Assistant Director of Donor Relations

UVA Health•Charlottesville, VA

13h•$60,000 - $65,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Virginia’s External Relations team is seeking a collaborative, creative, and highly organized professional to serve as Assistant Director of Donor Relations. In this role, you’ll help create meaningful experiences that recognize the generosity of UVA donors and strengthen their connection to one of the nation's premier public universities. From personalized donor engagement strategies to signature events and strategic communications programs, your work will directly contribute to inspiring philanthropy and advancing UVA's mission. The Assistant Director independently manages projects from concept through implementation and evaluation, coordinating timelines, data, vendors, and deliverables across multiple teams. In partnership with colleagues throughout the University, this position also curates personalized stewardship and engagement opportunities for principal and leadership-level donors, aligning those experiences with donor interests and institutional priorities. If you enjoy managing projects, creating memorable experiences, developing engaging communications, and working with passionate colleagues who are committed to making a difference, we encourage you to apply.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
At least one year of relevant experience.
Excellent attention to detail and a strong commitment to accuracy and quality.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor communications for different audiences.
Strong organizational and project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities independently, meet deadlines, and seek direction when appropriate.
A customer service mindset and commitment to creating thoughtful, positive experiences for donors and other audiences.
Ability and willingness to learn and effectively use new technologies, systems, and processes.
Ability to identify and contribute to improvements in programs, workflows, processes, and constituent experiences.
Candidates with relevant transferable skills are encouraged to apply.

Nice To Haves

Experience in donor relations, fundraising, stewardship, event management, higher education, nonprofit organizations, communications, hospitality, customer engagement, or a related field is valued.
Experience working in advancement.
Experience in donor relations, stewardship, fundraising, or a related nonprofit role.
Experience coordinating events, recognition programs, communications, or constituent engagement initiatives.
Familiarity with CRM systems, Tableau, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Monday.com, or similar platforms.
Proficiency with Microsoft tools and applications.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement donor recognition strategies in partnership with colleagues across the University.
Monitor giving activity to identify eligible donors and manage recognition communications and stewardship touchpoints.
Curate personalized stewardship and engagement opportunities for principal and leadership-level donors, ensuring a high-quality, donor-centered experience aligned with institutional priorities.
Manage personalized and large-scale donor communications across multiple channels, including email, video, print, and digital engagement.
Collaborate with vendors to source, produce, and deliver recognition items, ensuring quality, timely fulfillment, brand alignment, and accurate inventory management.
Maintain accurate donor, communication, and project records in customer relationship management and project management systems.
Coordinate donor events and engagement experiences in partnership with Event Experiences and other University colleagues.
Manage event plans, timelines, budgets, invitation lists, communications, and related deliverables.
Coordinate data and information requests to support accurate invitation, registration, and attendance processes.
Partner with designers, digital engagement colleagues, and other contributors to develop invitations, promotional materials, attendee communications, and event collateral.
Support donor outreach, registration, staffing, volunteer coordination, and day-of-event execution.
Independently manage assigned programs and projects from planning through implementation and evaluation.
Coordinate timelines, deliverables, communications, and responsibilities across teams, vendors, and University partners.
Use participation and engagement data, reports, dashboards, and project updates to evaluate effectiveness, inform decisions, and identify trends and opportunities.
Recommend improvements to programs, processes, technology, workflows, and customer experiences, and assist with implementing approved enhancements.
Build strong cross-functional relationships and contribute to a collaborative, service-oriented, and innovative team culture.
Develop knowledge and expertise through collaboration with colleagues and subject-matter experts across the University.