Associate Director of Development Communications

University of Texas at Austin•UT MAIN CAMPUS, UT

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director of Development, Communications provides strategic communications consultation for donor-focused communications that directly support fundraising priorities and outcomes. Reporting to the Executive Director of Development Communications, this role serves as a lead editor and writer for external content and high-level internal communications. The position collaborates with faculty, institutional communications, and marketing teams to create compelling proposals, cases for support, campaign materials, and digital content. This role ensures alignment with brand standards, best practices, and donor engagement goals, strengthening relationships with donors and stakeholders through innovative storytelling and integrated communications.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
5 years of experience in development-related roles
Communicates Effectively – 10
Strategic Mindset – 9
Builds Effective Teams – 8
Decision Quality – 8
Organizational Savvy – 7
Drives Results – 7

Nice To Haves

Experience in healthcare or higher education fundraising communications.
Certification in the use of generative AI.

Responsibilities

Develops donor-focused communications strategy
Advises internal clients on communications needs across the cycle of giving, aligned with approved institutional fundraising priorities.
Partners with internal clients and communications and marketing teams to ensure message alignment.
Establishes annual communications goals and evaluates effectiveness through qualitative and quantitative measures.
Oversees content creation and campaign materials
Partners directly with faculty and physicians to build fundraising priority-specific cases for support, articulate gift concepts, and ensure brand-aligned language.
Translates complex academic, clinical, and research priorities into compelling benefactor-ready narratives.
Serves as a lead writer and strategist for a full range of externally facing content across the cycle of giving, under tight deadlines and evolving priorities.
Inputs content into designed templates and collaborates with graphic designers on custom pieces.
Guides scripting and messaging for donor-focused events, campaigns, and leadership presentations.
Proposal and case development
Leads development of fundraising priority-aligned cases for support and gift opportunities in collaboration with administrators, faculty, and development officers.
Maintains methods and standards for tracking proposals-in-process (proposal log) using UT development systems or new platforms as needed.
Serves as a project lead for transformational proposals and campaign-related materials.
Ensures consistency and adaptability of campaign messaging across audiences and timelines.
Collaborates with institutional partners
Works with communications and marketing teams to integrate donor messaging into broader campaigns.
Develops internal communications strategies for the UT Dell Medicine team and the broader UT Austin Development community, keeping them informed of key UT Dell Medicine-related developments to inform their work and strengthen their outreach to donors and prospects.
Liaises with campus development teams for cohesive health communications.
Provides content and tools to support in-house and campus-wide fundraisers.
Participates in planning sessions for major campaigns and events.
Supports special projects such as campaign branding refresh and creative audits.
Assists with feasibility studies and quiet-phase campaign strategies.
Performs related duties as required.
Adheres to internal controls and reporting structure.