Western Reserve Academy (OH)

Hudson, OH
Grades 9-12, 400 students, Coed Boarding and Day School
Assistant Head of School for Advancement for July 2012

Founded in 1826 as a preparatory school for Western Reserve College, Western Reserve Academy is one of the oldest boarding schools in the nation and the premier school of its kind in the Midwest. Located in Hudson, Ohio, a suburban village between Cleveland and Akron, the school welcomes students from 20 states and 17 different countries. About two-thirds of the students board at the school.

Graduates attend many of the country’s top colleges and universities, including Brown, Dartmouth, Duke, Case Western Reserve University, Williams, Harvard, and Yale, to name a few. The school’s 70 talented and devoted teachers, comprising a diverse blend of senior, mid-career and junior faculty members, are actively engaged with students in academics, athletics, and residential life. The school has made a strong commitment to faculty recognition and development, as evidenced by the eight current endowed faculty chairs and several professional development funds.

WRA is financially healthy, with a $109 million endowment and an annual fund that raised more than $1.9 million last year. A capital campaign ending in 2007 raised more than $54 million. The school provides nearly $4 million each year to more than one-third of the student body through both need-based aid and merit scholarships.

The school recently completed a strategic planning process and has conducted presentations nationwide to share details of the plan with alumni and other friends. The pillars of the current strategic plan include:

I. Position academic matters as the preeminent aspect of student and family life at Western Reserve Academy.

II. Create a campus community and finances for the 21st century.

III. Recruit, retain and develop exceptional faculty and staff dedicated to the values of Western Reserve Academy.

IV. Strengthen Admissions and College Guidance.

Led by the school’s Board of Trustees, WRA will soon publicly launch a capital campaign to ensure the financial resources necessary to support this well-considered plan.

The Assistant Head of School for Advancement is the school’s chief development officer, working closely with the Head of School and Board of Trustees and responsible for the management and performance of 13 full- and part-time development staff, and engaging actively in the cultivation and direct solicitation of individual prospects. The office supports annual giving, alumni relations, stewardship, leadership & planned giving, and special events. The upcoming capital campaign effort will be a primary responsibility of this position.

Candidate Qualifications and Experience

BACKGROUND

• Bachelor’s degree required. The ideal candidate will have significant senior development experience, ideally in an independent school, nonprofit or college environment
• A track record of providing strategic, results-oriented leadership within a capital campaign
• Experience building and encouraging a high-functioning, collaborative team
• Alignment with the values and family-oriented culture of a coed boarding school

SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Excellent communication and listening skills, able both to inspire and to teach
• Adept at cultivating and maintaining strong ties with a wide range of constituents
• Ability to oversee the identification, cultivation and securing of annual fund and major gifts
• A commitment to applying and refining best practices in all areas of advancement
• Confidence and self-assurance balanced with humility and approachability

Compensation

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with qualifications and experience, and includes generous medical and dental benefits and an 11.5% contribution to TIAA-CREF for those who qualify. The school provides annual vacation, tuition remission for dependents, and use of the school’s impressive athletic facilities. The position is a full-time, twelve-month position beginning July 1, 2012.

To learn more about this opportunity or to apply, please contact:

Jeffrey C. Bradley, jbradley@educatorscollaborative.com

Applicants are asked to send to Mr. Bradley via email attachment (WORD or PDF) a cover letter of application, resume, personal statement, a list of at least five references, and up to three letters of reference. Western Reserve Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer.