Director of Signature Events and Stewardship

KANSAS ATHLETICS•Lawrence, KS

4d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Signature Events & Stewardship serves as the departmental leader for donor stewardship, recognition, engagement, and signature events. This position develops and executes comprehensive stewardship programs, oversees donor recognition initiatives, manages signature events, and ensures meaningful donor engagement across all giving levels.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
Minimum two years' previous special event and/or stewardship work experience
Demonstrated experience with donor stewardship, donor relations, or customer/client relationship management
Demonstrated proficiency using the Microsoft Office suite (Excel, Word, etc.)
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail
Demonstrated ability to work effectively under multiple deadlines in a fast-paced office environment with the capacity to adapt quickly to major and minor changes in projects/events and outcomes
Ability to work well both independently and in collaboration with staff as a team member
Experience in dealing with the public while providing exceptional customer service
Self-starter that takes a proactive approach to work
Prior supervisory experience or demonstrated leadership capability
Ability and willingness to work occasional evenings, weekends, or holidays as needed
Knowledge of and commitment to NCAA rules

Nice To Haves

Previous event and/or stewardship work experience in a college or professional athletics environment
Previous experience supervising staff
Master's degree from an accredited college or university

Responsibilities

Lead strategy and execution for Development signature events, overseeing planning, logistics, budgets, and on-site execution from concept through completion
Oversee event planning, communications, programming, logistics, and post-event assessments
Partner with internal and external stakeholders to deliver meaningful donor engagement opportunities
Collaborate with the Director of Hospitality & Premium Experiences to coordinate hospitality components for all signature events
Lead all stewardship efforts for Kansas Athletic donors, including Ad Astra members, Annual Fund donors, K Club members, and major gift donors
Develop and implement comprehensive donor stewardship and engagement strategies
Oversee donor acknowledgment processes, impact reporting initiatives, stewardship communications, and recognition efforts
Manage donor recognition initiatives, including Limestone Society naming opportunities, recognition displays, signage, and related materials
Coordinate the endowed scholarship stewardship program, including donor and student-athlete engagement initiatives and annual stewardship events
Assist with selection for donor team travel; this may or may not involve travel to specific sites. This includes setting up meal and hotel reservations and relaying information to the various sports or Development contacts
Develop donor impact stories, testimonials, and stewardship content illustrating philanthropic support
Collaborate with development staff to ensure consistency in stewardship messaging and donor communications
Serve as a liaison with university and external partners on donor engagement initiatives
Support donor-facing communications related to recognition, impact reporting, and stewardship
Supervise and provide leadership to one Development Coordinator, including delegation of duties, training, and performance management
Oversee the events and stewardship budget, working with the gift administrator to process payments
Recommend and implement strategies to increase donor engagement and operational efficiency
Other work-related duties as assigned by the Athletics Director or their designee