Assistant Director of Stewardship - Penn Engineering Development and Alumni Relations

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Assistant Director of Stewardship - Penn Engineering Development and Alumni Relations

Job Profile Title

Staff Writer B

Job Description Summary

Reporting to the Director of Donor Relations, the Assistant Director of Stewardship will help to execute Penn Engineering’s comprehensive donor relations and stewardship program and will provide communications, project management, and event support across the School’s Development and Alumni Relations program. The Assistant Director will produce high-quality development communications and stewardship materials, manage a range of recurring and individualized projects, and help improve the systems and workflows that ensure constituents are thanked, informed, and engaged in timely and meaningful ways.

The Assistant Director will be a superb writer and editor who will translate complex engineering research, education, and institutional priorities into clear, compelling content for donors, alumni, prospects, and University leaders. The position will develop gift acknowledgments, fund reports, proposals, leadership briefings, remarks, and digital communications; support donor recognition activities such as donor walls and events; and use visual, video, and other digital media to demonstrate philanthropic impact.

The role will also provide broad support for the planning and execution of Development and Alumni Relations initiatives, including stewardship and alumni events, special projects, and other engagement activities. Working closely with colleagues across Penn Engineering, University Development, and Alumni Relations, the Assistant Director will work across the full range of donor relations and stewardship activities while independently managing projects appropriate to the assistant director level.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Gift acknowledgments and donor correspondence. Manage an assigned portfolio of gift acknowledgments and personalized donor correspondence, including letters recognizing major gifts, pledges, pledge payments, annual gifts, and other philanthropic milestones. Research gifts and donors; draft, edit, proofread, route, and track correspondence for the Dean and other School leaders. In partnership with the Director and Associate Director, evaluate and improve acknowledgment standards, templates, workflows, service levels, and quality-control practices to increase timeliness, personalization, accuracy, and scalability.
• Stewardship reporting and donor impact. Research, write, edit, design, and coordinate stewardship reports and impact communications for an assigned portfolio of endowed and current-use funds, including scholarships, fellowships, faculty support, research and educational initiatives, capital projects, and other major gifts. Gather and synthesize financial, programmatic, faculty, and student information; maintain reporting calendars and records; and recommend formats and content that make complex information accessible and meaningful to donors.
•  Development and Alumni Relations program support. Provide communications, project management, and programmatic support for a broad range of Development and Alumni Relations initiatives based on evolving office priorities, including stewardship and alumni events, special projects, and constituent engagement activities. Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to ensure initiatives are thoughtfully planned, effectively executed, and aligned with the School’s development and alumni relations goals. Occasional evening and weekend work and local travel may be required.
• Development communications and leadership materials. Draft and edit donor-facing and leadership communications, including gift proposals, concept papers, case statements, executive briefings, event remarks, talking points, donor visit materials, nomination memos, and post-event correspondence. Translate technical subjects and institutional priorities for varied audiences while maintaining accuracy, voice, and message consistency. Contribute research, first drafts, and project coordination for high-level and complex assignments led by the Director.
• Digital communications and creative media. Build, test, and deploy assigned donor, annual giving, alumni, and event communications using Salesforce Marketing Cloud and related platforms. Create and maintain event registration experiences; support segmentation, personalization, accessibility, quality assurance, and performance reporting. Develop or coordinate visual, video, web, and other digital content in partnership with the Associate Director of Donor Relations, Penn Engineering Marketing and Communications, and University colleagues; use engagement data to recommend improvements.
• Program operations and continuous improvement. Maintain accurate project, fund, donor, recognition, and stewardship records in Compass/Salesforce and other systems. Document procedures; develop templates, calendars, dashboards, and shared resources; monitor deadlines and deliverables; identify workflow gaps; and help implement tools and process improvements. Support named-space and donor recognition projects, special stewardship initiatives, and evaluation of program effectiveness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and two to three years of progressively responsible experience in stewardship, donor relations, development communications, alumni relations, advancement, event management, marketing communications, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading, interviewing, and research skills, with demonstrated ability to translate complex or technical information into clear, engaging, audience-appropriate communications.
• Strong project management and organizational skills; meticulous attention to detail; sound judgment; and the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, take ownership of projects, improve processes, and collaborate effectively with senior leaders, fundraisers, faculty, staff, students, donors, alumni, vendors, and University partners.
• Versatility and adaptability in supporting a broad range of Development and Alumni Relations initiatives, including special projects, constituent engagement activities, and stewardship and alumni events. Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends is required.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and experience with constituent databases, email marketing platforms, event management or registration systems, and digital content tools. Ability and enthusiasm to learn new technology are essential.
• Ability to exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive donor, financial, student, and institutional information.

To be considered, please submit a resume, cover letter, and writing samples.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Development and Alumni Relations

Pay Range

$55,962.00 - $70,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay