Associate Director, Direct Marketing & Participation - University Advancement

Washington University in St Louis • Clayton, MO

9d • Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director of Direct Marketing & Participation will manage the development and execution of a sophisticated, omni-channel campaign schedule aimed to drive alumni donor participation, build lifetime loyalty, and raise maximum spendable dollars for WashU’s top Annual Fund priorities. In addition to coordinating the day-to-day aspects of our direct marketing appeals, this role will partner closely with Philanthropic Strategy partners to drive results for schools and programs and oversee faculty and staff giving. The Associate Director reports to the Senior Director of Annual Giving Programs and will work in close collaboration and partnership with Advancement Communications, Philanthropic Strategy and other internal partners and external vendors. This Associate Director will also manage the Assistant Director who’s duties include premiums, corporate matching gift program, license plate program and Loyalty Society data hygiene.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• Relevant Experience (3 Years)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to relay detailed instructions and provide or solicit feedback.
• Experience in nonprofit advancement/development/fundraising, program/project management, or a field requiring the application of similar skills including marketing, advertising, communications, donor relations, etc.
• Significant experience planning and managing complex programs, projects, or marketing campaigns: setting timelines and priorities, analyzing data, working with complex reporting and data sets, coordinating work among multiple teams, maintaining vendor relationships, developing, and managing organized systems of processes and protocols, etc.
• Experience using database, website/online form solutions, and other software platforms.

Nice To Haves

• Comfortable interacting with a variety of diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain relationships.
• Skilled at expressing empathy and providing premium customer service.
• A desire to work collaboratively with colleagues.
• Comfortable facilitating the work of teams and individuals, including peers, students, and volunteers.
• Committed to professional growth and remaining informed of annual giving, higher education, and other industry trends and best practices.
• Familiarity with and appreciation for the mission of University Advancement programs and the activities of the department.
• A desire to play a meaningful role in the university’s community and to share in the community’s commitment to education and research.
• Knowledge of university environment; experience working in educational/nonprofit organization setting is a plus.
• Familiarity with ClickUp a plus.

Responsibilities

• In close collaboration with our Advancement Communications team, plan and coordinate the daily management of a large variety and volume of direct marketing projects.
• Ensure the Direct Marketing schedule and all details are up to date in project management tool (Click Up).
• Track tasks, timelines, and other standard operating procedures within Click Up.
• Coordinate direct marketing projects to ensure they are successfully completed on time and within budget; manage vendor relationships and communication, as appropriate.
• Facilitate the proofing, editing, review, approval, and production processes for each appeal, as appropriate.
• Develop segmentation strategy and other data variables needed for each campaign.
• Identify, document, and track all testing factors.
• Build campaign ‘workbooks’ to organize projects based upon appeal versions and audience segmentations.
• Support data set finalization, merge proofing and testing, and assist in resolving any data-related issues.
• Build campaigns and source codes to ensure all appeals are able to be tracked and analyzed.
• Work closely with data analyst on data segmentation, variables, and ask strings for appeals.
• Work with other direct marketing colleagues to ensure all form links and QR codes have been requested, created and working appropriately.
• Secure final approval for all Annual Giving appeals; manage the ‘send’ process for all mass-email communications. I partnership with Advancement Communications.
• Develop and implement the strategy of the Loyalty Society program to ensure strong donor retention at all giving levels.
• Work closely with the Assistant Director and Data Analyst to ensure Loyalty Society data is clean.
• Facilitate appropriate strategy development processes for direct marketing campaigns and programs.
• Analyze historical appeal response and campaign performance reporting; seek peer benchmarking; research industry and market trends, etc.
• Coordinate direct marketing projects to ensure they are successfully completed on time and within budget; manage vendor relationships and communication, as appropriate.
• Coordinate with donors and gift officers for challenge campaigns.
• Track tasks, timelines, and other standard operating procedures within our project management software; ensure marketing schedules and communication calendars are maintained and regularly updated.
• In collaboration with Annual Giving leadership, Advancement Communications, and our school and unit partners, support the execution of unit-specific Annual Fund appeal and project requests in accordance with standard operating procedures.
• Oversee strategy development and manage the day-to-day activities of our faculty and staff giving program.
• Establish annual goals and develop strategic communications plan to engage and solicit WashU staff and faculty.
• Coordinate payroll deduction retention, renewal, and acquisition efforts; ensure stewardship touches are planned, and appropriate benefits/communications are being issued.
• Work closely with Executive Director and Senior Director to provide any additional support needed to ensure donor participation goals are met.

Benefits

• Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time.
• Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance.
• Free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees.
• Defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%.
• Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more!
• 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child.
• Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs.
• Adult care resources.
• Tuition coverage for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us.

What This Job Offers

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