Associate Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations

University of Tennessee • Knoxville, IA

7d • Hybrid

About The Position

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. (UTFI) is hiring an Associate Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations for the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Reporting to the Senior Director of Engagement and Advancement Services, this role leads a comprehensive, donor-centered stewardship and donor experience strategy to recognize philanthropic support, demonstrate the impact of giving, communicate outcomes to varied audiences, and advance donors from their first gift through long-term engagement.

The Associate Director develops, implements, and assesses the UTIA-wide stewardship plan in consultation with Advancement leadership, aligning it with campaign priorities, institutional goals, and industry best practices. The role collaborates with academic departments, central campus units, Alumni and Annual Giving, principal-gift partners, and Communications to build coordinated stewardship practices that strengthen donor satisfaction, retention, and lifelong philanthropic engagement.

The position manages donor stewardship and recognition programs, including events, giving societies, campus visits, customized materials, recognition signage, shared campaigns, and scholarship stewardship initiatives. It also leads endowment and impact reporting, gift acknowledgments, stewardship workflows, and related systems and training. The position requires travel and a valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record. The Foundation offers a hybrid schedule to most team members and a comprehensive benefits package.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least 4 years of progressive work experience in stewardship, donor relations, or a closely related field. Candidates holding a graduate degree must have at least 2 years of experience.
• Superior organizational and project-management skills.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and the ability to synthesize information and compose clear, effective materials.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex projects and deadlines.
• Ability to use data systems and Microsoft Office, work comfortably with financial data, and develop donor-centered stewardship communications and experiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a donor-focused approach.
• Valid driver’s license with an acceptable driving record due to travel responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree.
• Experience in advancement, higher education, or another people-oriented field.
• Experience composing donor communications and stewardship reports, supporting scholarship stewardship, and working within constituent relationship-management or engagement systems.

Responsibilities

• Create and manage specialized stewardship and recognition opportunities for Institute donors and segmented donor groups using donor-centered practices and appropriate technology.
• Oversee donor-focused activities and materials, including virtual and in-person events, giving societies, campus visits, birthday cards, customized stewardship materials, and recognition signage.
• Lead stewardship for shared campaigns with UTK, including Big Orange Give, Big Orange Family Campaign, and Senior Impact, in collaboration with the Assistant Director for Annual Giving.
• Direct scholarship stewardship and student gratitude initiatives, including strategies for thank-you-letter timelines, storytelling, and stewardship touchpoints engaging students, faculty, and alumni.
• Coordinate the annual UTIA endowment report and other stewardship and impact reports, including content gathering, editing, quality review, approvals, design direction, production, and distribution.
• Lead the endowment reporting process from start to finish, including timeline management and campus-wide collaboration.
• Manage financial summaries for stewardship materials in partnership with Communications and Advancement colleagues.
• Establish reporting standards and evaluate processes to improve the timeliness, quality, scalability, and clarity of donor impact communications.
• Lead the gift acknowledgment process in line with the gift-matrix strategy, including segmentation, messaging, and coordination with UTIA academic units.
• Maintain stewardship portfolio information and coordinate reporting and workflows across ACE/Salesforce, DASH, ThankView, Marketing Cloud, and related systems; partner with Advancement Services to resolve data issues.
• Evaluate stewardship workflows, systems, and donor experience practices, and recommend and implement improvements that increase efficiency, consistency, and effectiveness.
• Train Advancement staff and campus partners on approved stewardship processes in DASH, ACE, and OnBase.
• Develop, implement, and assess the UTIA-wide stewardship plan in consultation with Advancement leadership and in alignment with campaign priorities, institutional goals, and industry best practices.
• Collaborate with academic departments, central campus units, Alumni and Annual Giving, principal-gift partners, and Communications to support a coordinated stewardship infrastructure.

Benefits

• Generous paid leave, accruing up to 24 vacation days and 12 sick-leave days annually, plus 14 paid holidays and administrative closing days.
• Flexible work arrangements, with a hybrid schedule offered to most team members.
• Education benefits for employees and their dependents at UT System campuses.
• Retirement and deferred compensation plans, including 401(k) and 403(b).
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• Employee discounts on attractions, services, and goods.

What This Job Offers

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