Project Associate, Principal Gifts

University of Virginia•Charlottesville, VA

7d•$55,000 - $60,000•Hybrid

About The Position

External Relations at the University of Virginia (UVA) seeks a Project Associate (PA) to join the Principal Gifts (PG) team. UVA has a strong, award-winning advancement community, boasting effective, results-oriented, and resourceful professionals. Our community comprises a robust central advancement organization, 12 University schools, and more than 25 University-related programs. We offer a wide variety of career opportunities, as well as an outstanding environment for professional growth and development. The PA will serve as an organizational point person for and provide general administrative support to the PG team. The PA will track projects, ensure major milestones are achieved, and provide executive-level support for the Director of Principal Relationship Development (DPRD). The PA will also assist with travel and expense reimbursement, meeting preparation, scheduling, data entry, and reporting needs. The successful candidate will have exceptional oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills; the ability to pivot from one priority to the next with short notice; and excellent judgment and professionalism when handling confidential information. The Project Associate will report to the Director of Principal Relationship Development.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required.
2+ years of relevant experience required.
High level of discretion, integrity, and professionalism in handling confidential donor information.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook).

Nice To Haves

Exceptional ability to manage, monitor, and organize communications and information across many channels.
Excellent oral and written communication, organizational, and customer service skills.
Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel, along with proficiency with other Microsoft Office 365 programs, such as Outlook, SharePoint, Forms, Project, and Teams.
Ability to navigate database systems and analyze information using critical thinking skills.
Exceptional ability to quickly learn and adapt to modern technology and software platforms.
Experience with customer relationship management platforms (e.g., Salesforce) for donor tracking and engagement.
Ability to work independently, using sound judgment to navigate obstacles as needed and complete tasks with minimal guidance.
Interest in academic fundraising and the philanthropic landscape in higher education.
Experience with proposal writing, grant writing, and/or executive correspondence.

Responsibilities

Track inquiries from schools and units as they request PG review (e.g., of proposals, constituent lists, briefing documents), ensuring that requests are appropriately prioritized and routed.
Track and monitor updates and next steps for key PG team deliverables.
Establish project templates, folders, trackers, and similar resources to help PG colleagues execute and report on their work, incorporating approved project- and task-management tools as appropriate.
Lead and manage special projects from initiation through implementation, ensuring clarity of scope, timelines, and deliverables.
Assist in creating and updating weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual reports.
Track and monitor the status of requests for presidential appearances at events and meetings with donors and fundraising prospects.
Assist in the process of inviting alumni, donors, and fundraising prospects to various VIP opportunities (such as small private dinners, reserved seating at events, and athletics suite tickets), including collaborating with schools and units on invitation requests, tracking responses, and facilitating ticket delivery.
As directed, contribute to, draft, or proofread PG team written materials, including correspondence, meeting and event briefing materials, reports, and proposals.
Support execution of bespoke gifts and unique experiences to steward top donors.
Support University leadership development activity, including managing prospect portfolios, tracking visit priorities and next steps, and entering donor data (e.g., contact reports, proposals) into the system of record.
Develop sufficient fluency in core External Relations platforms (e.g., Salesforce, Blackthorn, Tableau) to create and run reports, update constituent information, generate contact lists, and more.
Use Microsoft Excel or similar tools to format and organize data to be easily understood by team members and senior leaders to support effective decision making.
Coordinate with Advancement Services on needed improvements to systems, tools, and processes, including appropriate exploration and integration of AI tools.
Facilitate internal and external information sharing, including team records and files, shared mailboxes, and event calendars. Maintain the PG team’s intranet pages, templates, and shared resources.
Manage PG team administrative functions, including purchasing, expense reconciliation, managing team accounts, printing, and general office operations.
Provide high-level executive support to the DPRD, including calendar management, correspondence assistance, and task tracking.
Coordinate logistics for virtual and in-person meetings led by the DPRD or the PG team, including scheduling, agendas, materials, catering, and room setup.
Serve as a primary liaison for the principal gifts team to the administrative community.
Serve as the PG team’s central source of information about University and External Relations administrative updates, including training deadlines, policy changes, and projected periods of system downtime.
In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.