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Assistant Director of Strategic Engagement - 1016126

at University of Illinois

Job Description


Assistant Director/Associate Director of Strategic Engagement


Student Affairs Office of Advancement


The Student Affairs Office of Advancement at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign seeks a full-time Assistant Director/Associate Director of Strategic Engagement. In this newly created role, the Assistant Director/Associate Director will work in collaboration with advancement and Student Affairs unit colleagues to support fundraising priorities and the advancement of relationships with key constituents through the development and implementation of innovative and data-driven engagement, communication, and stewardship strategies.

Student Affairs at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is comprised of 30 departments and is one of the most comprehensive Student Affairs organizations in the country. The Student Affairs advancement program was established 25 years ago and has the infrastructure for success in attracting annual and major gifts and corporate partnerships. Opportunities exist to grow private support for a variety of areas, including student support, success, and persistence initiatives; health, wellness, and wellbeing programs; auxiliary units; multiple cultural centers; and emergency support for students.

Job Summary
This position will assist in supporting fundraising priorities and the advancement of relationships with key constituents through the development and implementation of innovative and data-driven engagement, communication, and stewardship strategies.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Constituent Engagement & Strategy
  • Develop and implement strategies to connect stakeholders, including alumni, donors, students, student organizations, families, friends, faculty, and staff, to Student Affairs units, fundraising initiatives, and campaign priorities.
  • Create affinity-based constituent populations utilizing data provided by Student Affairs units.
  • Implement an engagement strategy that includes events, volunteerism, and communications to increase connectivity with key stakeholder groups.
  • Manage and organize engagement activities, including in-person events, virtual events, and constituent emails.
  • Identify and analyze target populations for stakeholder communication efforts.
  • Manage a small portfolio of engagement plans for key constituents.
  • Serve as the volunteer manager of the Student Affairs Council and its committees, which are comprised of alumni and other stakeholders who serve as advocates and ambassadors for Student Affairs.
  • Facilitate connections with University of Illinois Alumni Association affiliated alumni groups and clubs, connecting them with opportunities to engage with and support students as appropriate.
Stewardship
  • Develop and implement stewardship processes, services, and activities to be utilized centrally in Student Affairs Advancement and within Student Affairs units.
  • Develop and manage a comprehensive suite of stewardship services and activities for a select group of Student Affairs donors.
  • Create a system to report philanthropic impact annually to Student Affairs donors.
  • Oversee funds to ensure donor intent and unit needs are respected including in-person meetings and conversations with major gift officers and donors for amendments to funds as necessary.
  • Serve as the key contact within Student Affairs regarding proper spending of gift funds.
Required Qualifications

Education:
  • Bachelor's Degree
Experience:
  • For the title of Assistant Director , a minimum of two years of professional experience in higher education advancement or more than three years of experience in a closely related field, such as, marketing, public relations, communications, or business administration, that requires strong relationship-building and outcome driven components.
  • For the title of Associate Director, a minimum of three years of professional experience in higher education advancement or more than six of experience in a closely related field, such as, marketing, public relations, communications, or business administration, that requires strong relationship-building and outcome driven components.
  • Strong attention to detail, organization, and time management.
  • Ability to prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment and the ability to manage tight deadlines and multiple projects.
  • Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills and strong interpersonal skills.
Preferred Qualifications

Experience:
  • Experience managing alumni and/or student programs and devising innovative programs to engage alumni and/or donors to support academic priorities.
  • Demonstrated experience coordinating engagement activities such as in-person events, virtual events, and email newsletters.
  • Experience developing projects and/or processes from initial idea through delivery of final product.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
  • Demonstrated understanding of higher education administration, and specifically, engagement, stewardship, and donor relations practices.
  • Superb oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, with an emphasis on engaged, active listening.
  • Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.
  • Strong relationship management skills.
  • Familiarity with large databases.
  • Ability to understand and adhere to the Association of Fundraising Professionals Donor Bill of Rights which is endorsed by the Office of Institutional Advancement.
  • Preferred: Knowledge of the principles of advancement, fundraising, and administration in a university environment.
  • Preferred: Knowledge and/or experience working in the major components of advancement including development, communications and public relations, alumni engagement, and special events.
Impact in Your First Year:
  • At Advancement at Illinois, we value our employees and provide resources to help you continually learn and grow. We foster a strong, collaborative community of people who are driven by their ability to make a difference.
Within 3 months, you'll:
  • Understand the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs' strategic vision and priorities for Student Affairs.
  • Begin to build positive relationships with key internal stakeholders and external constituents as well as with leadership and peers in Advancement.
  • Become familiar with the overarching structure of Advancement at Illinois and the alignment between central Advancement services, the University of Illinois Foundation, and the University of Illinois Alumni Association.
  • Attend professional development and networking activities for newcomers within Advancement.
  • Begin to understand advancement operations within Student Affairs.
Within 6 months, you'll:
  • Meet with key internal stakeholders to begin to formulate unit-specific strategies and data-driven engagement opportunities.
  • Begin cultivating relationships with the Student Affairs Council and committees as well as with other key prospects/donors/alumni.
  • Understand, evaluate, and offer strategic insight into unit-specific advancement opportunities and initiatives.
  • Be able to share the programmatic and philanthropic needs of units.
  • Understand how to utilize TED and data sets to create new constituent populations.
  • Understand how mass communications work at the University of Illinois.
By the end of the first year, you'll:
  • Be able to participate in Student Affairs Advancement short- and long-term strategic planning, specifically in the functional areas outlined in the job description.
  • Be the subject matter expert on strategic engagement and stewardship in .Student Affairs.
  • Cooperatively set annual performance goals/metrics with your supervisor
  • Receive one-on-one coaching from Talent Management to help you transition to your new role.
  • Build a robust network of colleagues across campus.


Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after 5/1/2023. Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications, while also considering internal equity. Salary range starts at $65,000.

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (CST) on Tuesday, April 4th, 2023. Upon applying, please make sure you've loaded a Cover Letter, Resume/CV, and three professional references for full consideration. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Applications not submitted through https://jobs.illinois.edu will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Keri Collins at keric@illinois.edu For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, COVID-19 vaccination requirement, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify .

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal , or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing accessibility@illinois.edu .

Requisition ID: 1016126
Job Category: Administrative
Apply at: https://jobs.illinois.edu
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Job Posting: 10735179

Posted On: Apr 06, 2023

Updated On: Apr 07, 2023

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