Senior Vice President for Development

Rooted in its storied history as the world’s first academic medical center, Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) aspires to transform human health by driving discovery, advancing care, and educating leaders. Under the leadership of Katrina Armstrong, MD, CEO of CUIMC/Dean of the Faculties of Health Sciences and Interim President of Columbia University, the institution now seeks an aspirational and highly experienced fundraising leader to serve as the next senior vice president (SVP) for development. 

CUIMC provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. CUIMC is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. CUIMC’s major teaching hospital affiliates are NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the New York State Psychiatric Institute, both of which share its campus. 

The SVP will report directly to Dr. Armstrong and work in close partnership with Amelia Alverson, Executive Vice President for University Development and Alumni Relations (OAD). Leading a team of 97 advancement professionals across four schools, the SVP will oversee enterprise-wide clinical, research, and academic fundraising efforts that yielded $621.5 million in Fiscal Year 2024. The SVP has direct oversight of 71 staff members in the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons with five direct reports and a $14.7 million operating budget responsible for raising $604.3 million in Fiscal Year 2024. As the medical center enters the second year of a five-year strategic plan, the SVP will partner with Dr. Armstrong and key leaders to drive philanthropic growth and design and fund high impact opportunities across CUIMC’s five strategic priorities: build the best environment for its people, create the clinical care model of the future, drive discovery to transform human health, elevate education across the continuum, and prioritize partnerships to advance community health. 

The next SVP will lead and inspire the team to meet ambitious goals and develop strategies to educate and engage all members of the CUIMC community—faculty, staff, alumni, grateful patients, volunteers, and senior administrators—in development efforts. The ideal candidate will have at least 15 years of senior-level management experience in a complex organization—ideally an academic medical center that includes both grateful patient fundraising and basic/translational science and research fundraising. This leader will have a strong track record of success personally cultivating and stewarding principal and transformational gifts with exceptional interpersonal and collaborative skills. The ability to motivate a complex team and engage key leaders in the fundraising process will be critical to success, as well as a demonstrated commitment to CUIMC’s “CARES” values centered on civility, acceptance of differences, respect for all, ethical behavior, and supportive environments.

Jack Gorman is leading this search with Grace Zakim and Lisa Clayton.

Columbia University Irving Medical Center is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer.