Assistant Director, Annual Giving Channel Fundraising Operations
About The Position
The Assistant Director executes and manages the day-to-day operations of the University of Chicago’s centralized annual giving direct marketing programs. The role owns campaign and appeal production, data segmentation, reporting, and vendor coordination for the Chicago Fund, schools, divisions, and units, with a focus on accuracy, timeliness, and continuous improvement. The position plans and executes annual gift-support campaigns for constituents, including alumni, and resolves straightforward operational problems. The position works with unit partners, the Senior Associate Director, Advancement Technology, Prospect Development and Decision Support, analytics teams, and external print vendors. It supports targeted, multichannel solicitation and stewardship, including the University’s annual Giving Day. This is a hybrid position with weekly in-office presence in Hyde Park, a standard office environment, and travel to campus and/or other locations for University business. Evening and weekend work may be needed. The role is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.
Requirements
- College or university degree in a related field.
- Two to five years of work experience in a related job discipline.
- Minimum two years of professional experience in fundraising, direct marketing, campaign management, data/analytics, operations, or a related field.
- Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and tact and act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a team setting, prioritize multiple projects, and follow through independently with attention to detail.
- Self-motivated and able to take initiative.
- Hybrid work schedule requiring weekly in-office presence; travel for University business and evening or weekend work as needed.
Nice To Haves
- Bachelor’s degree.
- Experience with fundraising, contact management, CRM, or other database software, including Salesforce or a similar CRM platform.
- Familiarity with data analysis and communicating findings and complex information to non-technical audiences.
- Experience managing cross-functional projects involving multiple stakeholders, timelines, and deliverables.
- Ability to learn the University’s internal operations and Advancement technology tools, including Phoenix, the University’s Donor Relationship Management Salesforce System.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Windows, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.
- Knowledge of SQL, Python, or other data analysis tools or languages.
- Commitment to personal and professional development and fostering a collaborative and inclusive team environment.
Responsibilities
- Own end-to-end execution of annual giving campaigns across central Advancement, including timelines, production schedules, and quality control.
- Serve as a liaison to assigned unit partners, ensuring appeal execution reflects unit priorities and maintaining strong working relationships.
- Build and manage appeal codes and segmentation in Phoenix (Salesforce Ascend CRM), working with the Senior Associate Director to define segmentation needs and partnering with Advancement Technology and Prospect Development and Decision Support on complex list pulls, data delivery, and analytics.
- Support targeted, multichannel solicitation and stewardship strategies across mail, email, social media, texting, and social fundraising, including the University’s annual Giving Day.
- Coordinate with external print vendors and mail houses on production specifications, schedules, and deliverables, in partnership with and under the direction of the Senior Associate Director, Annual Giving Channel Fundraising.
- Develop and maintain annual giving reporting, including pulling and summarizing reports for leadership and unit partners; tracking participation, retention, and revenue goals; and partnering with analytics teams to identify trends and anomalies.
- Use A/B testing and other methods to evaluate campaign effectiveness systematically.
- Maintain data accuracy and hygiene throughout the appeal lifecycle, from segmentation through post-appeal reporting.
- Identify opportunities to improve direct marketing processes, documentation, and data practices.
- Handle sensitive donor and gift data with discretion and confidentiality.
- Pursue professional development, including webinars, seminars, and networking within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
- Contribute to plans to solicit prospective donors and meet campaign goals, including speaking persuasively to new prospects about annual giving support.
- Monitor marketing channels and ensure quality control by developing targeted solicitation strategies and marketing materials and resolving straightforward problems.
- Perform other related work as needed.
Benefits
- Benefits eligibility, including access to health, retirement, and paid time off programs.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
