Director of Advancement Communications and Stewardship

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab • Chicago, IL

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

Shirley Ryan AbilityLab seeks a strategic, highly accomplished Director, Advancement Communications & Stewardship to lead integrated philanthropic communications and principal gift stewardship efforts, with particular emphasis on the $5M+ portfolio. As the world’s leading rehabilitation hospital and a research-driven, translational innovation engine, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab requires compelling, evidence-based storytelling that connects donors directly to breakthroughs in neuroscience, recovery science and patient-centered care. This role is responsible for architecting high-impact communications and bespoke stewardship strategies that engage principal and transformational donors in meaningful, measurable ways. The Director, Advancement Communications & Stewardship will partner closely with the Senior Vice President of Advancement, CEO, physician-scientists, researchers and frontline clinicians to translate complex science and clinical outcomes into persuasive philanthropic narratives across multiple platforms and technologies. The Director, Advancement Communications & Stewardship will consistently demonstrate support of the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab statement of Vision, Mission and Core Values by striving for excellence, contributing to the team efforts and showing respect and compassion for patients and their families, fellow employees and all others with whom there is contact at or in the interest of the institute. The Director, Advancement Communications & Stewardship will demonstrate Shirley Ryan AbilityLab Core Attributes: Communication, Accountability, Flexibility/Adaptability, Judgment/Problem Solving, Customer Service and Core Values (Hope, Compassion, Discovery, Collaboration, and Commitment to Excellence) while fulfilling job duties.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s preferred.
• 8–12+ years of experience in advancement communications, principal gift strategy or high-level donor stewardship within healthcare, academic medicine, research institutions or complex nonprofits.
• Demonstrated experience supporting $5M+ philanthropic engagements.
• Exceptional writing and editorial ability, with fluency in translating scientific and clinical content into accessible philanthropic narratives.
• Experience leveraging CRM systems, digital engagement tools, analytics platforms and multimedia communications.
• Strong project management skills and ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, research-driven environment.
• High level of discretion and executive presence.
• Principal Gift Strategy & Execution
• Strategic Narrative Development
• Data-Driven Communications
• Digital & Multimedia Fluency
• Institutional & Scientific Literacy
• Highly collaborative
• Experience shaping outcomes, decisions and work product without formal authority
• Relationship Stewardship

Nice To Haves

• Experience in an academic medical center or research hospital setting.
• Familiarity with translational research, neuroscience, rehabilitation medicine, or healthcare innovation.
• Supervisory experience.

Responsibilities

• Principal and Transformational Gift Communications ($5M+ Portfolio) Develop and execute comprehensive communication strategies for donors with capacity or commitments of $5M and above.
• Lead creation of customized principal gift proposals, naming opportunity materials, impact reports, donor agreements, executive briefings and campaign case statements.
• Design highly personalized stewardship plans aligned with donor intent and institutional priorities in research, clinical innovation, and quality of life programs.
• Translate complex clinical data, research outcomes and innovation pipelines into compelling donor-facing content that demonstrates measurable impact.
• Collaborate directly with relationship managers to support cultivation and solicitation strategies, including high-level briefing materials for leadership.
• Ensure accurate tracking and fulfillment of reporting obligations and recognition commitments.
• Strategic Stewardship Leadership Oversee comprehensive stewardship program, ensuring donors receive best-in-class, highly tailored engagement.
• Develop scalable stewardship systems while maintaining white-glove engagement for top-tier donors.
• Lead production of endowed fund reports, milestone updates and translational research impact summaries.
• Integrate real-time programmatic data and clinical outcomes into stewardship communications.
• Establish performance metrics for donor retention, satisfaction, and engagement.
• Multi-Platform & Technology-Driven Communications Leverage digital tools, Raiser’s Edge, analytics dashboards and donor engagement platforms to personalize and scale communications.
• Develop multimedia storytelling assets including video briefings, digital impact reports, virtual lab tours and beyond.
• Utilize automation, segmentation strategies and data analytics to refine messaging and optimize donor engagement.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications to ensure brand alignment and consistent institutional voice across print, digital and experiential channels.
• Integrate virtual and hybrid event technologies to enhance cultivation and stewardship experiences.
• Explore emerging technologies (AI-assisted content development, digital personalization tools, immersive storytelling platforms) to elevate donor engagement.
• Cross-Functional Leadership & Collaboration Serve as strategic advisor to senior leadership on messaging for high-stakes donor conversations.
• Collaborate with physician-scientists and clinical leaders to source timely content and measurable outcomes.
• Partner with Finance and Legal to ensure gift compliance, documentation accuracy, and reporting transparency.
• Supervise and mentor communications and stewardship staff
• Contribute to advancement strategy, particularly in the principal gift tier.

Benefits

• Shirley Ryan AbilityLab offers a comprehensive benefits program that is competitive with our industry peers in our geographic locations: https://www.sralab.org/benefits
• Benefits and benefits’ eligibility can vary by position.

What This Job Offers

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