Director of Development and Alumni Relations, School of Business

THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT FOUNDATION INC • Mansfield, CT

1d • $95,000

About The Position

The University of Connecticut is a top-ranked national university and health-system with its flagship campus located in idyllic Storrs. Designated a Carnegie Research 1 institution, UConn is the state land- and sea-grant university focused on education, research, and service to the state of Connecticut and beyond. The University serves over 33,000 students across seven campuses, 8,550 first-in-family students, and boasts numerous national championships. UConn Health is a top-ranked health provider that delivers groundbreaking medical education, research, and hospital and clinical services to over one million patients each year. In addition, UConn has nearly 300 scientists who are in the top 2 percent of researchers investigating everything from cancer to AI. UConn continues its meteoric rise as a top public University with a record number of applications, continued investment in student success, health, and wellness, recruitment of top faculty, innovation in research, and top-tier athletic programs focused on the health and financial literacy of student-athletes. This includes the men’s and women’s basketball teams, which have brought home three consecutive NCAA National Championship trophies in the last three years. UConn is proud to have 26 national championships across all sports. Guided by the public launch of our most ambitious campaign in history, Because of UConn The Campaign for UConn Nation, we are moving boldly into the future. The $1.5B comprehensive campaign spans all schools, colleges, campuses and UConn Health and focuses on four pillars designed to make education more affordable and elevate UConn among its national peers. Students First: making transformative investments in financial aid, student health, career readiness, and life skills to improve time-to-degree and career outcomes. Academic & Innovation Excellence: driving investment in top faculty and graduate fellows and building the innovation ecosystem of the state and beyond. Health & Wellness of People & Planet: focusing on patient care, medical research, and development of life-changing technologies that improve healthcare outcomes. Husky Pride: investing in athletic excellence and supporting a thriving UConn Nation that includes more than 290,000 alumni worldwide. Because of UConn will have a profound impact on the University. It will double the number of named scholarships, fund scientific breakthroughs and advanced lifesaving therapies, and engage UConn Nation in the life and mission of the University like never before. We seek the top talent in the country to join The UConn Foundation and help us drive UConn into the future. Our mission is to connect people to the University of Connecticut, growing philanthropy, engaging a thriving alumni and donor community, and building a robust endowment to strategically advance UConn and UConn Health’s educational, research, and service missions. We are committed to a caring and supportive work culture, professional and leadership development, and flexibility for high achievers with a passion for higher education. We’re looking for dedicated professionals to drive success and excellence and exemplify our values of Purpose, Excellence, Culture, Communication and Integrity. The UConn Foundation is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. We celebrate different perspectives and are committed to a welcoming environment that values your unique experiences and identity. As an organization, we strive for continued growth each and every day. The Director of Development and Alumni Relations is responsible for the planning and execution of fundraising and alumni programs that engage the School of Business’ alumni and contribute to the fundraising priorities. This includes serving as a liaison between the school, the alumni auxiliary groups of the school, Development colleagues, and the Alumni Relations team to support the goals of the School and Foundation through shared resources and collaborative initiatives.

Requirements

• Be a champion for inclusive priorities both internally and externally.
• High level of motivation, as well as an ability to exercise independent judgment.
• Strong interpersonal skills, tact, and diplomacy.
• The ability to build productive, beneficial relationships with a broad range of constituencies.
• Strong written and verbal communications skills, including ability to effectively communicate University priorities to donors and prospects, and to positively represent the University and Foundation.
• Familiar with the use of computers and information management tools, such as CRMs (Blackbaud).
• Ability to handle multiple tasks, to assess and order priorities, and to track details in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to engender trust and confidence of donors and prospective donors and to maintain confidentiality of donor information; ability to represent the UConn Foundation to prospects, donors, faculty, administrators, and others.
• Ability to work to the demands of the position, which may exceed a 40-hour work week.
• Attention to and concern for others.
• Requires lifting up to 25 pounds, moving equipment and the ability to move a rolling cart.
• Must be willing to travel extensively.
• Reliable personal transportation is required for this position.
• Must possess a valid driver’s license issued from the state in which the employee resides.
• Employees must maintain at their expense, automobile liability insurance coverage in the minimum amount of $500,000 or a combination of umbrella and automobile liability insurance coverage of $500,000. A certificate of automobile insurance evidencing the limit, must be provided to the Foundation at hire and annually thereafter.
• Bachelor’s degree required
• 5+ years of experience in alumni relations, as a major gift fundraiser, and/or relevant transferable skills
• Competence in Microsoft Office suite and donor management systems.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree preferred

Responsibilities

• Manage an alumni portfolio of up to 60.
• Raise between $100,000 - $250,000 per year. Approximately 50% of workload is committed to engaging donors, drafting plans for prospect engagement, developing tailored proposals, and staffing the dean and others as needed.
• Support the School of Business and campaign priorities by reaching unit fundraising goals and collaborating with the Senior Director of Development for the School, central fundraising teams, and other Foundation departments.
• Identify, cultivate and engage Business alumni and current students into new (or existing) programmatic opportunities that lead to increased involvement, strengthened networks, and aid fundraising for the School of Business locally and nationally.
• Partner and collaborate with the Senior Director to support engagement activities of the School of Business’s Dean’s Cabinet to assist with their efforts to increase support for the School.
• Evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of programs/services, including identification of problems, recommended improvements, and implementation of changes.
• Identify opportunities to highlight Business events and achievements in research, teaching, and service, as well as student and alumni achievements through Alumni Relations and school’s communication team.
• Monitor annual operating budgets for all related programs; stay on budget while ensuring good return on investment and maximizing the alumni experience.
• Collaborate closely with donors, volunteers, and University leaders to identify new prospects.
• Perform administrative duties related to advancement work Including documenting activity, writing proposals, inputting engagement plans in relationship management database, and adhering to Foundation policies.
• Contribute to the overall productivity and efficiency of the Division/Department’s development staff, by meeting or exceeding goals in a metrics-driven environment.
• Develop and support clearly defined and strategic fundraising priorities within the campaign and articulate compelling cases to advance these priorities.
• Model and articulate the Foundation’s organizational core values at all times.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Demonstrate the ability to personally solicit gifts of $10,000 and above.
• Collaborate with the Prospect Management and Research team to increase and grow the major gift pipeline and overall fundraising success of the unit.
• Collaborate and partner with major gift officers in their effort to secure major gifts in support of the Business School.
• Collaborate with Stakeholder Engagement to steward donors, engage with alumni, and support events specific to your unit.
• Provide visible leadership across the entire organization by engaging in organization-wide activities such as development management meetings, all-staff meetings, and staff events.

Benefits

• Benefits start from day one.
• We offer medical, dental, and vision plans and will make an annual contribution to your health savings account if enrolled in one of the high-deductible health plans offered by the Foundation.
• We offer a generous contribution to your 403(b)-retirement plan to help you plan for retirement.
• We place an emphasis on work/life balance. In addition to a hybrid schedule, you will receive thirteen paid holidays, five weeks of paid time off per calendar year, and additional sick time.
• We invest in your professional development. Aside from opportunities to participate in various trainings, committees, and conferences throughout the year, you will also be eligible for tuition reimbursement after one year of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees