Director of Advancement Communications - 502464

SUMMARY:

The Director of Advancement Communications works collaboratively with colleagues in Advancement and University Communications to develop and contribute to strategic messaging for the university's alumni, donor, and prospective donor audiences, and to create strategies and tools to help the university nuture its relationships with those audiences more broadly, including engagement and fundraising for a forthcoming comprehensive campaign.

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Advancement while sustaining a closely collaborative relationship with University Communications, the Director is an integral part of the Vice President's senior team and works closely with colleagues across the division to identify and address communications opportunities and challenges related to advancement work with alumni, donors, and other key external audiences. The Director serves as the primary liaison to University Communications for fundraising and alumni relations work.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Communications Leadership:

• Serve as primary liaison between University Communications and Advancement staff to analyze and implement best practices to improve collaboration and help Advancement achieve goals and objectives for philanthropic support and alumni engagement, including through the strategic integration of key advancement priorities and messages with institutional messaging and storytelling.
• Design and implement a comprehensive Advancement communications strategy that uses best practices to identify and create opportunities to inspire and drive forward engagement and giving from alumni, parents, and other supporters. Lead communications thinking that will help Advancement achieve goals and objectives for alumni engagement and philanthropic support, and drive forward the university's culture of philanthropy and alumni engagement.
• Serves as a member of the university's editorial committee and storyboard group and other communications and marketing based committees as needed.
• Convene and lead an Advancement Communications working group to gather ideas, coordinate communications work, and drive communications strategy across the division, and to inform liaison work with University Communications.
• Ensure brand and messaging consistency across all platforms of Advancement communications.
• Identify the latest communications formats, tools, and delivery methods and bring forward to advancement partners for consideration.

Communications Development:

• Create and collaborate with partners on co-creation of communications and marketing materials that will mobilize alumni and friends and inspire philanthropy.
• Work closely with Vice President, Fundraising Leadership Team, and other key advancement staff to develop case statements, proposal template language, and other Campaign-related materials and communication plans.
• Collaborate with University Communications, key advancement partners, and any external consultants on Campaign brand work and website design & maintenance.
• Serve as the hub for narrative development and storytelling in Advancement; takes lead on drafting and collecting compelling stories and developing case materials in partnership with development and alumni relations staff and university partners.
• Support advancement partners in their digital and social media strategy and content creation, using current trends and best practices.
• Support the Vice President as needed with work on special projects that support the overall strategic work of the division, including the creation of presentations, remarks, reports, or other materials, and aiding the Vice President in communications to the division.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Highly collaborative; exceptional and versatile writing, editing, and verbal communication skills; understanding of how to inspire donor and alumni engagement across diverse audiences; strong project management skills; excellent strategic thinking, analytic analysis, and creative problem-solving abilities; experience in general communications strategy, social media, print and digital marketing, and web development; high standards for accuracy and attention to detail; ability to balance a variety of tasks with a high degree of competency and accuracy.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE:

Bachelor's degree with at least 7-9 years' experience in communications, marketing, or development is required. Experience in communications, marketing, creative development, writing, or graphic design is preferred, with preference for higher ed experience and particularly experience with fundraising and/or alumni communications. Experience with web content development and social media is a plus.

WORK HOURS:

• Full-time, exempt position
• Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; 7.75 hrs./day; 38.75 hrs./week; occasional evening and/or weekend work, including for major alumni or donor events

SALARY STRUCTURE:
Pay Grade 9 (Hiring Range $73,008.00 to $100,402.00 annually)

ABOUT UR:

At the University of Richmond, we're creative, inclusive, and determined. We're Spiders, and our mission is to create positive change in the UR community and beyond. Located minutes from downtown Richmond, Virginia, the University of Richmond (www.richmond.edu) blends the intimacy of a small college with exceptional academic, research, and cultural opportunities usually found only at large institutions. There's only one place like Richmond.

UR is committed to developing a diverse faculty, staff and student body, and to modeling an inclusive campus community which values the expression of differences in ways that promote excellence in teaching, learning, personal development and institutional success. In keeping with this commitment, our academic community welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds and candidates who support diversity. EOE