Vice-President, External and Advancement
Vice-President, External and Advancement
King’s University College
London, Ontario
King’s University College is seeking a strategic and relationship-driven leader to serve as its next Vice-President, External and Advancement. This is a pivotal opportunity to shape, integrate, and elevate King’s external presence across student recruitment, marketing and communications, advancement and alumni engagement; and external relations in alignment with its mission as a distinctive, small university community affiliated with a large, research-intensive university.
The Organization
King’s is a Catholic university college in the liberal arts tradition affiliated with Western University. Situated in London, Ontario, King’s offers an inclusive and supportive learning environment that promotes a personalized education, rigorous scholarship, critical reflection, career development and community engagement. With approximately 3,500 full- and part-time students, King’s is one of Canada’s leading primarily undergraduate institutions. Faculty and students enjoy the advantages of a small campus while benefiting from full access to the resources and programs of Western University.
Founded in 1954 by the Diocese of London, King’s is guided by the values of dignity, inclusion, and service. The College emphasizes the formation of the whole person, intellectually, morally, and spiritually, and is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and vibrant academic community.
The Role
Reporting to the President, the Vice-President, External and Advancement is a key member of the senior leadership team and is responsible for developing and executing a cohesive external relations strategy that advances King’s distinctive mission, profile, and impact. This role brings together marketing and communications, student recruitment, advancement, alumni relations, and external relations into a unified and collaborative portfolio. The purpose of this team’s work is focused on enhancing awareness, strengthening relationships, and supporting the full student lifecycle, from prospective student engagement through to alumni connection and philanthropic support.
The Vice-President will play a central role in translating King’s mission and distinct identity into compelling narratives and strategic initiatives that resonate across diverse audiences, while positioning the institution within a competitive and evolving higher education landscape.
Key Areas of Responsibility
Strategic Leadership and Institutional Alignment: Provide strategic leadership for King’s external enterprise, aligning marketing, recruitment, advancement, alumni engagement, and external relations with institutional priorities and mission. Bring clarity, focus, and execution discipline to a complex environment, ensuring coordinated efforts and measurable progress on key initiatives, including the Strategic Enrolment Management plan.
Reputation, Brand, and Market Positioning: Elevate King’s profile and strengthen its reputation by clearly articulating its distinct identity as a Catholic liberal arts institution. Advance integrated strategies that build awareness across key audiences and markets, enhance differentiation within the post-secondary landscape, and support long-term enrolment and engagement objectives.
Fundraising, Alumni Engagement, and Sustainable Growth: Lead a cohesive approach to advancement that strengthens philanthropic support and deepens alumni connection to King’s. Build meaningful relationships with donors and graduates and position fundraising efforts to support institutional priorities and long-term financial sustainability in a constrained funding environment.
Partnerships, Influence, and External Engagement: Expand King’s sphere of influence through strategic, proactive, and selective relationship-building with partners. Advance advocacy efforts and cultivate partnerships that enhance institutional visibility, support strategic priorities, and reinforce King’s role within both its local community and broader higher education context.
Community Engagement and Collaborative Leadership: Foster trust, reciprocity, collaboration, and shared purpose across campus and with external partners. Engage a diverse range of constituents, build buy-in within a collegial academic environment, and support alignment across teams while navigating the dynamics of an affiliated university model.
The Ideal Candidate
As the ideal candidate, you are a collaborative and forward-thinking leader with a strong record of advancing institutional reputation, enrolment, and external engagement. You are energized by networking, bold, and balance taking calculated risks with expert judgment. You have exceptionally strong interpersonal skills, and a commitment to transparency, collegial decision-making, and shared storytelling. You are comfortable navigating complex governance environments and balancing institutional mission, academic priorities, student needs, and external partnerships. You are an experienced relationship-builder with knowledge and background experience necessary to operate effectively within the post-secondary sector, and the agility to translate strategy into action in a complex and resource-constrained context.
You are motivated by the transformative power of a broad liberal arts education and are committed to fostering inclusive academic communities grounded in mission, dignity, respect, and service.
Qualifications and Experience
While no one candidate is likely to meet all criteria equally, the following qualifications are desired.
Why Join King’s?
This is an extraordinary opportunity to lead a thriving Catholic liberal arts university college at a moment of renewal. As Vice President, External and Advancement, you will help lead the next chapter of King’s history and evolution, deepening its impact on students’ lives and on society. You will join a welcoming, close-knit academic community that values scholarship, faith, and the dignity of all people.
Salary Range: $200,000 – 220,000
Vacancy Type: Currently vacant
KBRS does not use artificial intelligence to screen candidate applications.
King's University College is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including but not limited to women, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, and persons of any gender identity and sexual orientation. Rooted in a Catholic intellectual tradition, King’s welcomes candidates of all backgrounds who demonstrate an appreciation for and commitment to its mission, values, and community.
King's University College is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free experience to all applicants. Requests for accessibility information and accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process by contacting accommodations@kbrs.ca.
If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Abbey MacLeod at amacleod@kbrs.ca, Kyle Steele at ksteele@kbrs.ca, or Dr. Jennie Massey at jmassey@kbrs.ca or submit your full application package online by clicking "Apply Now"
King’s University College
London, Ontario
King’s University College is seeking a strategic and relationship-driven leader to serve as its next Vice-President, External and Advancement. This is a pivotal opportunity to shape, integrate, and elevate King’s external presence across student recruitment, marketing and communications, advancement and alumni engagement; and external relations in alignment with its mission as a distinctive, small university community affiliated with a large, research-intensive university.
The Organization
King’s is a Catholic university college in the liberal arts tradition affiliated with Western University. Situated in London, Ontario, King’s offers an inclusive and supportive learning environment that promotes a personalized education, rigorous scholarship, critical reflection, career development and community engagement. With approximately 3,500 full- and part-time students, King’s is one of Canada’s leading primarily undergraduate institutions. Faculty and students enjoy the advantages of a small campus while benefiting from full access to the resources and programs of Western University.
Founded in 1954 by the Diocese of London, King’s is guided by the values of dignity, inclusion, and service. The College emphasizes the formation of the whole person, intellectually, morally, and spiritually, and is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and vibrant academic community.
The Role
Reporting to the President, the Vice-President, External and Advancement is a key member of the senior leadership team and is responsible for developing and executing a cohesive external relations strategy that advances King’s distinctive mission, profile, and impact. This role brings together marketing and communications, student recruitment, advancement, alumni relations, and external relations into a unified and collaborative portfolio. The purpose of this team’s work is focused on enhancing awareness, strengthening relationships, and supporting the full student lifecycle, from prospective student engagement through to alumni connection and philanthropic support.
The Vice-President will play a central role in translating King’s mission and distinct identity into compelling narratives and strategic initiatives that resonate across diverse audiences, while positioning the institution within a competitive and evolving higher education landscape.
Key Areas of Responsibility
Strategic Leadership and Institutional Alignment: Provide strategic leadership for King’s external enterprise, aligning marketing, recruitment, advancement, alumni engagement, and external relations with institutional priorities and mission. Bring clarity, focus, and execution discipline to a complex environment, ensuring coordinated efforts and measurable progress on key initiatives, including the Strategic Enrolment Management plan.
Reputation, Brand, and Market Positioning: Elevate King’s profile and strengthen its reputation by clearly articulating its distinct identity as a Catholic liberal arts institution. Advance integrated strategies that build awareness across key audiences and markets, enhance differentiation within the post-secondary landscape, and support long-term enrolment and engagement objectives.
Fundraising, Alumni Engagement, and Sustainable Growth: Lead a cohesive approach to advancement that strengthens philanthropic support and deepens alumni connection to King’s. Build meaningful relationships with donors and graduates and position fundraising efforts to support institutional priorities and long-term financial sustainability in a constrained funding environment.
Partnerships, Influence, and External Engagement: Expand King’s sphere of influence through strategic, proactive, and selective relationship-building with partners. Advance advocacy efforts and cultivate partnerships that enhance institutional visibility, support strategic priorities, and reinforce King’s role within both its local community and broader higher education context.
Community Engagement and Collaborative Leadership: Foster trust, reciprocity, collaboration, and shared purpose across campus and with external partners. Engage a diverse range of constituents, build buy-in within a collegial academic environment, and support alignment across teams while navigating the dynamics of an affiliated university model.
The Ideal Candidate
As the ideal candidate, you are a collaborative and forward-thinking leader with a strong record of advancing institutional reputation, enrolment, and external engagement. You are energized by networking, bold, and balance taking calculated risks with expert judgment. You have exceptionally strong interpersonal skills, and a commitment to transparency, collegial decision-making, and shared storytelling. You are comfortable navigating complex governance environments and balancing institutional mission, academic priorities, student needs, and external partnerships. You are an experienced relationship-builder with knowledge and background experience necessary to operate effectively within the post-secondary sector, and the agility to translate strategy into action in a complex and resource-constrained context.
You are motivated by the transformative power of a broad liberal arts education and are committed to fostering inclusive academic communities grounded in mission, dignity, respect, and service.
Qualifications and Experience
While no one candidate is likely to meet all criteria equally, the following qualifications are desired.
- A graduate degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Certifications such as a CFRE would be considered an asset but not required.
- Significant leadership experience in one or more of the portfolio areas: student recruitment, marketing and communications, advancement, or alumni relations.
- Experience within post-secondary education, or a demonstrated ability to quickly understand and navigate its complexity; familiarity with Canadian and Ontario contexts is strongly preferred.
- Proven success in strategic enrolment management, brand development, fundraising, or external relations.
- Experience working with or alongside foundations, boards, or governance bodies.
- Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and build consensus in collegial environments.
- Strategic thinker with the ability to integrate multiple portfolios into a unified vision and execution plan.
- Exceptional communication and storytelling abilities, with a focus on mission-driven messaging.
- Commitment to fostering a collaborative, inclusive, and mission-aligned culture, rooted in equity, diversity, and accessibility principles.
- Strong political acuity and relationship management skills across diverse stakeholder groups.
- Adaptability and comfort operating in a rapidly evolving environment, including the implications of emerging technologies such as AI.
Why Join King’s?
This is an extraordinary opportunity to lead a thriving Catholic liberal arts university college at a moment of renewal. As Vice President, External and Advancement, you will help lead the next chapter of King’s history and evolution, deepening its impact on students’ lives and on society. You will join a welcoming, close-knit academic community that values scholarship, faith, and the dignity of all people.
Salary Range: $200,000 – 220,000
Vacancy Type: Currently vacant
KBRS does not use artificial intelligence to screen candidate applications.
King's University College is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including but not limited to women, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, Indigenous Peoples, and persons of any gender identity and sexual orientation. Rooted in a Catholic intellectual tradition, King’s welcomes candidates of all backgrounds who demonstrate an appreciation for and commitment to its mission, values, and community.
King's University College is committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free experience to all applicants. Requests for accessibility information and accommodation can be made at any stage during the recruitment process by contacting accommodations@kbrs.ca.
If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Abbey MacLeod at amacleod@kbrs.ca, Kyle Steele at ksteele@kbrs.ca, or Dr. Jennie Massey at jmassey@kbrs.ca or submit your full application package online by clicking "Apply Now"