The job manages a team of professional staff responsible for the institution’s campaign for annual gift support from all constituents, including alumni.

Responsibilities

• Leads a comprehensive, University-wide annual giving program that drives undergraduate participation. Oversees three distinct teams: donor participation and direct response, student and young alumni giving, and class reunion giving programs.
• Partners with teams in UChicago’s schools and units to support and advise on school-based annual giving efforts.
• In partnership with the Executive Director of Alumni Relations, AEAG, and ARD leadership, sets and meets ambitious annual giving goals for both dollars and donors.
• Develops bold strategies for increasing the retention and reactivation of current donors and the acquisition of new donors through a multi-channel integrated marketing campaign.
• Builds a comprehensive class fundraising program that spans all undergraduate classes in the College and increases engagement and participation of students and young alumni.
• Partners with ARD Communications to develop effective marketing strategies and implement efficient project management.
• Fosters and maintains close partnerships with colleagues University-wide as well as with key volunteers and donors, including Trustees and Alumni Board members.
• Serves as a senior member of the central alumni relations and annual giving team, AEAG.
• Has a deep understanding of plans to solicit prospective donors and meet campaign goals. This includes speaking to new prospects persuasively about the case for annual giving support.
• Ensures quality control when monitoring various marketing channels by developing a targeted strategy for solicitation and marketing materials as well as campaign appeals, solving a range of moderately complex problems as they arise.
• Supervises and leads a team of frontline and non-frontline annual giving staff responsible for the College reunion program, student and young alumni philanthropy, direct response and donor participation programs, and university-wise annual giving events such as Giving Day.
• Identifies opportunities to leverage technology and emerging strategies to meet annual giving goals University-wide.
• Builds and sustains a culture of annual giving throughout ARD.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions and with an eye towards broadly diversifying the advancement profession.
• Works closely with annual giving, University leadership, faculty and staff across campus to synthesize the interests and philanthropic capabilities of alumni and friends of the University in order to increase the level of giving and the number of annual donors to the University.
• Develops and manages relationships with donors, volunteers, students, faculty and top administrators.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Advanced degree.

Experience:

• Minimum seven years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales or similar professional work experience.
• Minimum four years of management experience, including staff management.
• Minimum two years of experience developing and monitoring budgets.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to the Office of Alumni Relations and Development, including the University’s donor relationship management system and the Microsoft Office Suite.

Preferred Competencies

• Build, lead, mentor, and motivate a diverse team, and encourage growth and change in both people and programs. A strong commitment to personal and professional development, and the ability to foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment.
• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.
• Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, to speak, and to write effectively.
• Self-motivation and the ability to take initiative.
• Strong commitment to customer service.

Working Conditions

• Standard office environment.
• Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
• Work evenings and weekends as needed.
• Travel domestic and internationally.

About the Department

Alumni Relations & Development (ARD) engages alumni (~190k), current students, parents and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $550 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute. The Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving (AEAG) team is comprised of alumni relations staff and annual giving officers who work collaboratively to boost constituent engagement and retention, raise annual gifts, manage reunion class initiatives and events, as well as other strategic alumni events and services, which drive alumni philanthropic participation.

Employees must comply with the University’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements. More information about the requirements can be found on the University of Chicago Vaccination GoForward.

The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University’s Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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