Development Specialist

University of Arkansas • Fayetteville, AR

2d • Onsite

About The Position

The Development Specialist is responsible for supporting the overall fundraising strategy within the Development Team at Bumpers College. The person in this role will assist with cultivating relationships with donors, partners, and sponsors by managing efforts to create and execute consistent, donor-centered touchpoints, including thank-you letters, personalized correspondence, impact updates, stewardship cadences, and post-visit follow-up communications for frontline fundraisers. The position also supports Bumpers College development staff and dean in generating gifts and sponsorship by providing stewardship tools, event planning and support, and coordinated outreach to strengthen donor engagement collegewide.
The Development Specialist will coordinate and assists with the execution of a variety of donor stewardship and engagement events such as tailgates, dinners, receptions, and happy hours, managing logistics from concept through on-site execution. The role also oversees the creation, inventory, and distribution of stewardship materials in partnership with communications teams. Additionally, the position assists in research to identify potential donors as well as with administrative duties, including expense reporting, gift tracking, data entry, calendar management, and record keeping.
The Development Specialist serves as the primary coordinator for the Dean’s Advisory Council, managing meeting logistics, communications, agendas, and follow-up. The position also supports the Bumpers Alumni Society’s activities, engagement, and events as directed by the Bumpers College Director of Development. This role is essential to cultivating a strong culture of gratitude and enhancing the donor experience throughout Bumpers College. The Development Specialist also works collaboratively with development staff in other colleges and with the UA System Division of Agriculture to support a donor-centric mission that strengthens relationships and generates revenue-producing resources for the college and the university. Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education
• Demonstrated experience providing administrative support to senior personnel with frequent travel, requiring a high degree of organization, coordination, and attention to detail
• Demonstrated experience drafting professional correspondence
• Demonstrated experience supporting the planning and execution of events

Nice To Haves

• Extensive experience providing high-level administrative support to senior personnel with complex and frequent travel, including proactive calendar management and independent follow-through
• Advanced experience drafting, editing, and managing professional correspondence, with demonstrated attention to tone, accuracy, and presentation
• Demonstrated experience independently coordinating and managing events, including planning, logistics, on-site execution, and post-event follow-up
• Demonstrated experience working in a fundraising, development, or nonprofit environment, with exposure to donor relations, stewardship, or external engagement
• Demonstrated familiarity with the external stakeholders served by the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences, including alumni, donors, industry partners, and friends of the college
• Knowledge of, or ability to quickly acquire knowledge of, the role and function of advancement and donor stewardship within a university setting
• Outstanding customer service skills, with the ability to interact professionally with donors, alumni, senior administrators, and external stakeholders
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce clear, professional correspondence and coordinate communications across audiences
• Strong task and project management skills in a fast-paced, frequently changing environment
• Exceptional attention to detail, particularly in written correspondence, event logistics, and administrative processes
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel, including document formatting, correspondence preparation, and tracking tools
• Highly organized, task-oriented work style that reflects professionalism, accountability, and consistent follow-through
• Strong problem-solving skills, with the ability to anticipate needs, exercise sound judgment, and address issues independently
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative development and administrative team
• Ability to manage multiple projects and competing priorities simultaneously while meeting deadlines
• Ability to maintain a professional demeanor and exercise discretion when working with confidential records, donor information, and sensitive communications
• Flexibility to adjust work hours as needed, including occasional evenings and weekends, to support donor events, meetings, and deadlines

Responsibilities

• Drafts and manages donor correspondence, including thank-you letters, impact updates, event follow-ups, and post-visit communications for fundraisers.
• Plans and executes stewardship events (tailgates, dinners, receptions, happy hours), with responsibility for overseeing setup, event flow, and post-event wrap-up.
• Supports college leadership and development team with coordinated stewardship efforts.
• Manages creation, inventory, and distribution of stewardship materials in collaboration with communications partners.
• Performs research and administrative tasks, including expense reporting, gift processing, and maintaining accurate donor data and records.
• Coordinates the Bumpers College Dean’s Advisory Council.

Benefits

• university contributions to health, dental, life and disability insurance
• tuition waivers for employees and their families
• 12 official holidays
• immediate leave accrual
• a choice of retirement programs with university contributions ranging from 5 to 10% of employee salary

What This Job Offers

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