Director of Advancement Communications & Stewardship
Spelman College

Job Info

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Position Title:

Director of Advancement Communications & Stewardship

Position Summary:

In collaboration with the Division of Communications and External Relations, the Director of Advancement Communications & Stewardship will be responsible for leading the division's donor communication strategy. The Director of Advancement Communications will provide direct supervision for the Associate Director of Stewardship and Development Marketing Officer to ensure the department meets division objectives in conjunction with the College's mission.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities :

• Supervise and serve as a key communications and stewardship strategist to the Associate Director of Stewardship and Development Marketing Officer to ensure we distribute clear, compelling, and error-free communications to donors and prospective donors in a timely manner.
• Serve as the liaison between the Office of Institutional Advancement and the Division of Communications and External Relations to coordinate all external communication for the division, including the Spelman Messenger, annual reports, fact sheets, press releases, and relevant content on the College website and social media platforms. Develops message frames and story ideas to pitch to philanthropic media.
• Responsible for leading the development, execution, and evaluation of a donor communication and stewardship plan across the Institutional Advancement (IA) division in alignment with the College's strategic plan and communications strategy.
• Support the Senior Vice President (SVP) for Institutional Advancement by reviewing/editing communications that require SVP approval. Draft communications from the Senior Vice President, as needed.
• Work collaboratively with all other teams within the division (Alumnae Engagement, Advancement Services, Scholarships, Events, Annual Giving, Foundation Relations, Corporate Relations and Partnerships, Leadership and Planned Giving, and the Office of the Senior Vice President) to support their prioritized communications and donor stewardship needs. Identifies and guides the work of appropriate vendors (writers, editors, designers, photographers, and videographers) and works with campus partners to produce collateral that stays within budget and promotes their initiatives while ensuring Spelman brand consistency.
• Implement assigned activities, working closely with the Senior Vice President, division staff, Division of Communications and External Relations, consultants, and College staff.

Required Qualifications:

A Bachelor's degree with a minimum of four years of successful communications experience is required. A demonstrated track record of success in cultivating a positive team culture is required. Experience leading donor communications, stewardship, and/or working in higher education is preferred.

Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work with a diverse group of people and organizations are essential. The incumbent must have knowledge of donor stewardship best practices, analytical and problem-solving skills, and the ability to think in a strategic manner. Demonstrated success managing people across differences is also required.

Superior written communication skills are required with the ability to craft inspiring, clear, and compelling communication and general business correspondence. Incumbent must also have strong verbal communication skills. The employee must have exemplary proofreading skills. Experience with email optimization and AI prompt engineering is preferred.To perform this job successfully, an individual must have the ability to perform intermediate level computer skills using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).
In addition to producing business correspondence, duties may involve assignments that require creating spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and marketing materials. Internet navigation and use of Lotus Notes/Outlook is required. Experience using CRM Advance database and other software used at the College is a plus.

Supervisory Responsibilities:
This position has direct supervisory responsibilities for the Associate Director of Stewardship and Development Marketing Officer. This position has indirect supervisory responsibilities for the Stewardship Coordinator. This does not include work study students
Dimension:
Contributory responsibility for College budget, i.e., input during the budgeting process, then review and monitoring of activity after the budget has been prepared

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience leading donor communications, stewardship, and/or working in higher education is preferred.

Certifications, Licenses, Restrictions :

None

Physical Demands:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to: sit, walk, use hands for computers and to move items, talk, and hear. The employee is frequently required to: stand, reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to: stoop or kneel or climb, and lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the ability to adjust focus.

Shift:

Days

% Travel Required:

1% - 25%

Full Time/Part Time:

Full-time

Work Location/Schedule::

This position is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement.

FLSA:

Exempt

Number of Vacancies:

1

Posting Number:

SC0701P

Posting Open Date:

08/12/2024

Open Until Filled:

Yes

EEO Statement:

Spelman College is an EEO/Minority/Female/Disabled/Veteran/Title IX Employer and we participate in E-Verify. We are a smoke-free campus.

COVID-19 Vaccination Protocol:

Due to the heightened risk of contracting COVID-19 and the spread of variants, Spelman College requires up to date COVID-19 vaccination of all faculty, staff, and students (collectively "Campus Community") that have job duties, attend classes, or are otherwise present on campus. You will need to submit proof of up-to-date COVID-19 vaccination: full vaccination and a booster (when eligible) or a single dose of the bivalent vaccine) prior to your first day on campus or you may seek a medical or religious exemption to the vaccination requirement by providing the necessary documentation to: Yemi Brown, PharmD Manager of COVID-19 Operations, at ibiyemibrown@spelman.edu. Upon receiving your Spelman Technology log-in credentials, please keep your vaccination or exemptions records up-to-date using Etrieve.

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