Associate Director, Research Communications & Stewardship

About the role

The Associate Director will partner with leaders in Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) to build strategic and tactical stewardship and engagement programs and activities. The Associate Director is responsible for the execution of the vision and strategy for stewardship and volunteer engagement efforts that engage and retain donors and volunteers; strengthen relationships with grateful patients, constituents, and/or alumni; express gratitude; show the impact of gifts and volunteerism; and inspire future giving and enhanced engagement.

Responsibilities

• Partner with DOFF leaders to manage a dynamic donor recognition program across donor audiences.
• Partner with DOFFs, volunteers, boards, and councils to foster rewarding volunteer experiences and maximize board effectiveness.
• Foster community among staff supporting leadership volunteers by convening regular meetings and discussions.
• Independently develop, design, and produce high-quality stewardship deliverables.
• Write and design personalized donor impact reports and create other special stewardship pieces for donors.
• Utilize different platforms and communication tools, such as videos, to convey impact to donors and enhance stewardship efforts.
• Utilize database (CRM) in daily work, including updating individual records, pulling reports, and interpreting dashboards and data.
• Remain updated about industry best practices and routinely suggest new ways to implement and push the field forward as appropriate.
• May partner with other DOFFs to align stewardship and engagement opportunities with broader messaging, brand and priorities.
• Support the development and execution of university-wide volunteer events.
• Manage the creation of biennial welcome letters from the chair of the University board of Trustees to new advisory board/council members.
• Oversee the Board Portal program.
• Maintain an online set of institutional guidelines, policies and procedures, and other resources to support DOFF partners.
• Serve on institutional working groups/committees and lead training as needed.
• May supervise staff.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Three years related experience, with at least two years of professional experience.
• Demonstrated ability to translate complex scientific research into clear and compelling narratives for non-specialist audiences.
• Experience managing a team.
• Experience in donor stewardship, advancement communications, or a related function in higher education or an academic research environment.
• Familiarity with life sciences research, academic research environments, or the research enterprise in a university or academic medical center setting.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, including experience coordinating across multiple teams and managing concurrent deadlines.
• A high degree of professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment; comfort working with and in support of senior institutional leadership in a complex, fast-paced environment.