Assistant Director of Development

University of Chicago • Hyde Park, VT

5d • $55,000 - $60,000

About The Position

The UChicago Library is not simply a building filled with books and scholarly materials. We are thinking differently about what a library is and could be. We are forging new paths and aiming to make a significant impact at the University of Chicago, as well as in a leadership position in the global knowledge environment. We are committed to providing learning opportunities and community enrichment for all who walk through our doors or participate in our programs across Chicago. During the 2025-26 academic year, the Library is leading the campus-wide Year of Games. Our flagship program will be a symposium for lively conversations on gaming scholarship, as well as networking for students with industry representatives. At the Joseph Regenstein Library, we will not only be providing our patrons with games to play and enjoy, we will also be presenting the exhibition Charting Imaginary Worlds: Why Fantasy and Games are Inseparable to explore the relationship between fantasy and games as one of reciprocal influence, converging over time. On the longer horizon, we have aspirations to position the UChicago Library as an international leader in information services and technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), big data, and other related areas. With rapidly changing technology, it is essential to be able to identify the authority and authenticity of information resources. As one example, the development of our Digital Literacy and AI Competency Program will establish the Library as a key partner in helping the University community to develop the digital literacy skills needed to navigate today’s complicated world, focusing on issues related to AI, news and media literacy, visual literacy, data literacy, and copyright. The Assistant Director of Development will plan and deliver programs designed to meet University fundraising goals for contributed income for the Library’s annual giving appeals, manage the Library’s events for fundraising and alumni and donor engagement, manage donor relations activities, manage the annual endowment reporting requirements, and manage and analyze the Library’s data held on the shared database. The Library’s Development department is responsible for enabling the strategic plans and aspirations of the University Librarian and Library leadership by securing philanthropic, grant, and government funding. Recent success in annual giving includes the launch of the Freedom to Read Fund and Civic Engagement Fund alongside the long- standing opportunities to support the Library Annual Fund and Library Fund for Books. The Advancement Office engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents, and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. Advancement 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.

Requirements

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
• Strong verbal and writing skills, high attention to detail and follow-up, and excellent organizational skills.
• Strong commitment to customer service.
• Manage confidential information with discretion and tact.
• Lead with integrity and professionalism.
• Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
• Self-motivated and take initiative.
• Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.
• Flexible and adaptable to new programs in an emerging and changing environment.
• Commitment to inclusive engagement of donors, prospects, volunteers, and colleagues.
• Embrace the mission and vision of the Library and become knowledgeable about the work across the Library to connect meaningfully with alumni, donors, and prospects.

Nice To Haves

• Working in a library setting.
• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to quickly learn the technology tools, including Phoenix, the University's Constituent Relationship Management System.
• Proficient in a Microsoft Windows computer environment, especially Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.

Responsibilities

• Project manages, drafts, and executes all aspects of the Library’s annual giving appeals, including Giving Day and Giving Tuesday, through email, mail, social media, phone, and other channels from University alumni and other prospective donors.
• Contributes to annual giving strategy, in collaboration with the Senior Associate Director of Development.
• Partners with the Central Advancement team to plan, create, schedule, execute, and evaluate productive, high-quality, cost-effective solicitation projects.
• Cultivates and maintains strong and collegial relationships with colleagues in various alumni relations and development roles across the University to ensure a coordinated approach to strengthen alumni and donor relationships.
• Drafts compelling solicitations in various channels using direct response marketing best practices to motivate alumni, parents, and friends to support the Library.
• Uses research on giving patterns to improve solicitation techniques and improve future solicitation campaigns.
• Facilitates proactive data pulls, reports, and lists.
• Maintains records and files, and update database regularly.
• Coordinates move management of donors with Senior Associate Director of Development to maximize the philanthropic potential of each donor.
• Assists with the qualification of leadership annual giving and major gift prospects through coordinating outreach and records management.
• Manages a portfolio of annual giving donors and prospects, renews their philanthropic giving annually, and seeks to upgrade their support.
• Plans and delivers the Library’s annual stewardship program for donors at the annual giving and leadership annual giving levels, including digital and print gift acknowledgements.
• Oversees the delivery of the Library’s annual endowment reports including gathering data on fund usage, compiling data into written reports, and managing report deployment.
• Plans and delivers events to engage and steward the Library’s donors and prospects. This includes, but is not limited to: event program development, event communications, venue selection, food and beverage, audio/visual equipment, and decor.
• In coordination with the Associate Dean of Development and Strategic Initiatives, plans and delivers the annual meetings of the Library Council.
• Supports the Associate Dean and Senior Associate Director by gathering information from divisional partners on events, stories, and other avenues for donor engagement.
• Exercises a moderate to high level of authority in drafting informational and marketing materials for assigned programs.
• Assists in developing support materials for specific fundraising activities.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Contributes to the planning and implementation of programs to identify, visit, and solicit alumni, parents, and other constituencies within an assigned geographical region for gifts to meet fundraising goal. Does this with a moderate level of guidance and direction.
• Ensures quality control when monitoring various marketing channels by developing a targeted strategy for solicitation and marketing materials as well as campaign appeals, solving a range of straightforward problems as they arise.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level