Reporting to the Associate Dean of Development, the Assistant Director of Development will lead Leadership Annual Giving and Stewardship for the Alumni Relations and Development office, serving as a key interface with donors and other external partners.

Responsibilities: 

• Implement and manage a leadership giving program, routinely meeting donor fundraising and participation targets.
• Develop creative campaigns to drive support for unrestricted gifts.
• Serves as a liaison to central ARD and maintains a positive working relationship to ensure successful execution of supported campaigns.
• Contribute to pipeline development by qualifying suspects in order to identify new major gift prospects and by soliciting prospects for upgraded gifts. Meet with 50+ donors face-to-face or virtually for qualification/annual giving solicitation visits.
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit prospective donors who have the capacity to make financial commitments of $1,000 and higher.
• Identify opportunities to engage volunteers to help in moving prospects through the donor cycle, including fundraising in conjunction with milestone reunion celebrations.
• Work alongside the Associate Dean to identify prospects for increased giving.
• Work with Associate Dean to develop and execute strategies for marketing and soliciting planned gifts.

Lead Stewardship and Donor Recognition Activities for the Development Office:

• Manage the gift acknowledgement and appreciation process.
• Develop and manage a comprehensive stewardship program for donors $1,000+.
• Develop and execute a stewardship program for donors who have established endowed scholarships, professorships, fellowships, other named funds.
• Research and write narrative stewardship reports for donors.
• Build and sustain relationships with University colleagues, particularly those in Donor Relations roles, in order to share best practices and maintain current information about University donors.
• Contributes to the development of plans to solicit prospective donors and meet campaign goals. This includes speaking to new prospects persuasively about the case for annual giving support.
• Collaborates with all divisions and schools, and relays information regarding capacity and inclination to give to the appropriate channels in the University through knowledge of the University process.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications: 

Education:

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

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Preferred Qualifications: 

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.

Experience:

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in related fields.

Preferred Competencies: 

• Superior writing and editing skills, interpersonal, communication, and listening skills.
• Customer-service orientation with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with absolute discretion.
• Ability to effectively work on multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining a high-level of quality and keen attention to detail.
• Skilled at working independently and as a team member.
• 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 Griffin (the University’s Donor Relationship. Management System), Microsoft Windows computer environment, Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.
• Flexibility and adaptability to new programs in an emerging and changing environment.
• Willingness and ability to travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
• Willingness and ability to work occasional evenings and weekends.
• Familiarity with University of Chicago and the field of social work is.

Application Documents: 

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

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.

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.