• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $63,700 - $70,000

Position Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director of Donor Relations, the Assistant Director of Donor Relations plays an integral role in developing and implementing a comprehensive donor relations program for Columbia College. They will perform operational, day-to-day tasks in support of the overarching stewardship program, which aims to thank, inform, inspire, engage, and recognize donors through strategic communications, reporting, and engagement activities.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning:
  • The Assistant Director will work as a thought partner with the Senior Director to develop compelling and thoughtful donor relations and stewardship initiatives. They will help evaluate and improve existing programming and processes. They will research and propose ideas to thank donors, recognize them, demonstrate the impact of their support, and offer opportunities to deepen their engagement with the College.
• Narrative Reporting:
  • Columbia College has various named funds that support the strategic priorities of the College. The Assistant Director will manage the annual narrative reporting process for more than 100 named funds. This will include, coordinating with various Columbia offices; editing and formatting content and writing cover letters for reports; and assisting with the maintenance of donor and fund recognition websites.
•  Leadership Giving Societies:
  • The Assistant Director will be the primary manager of the John Jay Associates, one of Columbia College’s leadership-giving societies. They will develop and administer a stewardship plan, including maintaining member lists; planning, researching, and writing various communications, including emails and an annual report; fulfilling membership benefits; developing, organizing, and staffing stewardship events; and researching and proposing ideas to continue to enhance the experience of John Jay Associates
  • The Assistant Director will also assist teammates with the stewardship efforts for other giving societies at the College.
•  High-Level Gift Acknowledgements:
  • The Assistant Director will manage the gift acknowledgment process for high-level gifts and pledges to the College. This will include, writing templates and customized letters from the Dean of Columbia College; researching recipients and coordinating with staff to ensure letters are adequately personalized; and work with the Office of the Dean.
•  High-Level Stewardship Projects:
  • The Assistant Director will assist with crafting a variety of customized stewardship projects, annual reports, and other communications for high-level donors and giving societies.
•  Data Management:
  • The Assistant Director will help maintain the integrity of data for the College’s named funds and John Jay Associates.
• Other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required or its equivalent.

• A minimum of 2 years of experience in a University or other complex organization is necessary.

• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of basic donor relations and stewardship principles.

• Extreme attention to detail and an eye for accuracy is essential.

• Excellent writing, editing, research, customer service, and interpersonal skills are required.

• Strong organizational and time-management skills with an ability to prioritize projects.

• Must possess a high level of professionalism, creativity, and flexibility.

• Must be self-directed and motivated, able to manage multiple and complex assignments and meet deadlines and production schedules both independently and as part of a team.

• Ability to handle confidential matters and maintain confidentiality.

  *Must be available to work some weekends and evenings.*

  **Applications submitted without a resume and cover letter will not be reviewed.**

Preferred Qualifications

• Technical proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel, manipulating data and mail merges, and an interest and ability to develop new skills.

• Experience with using a central donor and prospect-tracking database.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.