interpersonal skills to conduct performance reviews, deliver presentations, and convey technical information to a wide variety of audiences.


• Mathematics to perform a variety of business and financial calculations.

AbilitiesThis position requires the ability to:

• Learn, interpret, and ensure compliance with state and federal laws, Title 5, and other federal and state regulations as related to the responsibilities of the position.


• Develop relationships with corporations that result in funding and in-kind services.


• Liaison and work closely with Foundation Board members, local businesses, community, staff, faculty, and administration to enhance and support fundraising activities.


• Work cooperatively and productively with internal and external constituencies.


• Continuously engage in learning and self-improvement.


• Meet change with innovation to promote and meet the District's mission.


• Be open to change and new methods in the assigned area of responsibility.


• Organize, plan, develop, and write new programs, develop new concepts, analyze outcomes, and prepare clear and concise reports.


• Guide and direct others in goal achievement.


• Direct and facilitate development of personal and team perspectives, and develop and deliver training programs.


• Develop and monitor budgets and maximize financial resources.


• Constantly update skills to enable skilled use of the computer and other technology.

Physical Abilities This position requires the physical ability to:

• Function in an office environment performing work of primarily a sedentary nature with some requirement to move about campus and to off-campus locales.


• The person in this position frequently communicates with members of the campus community through various modalities. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.


• Must be able to recognize printed material (printed or online) for more than 50% of the expected work time.


• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.


• Requires the ability to lift, push, and pull objects of medium weight (less than 30 lbs.) on an occasional basis with or without accommodation.


• Work a flexible schedule which may include evenings, weekends, and split schedules.

Licenses and Certificates
May require a valid driver's license.

Working Conditions
Work is performed indoors where minimal safety considerations exist.

Salary/Fringe Benefits
Contract Management Salary Schedule ($15,038.00 - $17,690.00 /month).

Health and welfare benefits include District contribution for medical/dental/vision benefits and employee life insurance ($50,000). (Cash in lieu option available on medical insurance.)

Participation in the Public Employee's Retirement System that is also integrated with Social Security or State Teacher's Retirement System

22 days annual vacation.

An annual stipend of $4,023 shall be provided to management employees with an earned doctorate degree.

Selection Procedure
After the application closing date, a search committee will review and invite the most qualified applicants for an interview. As these are highly competitive positions, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an interview. If you have questions or would like to follow-up regarding your application, please contact Human Resources at HR@Cerritos.edu as search committee members are unable to discuss specific recruitments.

Conditions of Employment

This is a full-time 12-calendar month contract manager position. Employment is to be effective as soon as possible following completion of the selection process. Individual who is offered employment shall be required to obtain fingerprints for a criminal history clearance through the State Department of Justice and remit the required fee for processing the fingerprints, Federal Bureau of Investigation (no fee if obtained at Cerritos College Campus Police Station), produce an original social security card, and submit negative TB test results (must be within the past four years or within the last 60 days if not previously employed in a school district in California) before employment.

Candidates must be available to work on site and be able to provide proof of California residency prior to employment.


** Please note - the District does not provide for immigration sponsorships such as H1B Visas.


Application Procedures

Application materials must be submitted by the closing date. Applicants who need special services or facilities due to disability in order to apply or interview for this position must notify Human Resources at the time of application or at least 72 hours prior to the closing date or date of a scheduled interview.

It is the applicant's responsibility to provide copies of all transcript(s) verifying all educational degree(s) and/or coursework required for the position. Transcripts must be from regionally accredited institutions. A foreign transcript must be evaluated by a NACES certified agency. The website address is www.naces.org.

Required Documents

1. Cover Letter


2. Resume/CV


3. Unofficial Transcripts (Must show all coursework completed and conferral date of the degree)

To apply, visit https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/cerritosedu/jobs/4967925/executive-director-foundation-and-institutional-advancement

The District ensures that all qualified applicants for employment and employees have full and equal access to employment opportunity, and are not subjected to discrimination in any program or activity of the District on the basis of national origin, religion, age, sex or gender, race, color, medical condition, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or because he or she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. .