Job Information
Wesleyan University Director of Advancement Communications in Middletown, Connecticut
Position Information
Job Posting Number S01308
Position Title Director of Advancement Communications
Department Campaign-1188
Job Category Staff Posting
Position Type Full-Time
Work Location Hybrid
Pay Type Salaried
Salary Range
$90,000 – $110,000
Compensation Practices
Experience is taken into consideration in the determination of salary offers. For more information visit https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/handbook/compensation-practices/index.html
Position Details
The Office of Advancement ( ADV ) builds lifelong relationships with alumni, parents, and friends, and engages them in support of Wesleyan’s educational mission and financial goals.
Working with an alumni body of approximately 30,000 people, as well as parents of current and past students, the Advancement team fosters pride in the Wesleyan community and develops support for university initiatives through outreach activities, including development/fundraising, alumni & parent relations, and both on- and off-campus events. Consistent with a philanthropic trend seen across higher education, Wesleyan’s fundraising dollars have increased consistently over the last ten years as the number of donors has declined. Wesleyan University recently launched a $600 million comprehensive fundraising campaign, the largest in school history. While raising financial support for key University initiatives, the campaign also aims to broaden Wesleyan’s donor base and build a pipeline of donors for the future.
The Director of Advancement Communications is responsible for leading a team of multi-channel marketing and communications staff. This role requires a strategic manager to lead the team in executing a comprehensive, integrated advancement communications program that increases alumni, parent, and donor engagement and builds a growing culture of philanthropy. This position requires effectiveness on both a strategic and delivery level.
Partnering with colleagues across the Office of Advancement, the Director of Advancement Communications is responsible for developing, managing, and executing a comprehensive and synergetic marketing and communications plan to support Advancement’s fundraising and engagement goals, with a particular focus on retaining, acquiring, and renewing the alumni and parent donors who comprise the University’s participation base. This position supervises a staff of three that covers project management, social media, and digital marketing execution and related platforms.
This position will collaborate closely with the Office of University Communications to understand and promote overall University messaging and find creative ways to shape that messaging for alumni and parent audiences, including the incorporation of campaign branding and messaging into all ADV marketing and communications materials. This position will also serve as the primary liaison and project manager for collaborative projects with the Office of University Communications.
Responsibilities include:
Working in close collaboration with leaders in the Office of Advancement, and considering multiple fundraising program objectives and audiences, create and implement a strategic and comprehensive advancement communications plan, including goals and assessment practices, that inspires philanthropic support and promotes increased engagement from the broadest possible cross-section of Wesleyan alumni and parents.
Oversee and manage the advancement communications calendar that strategically aligns the priorities of Advancement program areas with the overall vision and fundraising and engagement objectives of the Office of Advancement.
Collaborate closely with the Office of University Communications to understand and support University messaging priorities and translate those messages for Advancement communications.
Establish and manage a set of key performance indicators and benchmark reports to gauge effectiveness of Advancement Communications.
Develop, write, edit, and review a wide variety of content types, including letters, emails, web content, marketing copy, social media, etc. that inspire broad-based constituent engagement and philanthropy.
Manage budget for ADV communications projects, including any outside, collaborative work with independent contractors and vendors.
Serve as primary liaison to digital communications platforms, as appropriate.
Other duties as assigned.
This position is a hybrid position with on-campus and remote work schedules.
Hybrid work is only considered for residents of MA, VT, NH, ME, CT, RI, or NY. (Relocation assistance to CT is available for those who qualify).
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of seven years of communication experience with a consistent increase in responsibility, including leadership and management, or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Strong organizational and project management skills with an excellent ability to initiate, implement, monitor, evaluate, and advance strategic plans.
Successful track record of collaborating with program directors and senior leadership on the strategic level as well as team members and colleagues toward shared goals, operating effectively on the delivery level.
Exceptional communication skills, from writing and editing to presenting, to team-based problem-solving and collaborating.
Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and networking skills with large groups as well as with individuals are essential.
Experience developing and implementing broad-based communications that drive donor participation, alumni engagement, volunteer impact, and dollars raised.
Experience managing a team; ability to inspire, mentor, motivate team performance and promote accountability.
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, prioritizing multiple competing tasks and demands. Commitment to evolutionary process rather than revolutionary change.
Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Demonstrated understanding of the importance of ensuring an equitable, inclusive, and diverse working environment with the ability to work as part of a diverse and collaborative team.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, CRM software (such as Salesforce Marketing Cloud), Adobe Creative Suite, and HTML code (Cascade, WordPress).
Demonstrated understanding of the donor cycle, fundraising best practices, and industry trends.
Familiarity with AP and Chicago style conventions.
Preferred Qualifications
Non-profit experience with an emphasis on fundraising preferred.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Position is open until filled. For full consideration please apply by June 7, 2024 when first review of applications will begin.
In addition to a resume and cover letter, please submit a writing sample and/or persuasive marketing materials or case studies that you have created.
Additional Information
All offers to external applicants are contingent on the candidate’s completion of a pre-employment background check screening (https://www.wesleyan.edu/hr/pdfs/Wesleyan%20University%20Background%20Check%20Policy_.pdf) to the satisfaction of Wesleyan University.
Benefits
Wesleyan offers a broad range of employee benefits and development opportunities, including comprehensive group insurance plans, wellness programs and incentives, generous paid time off and retirement plans. We also offer flexible work schedules, employee and dependent tuition programs, as well as access to Wesleyan’s BLS & GLS programs for those who qualify (tuition is waived for up to 2 courses a term; some fees and taxes may apply).
Detailed information on the benefits of working at Wesleyan is located at: https://wesleyan.edu/hr/careers/prospective-resources.html.
Quick Link https://careers.wesleyan.edu/postings/10462
Supplemental Questions