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The Senior Assistant Director, Donor Relations is a key member of the advancement team, responsible for managing stewardship programs aimed at retaining and upgrading donors to Emerson College. Reporting to the Director of Donor Relations & Stewardship, this role maintains core services while launching new initiatives. It requires strong organizational and communication skills to build and sustain long-term relationships with alumni, parents, and friends, encouraging continued support for Emerson’s strategic priorities.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES

Design and execute a donor acknowledgment strategy that provides timely, personalized, and meaningful recognition to donors at all levels. This includes crafting thank-you notes and videos, overseeing gift acknowledgment workflows, and ensuring all gifts are properly acknowledged in a variety of ways. Continuously assess and refine the acknowledgment process to enhance donor engagement, incorporating best practices and automation where applicable.
Create and launch a student thank you initiative that actively engages students in expressing gratitude to donors, fostering a culture of philanthropy within the student body. Develop a strategy for integrating student participation, including handwritten notes, video messages, and social media engagement, and work to recruit and train student ambassadors who will take part in donor recognition efforts.
Provide support for the annual fund reporting process by ensuring that all fund reports are tracked in the database and all funds are properly matched to interested parties (donors, faculty, leadership).
Collaborate with all members of the Institutional Advancement team to develop stewardship communications, donor recognition collateral, and a new and thoughtful recognition program for the College's donors.
Support all advancement events and operational needs as required, including all donor-related event activity, fulfill data entry and reporting requests, maintain accurate and up-to-date donor contact and biographical information, and document best practices for further enhancement of the College’s donor relations and stewardship programs.

QUALIFICATIONS – Qualifications are deemed required or preferred and represent what is needed to effectively perform the job.

A bachelor’s degree in a related field is required
2-4 years of experience in donor relations, advancement/development, non-profit administration, or alumni relations (or a closely related field) required
Direct experience in higher education is required
Proven track record in effectively working with a broad range of internal and external constituents, including faculty, staff, students, and donor constituents required
Demonstrated experience handling confidential and/or sensitive information required
Demonstrated experience working on multiple projects and meeting deadlines required

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES – This may be representative but not all-inclusive of the knowledge, skills, and abilities commonly associated with the job.

Demonstrated project management skills, ability to work independently, and attention to detail and follow-through are essential
Exceptional organizational skills, including demonstrated ability to effectively handle multiple tasks while paying close attention to detail
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; creativity, initiative, and independence in carrying out responsibilities; demonstrated planning and teamwork
Direct experience with Raiser’s Edge NXT and proficient knowledge in Microsoft Office and Google Suite preferred
Exceptional customer service competencies: developed active, reflective listening skills; capacity for creative problem-solving; can-do attitude
Ability to lead and thrive in a fast-paced, fluid, entrepreneurial, and collaborative environment

PHYSICAL ABILITIES – Activities commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job. The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

Requires the ability to effectively communicate in person and through communication media
Requires the ability to lift and move objects that are light
Requires the ability to lift and move material occasionally
Infrequent travel required

WORK ENVIRONMENT – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of the functions of this job.

Usual Office Conditions

Disclaimer: This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees may be required to follow other job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as requested, subject to all applicable state and federal laws. Certain job duties described herein may be subject to possible modification in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.

This position is primarily a hybrid role with expected days in the office each week.

The hybrid arrangement will be made upon hire. Candidates must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of the Boston campus to ensure operational effectiveness. This arrangement must be approved as outlined in the Remote Work Policy.

Compensation: $64,500.00 - $79,000.00 annually, commensurate with experience.

Grade of Position: 23-08E

Scheduled Weekly Hours: 36.25

Division: Division of Institutional Advancement

In addition to a competitive salary, Emerson College is committed to the health and well-being of our employees and family members. We offer a generous benefits package to regular staff scheduled to work 20+ hours per week.

Benefits include outstanding health plans with limited out-of-pocket expenses, dental plans, generous time-off programs, and a 403(b) retirement benefit with a 9% employer contribution once eligible. Additional benefits such as life and disability coverage as well as commuter offerings are available.

Please refer to our benefits website for a full list of benefits and eligibility requirements.