Department

ARD College Alumni Philanthropy

About the Department

Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. ARD raises $600 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 College Development team raises $80M-$100M annually, advancing philanthropic partnerships with key alumni, parents and friends of the College to support the educational goals of its undergraduates. This includes support for financial aid, teaching and research, career development, international study, athletics, and housing.

Job Summary

The Senior Associate Director is responsible for overseeing the development and execution of strategies designed to secure significant annual gifts and support the College's overall fundraising goals. This role involves managing a team of leadership annual giving professionals who focus on cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding relationships with alumni and donors capable of making leadership-level annual contributions. This role will also maintain their own portfolio of prospects and donors across the country, ensuring effective engagement and personalized approaches.

This position solves complex problems related to the Institution’s campaign for annual gift support from all constituents, including alumni. Conducts comprehensive estate planning and deferred giving programs in alignment with the developmental goals of the University with very limited level of guidance and direction. Key responsibilities include providing strategic direction, developing comprehensive communication and solicitation plans, and setting performance goals for the team. The position will collaborate closely with other departments and stakeholders to ensure cohesive fundraising efforts and maximize donor engagement. Additionally, the position involves continuous assessment and improvement of processes to enhance the success of leadership annual giving programs.

Responsibilities

Develops and oversees a leadership annual giving program for the College, using a class-based fundraising model to engage and solicit alumni of the College.Advises and collaborates with staff throughout Alumni Relations and Development to increase leadership annual gift activity on behalf of the College.Manages a leadership annual giving portfolio of approximately 75-100 prospects capable of making gifts of $2,500+.Travels as necessary to visit prospects, both individually and in tandem with College leadership, staff, or volunteers.Manages a team of leadership annual gift officers focused on the qualification, cultivation, and solicitation of prospects capable of making gifts of $2,500-$100,000.Hires, manages, develops, and terminates staff as needed.Sets clear goals and expectations for staff performance.Provides coaching and mentorship that encourages achievement of stated goals and professional development.Trains staff in effective relationship management, volunteer management, and solicitation strategies.Assesses individual and team performance and evaluates success.Works to develop a pipeline that will be critical for the success of the next comprehensive campaign.Monitors and maintains program budget.Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.Leads the planning and implementation of programs to identify, visit, and solicit alumni, parents, and other constituencies within an assigned geographical region for gifts and tries to reach fundraising goal. Does this with a very limited level of guidance and direction.Provides expertise 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 related field.

Work Experience:

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

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

Bachelor’s or advanced degree.

Experience:

A minimum of seven years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales or similar field.A minimum two years of management experience, including oversight of staff.A minimum of one year of experience developing and monitoring budgets.Proven record of accomplishment in solicitations and cultivation of prospective donors, or sales and client development.

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 Phoenix (the University's Donor Relationship Management System), Microsoft Windows computer environment, Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.

Preferred Competencies

Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.Self-motivated and take initiative.Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.

Working Conditions

This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence.Standard office environment.Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.Work evenings and weekends as needed.This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.

Application Documents

Resume/CV (required)Cover Letter addressed to Hiring Committee (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Alumni Relations & Development

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$102,000.00 - $120,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

 

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.

 

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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