Senior Director, Digital Engagement and Strategic Solicitations

RUF • New Brunswick, NJ

22d • $110,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting to the Vice President for Central Engagement, the Senior Director of Digital Engagement and Strategic Solicitations leads the strategy, execution, and continuous optimization of a comprehensive, university-wide annual giving program for Rutgers University. This role is responsible for designing and delivering a high-impact, multi-channel annual giving strategy that increases donor participation, annual support, and long-term engagement. The Senior Director partners closely with foundation leadership, development officers, and cross-functional teams to set and achieve ambitious goals for donor acquisition, retention, participation, and revenue. Through compelling digital engagement, strategic solicitations, and coordinated outreach, the role inspires donors, alumni, and friends to give, attend events, volunteer, and deepen their connection to Rutgers and its alumni community. In close collaboration with the Marketing and Engagement Communications team, the Senior Director ensures cohesive, mission-driven messaging across all channels that reflects Rutgers’ values of academic excellence, community building, and advancing the common good. The position manages the Director of Annual Giving and plays a critical leadership role in elevating strategic solicitations and strengthening a culture of engagement and philanthropy across the university.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and/or 6+ years of professional experience in annual giving.
• Ability to successfully manage and lead a team in a way that maximizes potential of each team member
• Must be proactive and bring forward thinking ideas
• Manage an implementation team and projects/program with moderate supervision from leadership
• Set goals, manage budgets, and meet deadlines for themselves and the team
• Contribute to initiatives or projects that span multiple organizations or units
• Partner with other peer directors and department leads across the organization
• Effectively up managing your supervisor and University partners across the enterprise
• organization-wide outcomes by influencing at all levels to include RU/RUF executive leadership
• Able to devise and execute increasingly complex projects
• Set department/project/program direction and approach in partnership with leadership
• Able to adapt to changing situations and different fundraising partners
• Responsible for a pan-University philanthropic initiative
• Lead operations for a department/program
• Define and oversee strategy for department/project/program
• Demonstrate the ability to set priorities and determine strategy for department/project/program, including staffing and budgets

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Salesforce and/or Commerce Cloud a plus

Responsibilities

• Leads the development of a comprehensive strategic plan and annual giving program budget, ensuring effective allocation of resources to maximize impact and achieve fundraising and donor engagement targets
• Sets the annual solicitation calendar and messaging strategy, oversees direct marketing efforts-including digital campaigns, crowdfunding, annual appeals, and giving day to maximize both the total number of donors and donations.
• Designs and implements innovative and unique strategic solicitation initiatives to acquire new donors and re-engage donors around active fundraising areas generating discovery data for potential larger contribution.
• Utilizes data and analytics to assess the effectiveness of annual giving initiatives, generate detailed reports, and inform strategic decisions to enhance program performance.
• Leads projects and initiatives across various
• Manages annual giving professionals, setting clear performance goals, conducting regular evaluations, and fostering a high performing, collaborative work environment.
• Focuses on personalized cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to build lasting relationships with donors and increase giving levels.
• Collaborate with CLUs and departments under the central engagement vertical to align annual giving strategies with broader institutional goals.
• Aligns annual giving program with the Foundation's overall fundraising goals and the University values

Benefits

• Office-centric hybrid work schedule
• Comprehensive medical
• Comprehensive no cost dental, and no cost vision insurance for employee and dependents
• 403(b) plan with matching employer contribution
• Accrual of three weeks of annual vacation time, in addition to five wellness days and fifteen sick days per year
• Nine holidays, as well as four floating holidays
• Significant tuition reductions
• $40 monthly cell phone reimbursement

What This Job Offers

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