Assistant Director, Stewardship

Job Posting Location:

Claremont, CA

Job Posting Title:

Job Description:

ABOUT POMONA COLLEGE: Located near Los Angeles, California, Pomona College is widely regarded as one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges. Established in 1887, Pomona College is known for small classes, a challenging curriculum, close relationships between students and faculty, and a range of student research and leadership opportunities. Pomona is a member of The Claremont Colleges.

JOB PURPOSE:

The Assistant Director of Stewardship (“Assistant Director”) supports the execution of a comprehensive stewardship program in a robust shared services business operation by facilitating personalized donor-centric recognition strategies and operationalizing high-touch stewardship practices. The Assistant Director is an integral and sophisticated donor communications specialist and principal collaborator on strategic donor engagement with a talent for the design and implementation of sustainable workflows, memorable donor recognitions and meaningful relationship building best practices.

A service-oriented thought leader, project manager and data analyst, the Assistant Director administers donor acknowledgments, pledge reminders and bespoke gift related communications; generates compelling content and collateral materials to highlight and reinforce philanthropic impact; and is a key contributor to donor impact report deliverables and individualized donor stewardship plan execution. The Assistant Director is also responsible for validating donor and gift information as well as verifying the accuracy of records and record keeping to: ensure the quality of donor deliverables; enhance the fundraising efforts of the College; advance the mission and vision of Pomona; and contribute to the fulfillment of organizational goals and priorities.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Reporting directly to the Director Stewardship, the Assistant Director performs the following essential duties and responsibilities:

• Planning, coordination, and execution of stewardship projects (e.g., seasonal stewardship videos, thank-you campaigns, etc.).

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to develop compelling content and messages for various platforms, including websites, social media, newsletters, and impact reports.

• Collaborate with numerous departmental and interdepartmental partners to support the development and implementation of donor strategies to engage, recognize and steward donors.

• Collect, analyze, summarize, and organize information for endowment and impact reporting; including but not limited to: the preparation of financial research, program updates, testimonials, etc.

• Conduct research and analysis on donor trends, interests, and philanthropic priorities to inform communication strategies and development initiatives.

• Cultivate and maintain positive relationships with donors, providing exceptional customer service and personalized attention to their interests and engagement. Draft, edit, coordinate, and execute presidential and VP donor acknowledgements, select executive communications, and other donor correspondence.

• Facilitate and prepare beneficiary communication for donors including but not limited to: thank -you letters, video messages, meet-and-greets, etc.

• Generate reports, queries and analytics to track recognitions, affinities, giving patterns, preferences, and trends that inform donor engagement and stewardship strategies.

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date gift detail, record of donor communications and interactions, as well as constituent information in CRM/database(s) to ensure data integrity and adherence to donor preferences and privacy regulations.

• Plan and coordinate stewardship project deliverables and content as assigned. Research and prepare donor and gift information related to donor profiles, prospect briefings, and other donor visits and interactions.  

• Support the design, execution, and tracking of pledge reminders, special donor communication and tribute, memorial and honorarium notification processes. Additional duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree is preferred, or equivalent combination of education and experience. 

• Licenses/Certificates: A valid driver’s license is required or equivalent means of reliable transportation to off-site meetings and events.

• Experience: A minimum of 3 years of advancement experience or related field at an academic institution is preferred.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE AND CRITICAL SKILLS:

The Assistant Director must possess the knowledge, skills and abilities to be able to successfully perform the essential functions of the position or be able to demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using other skills and abilities not listed below.

• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and within a team.

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills including strong interpersonal skills to establish healthy rapport, connect, engage, and inspire a diverse group of employees, volunteers and stakeholders.

• Familiarity with associated professional software and aptitude to quickly navigate and learn new tools and systems (e.g., Salesforce, Workday, Box, EverTrue, Raiser’s Edge, Cognos, Tableau, MailChimp, ThankView, marketing automation and email marketing platforms and prospect research tools).

• Foundational understanding of fundraising, major and annual giving, donor stewardship programs, donor reporting, impact driven communications, and fundraising campaigns.

• Foundational understanding of the donor [life] cycle, strategic donor engagement, prospecting and prospect research.

• Must be able to work with highly confidential information with utmost sensitivity and discretion.

• Must be comfortable developing, implementing and executing guidelines, procedures, systems and workflows.

• Must be flexible, adaptable and able to work in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.

• Must be solution-oriented with the ability to independently exercise sound judgement in decision-making.

• Must have exceptional organizational, project management and time management skills to take initiative, set priorities, simultaneously manage multiple projects and deadlines and complete work with accuracy and efficiency.

• Able to articulate the mission of the College, the College’s strategic vision and the division’s annual goals with a high standard of integrity and ethics.

• Possess a talent for writing, editing, and content creation with the ability tailor messages to diverse audiences.

• Proven technical literacy including Microsoft Office software proficiency (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Customer relationship management (CRM) systems, social media networking, cloud-based content management and communication platforms, internet research and menu-driven databases.

• Strong learning orientation with demonstrated openness to listening, learning, and mentorship.

REQUIRED HOURS: The regular hours for this full time position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday, except during the designated summer period when office hours end at 4:30pm.  Holiday, weekend and evening work hours may be required.  Travel may be required.  Regular hours may vary due to needs of the College or division. This position is eligible for a hybrid remote work schedule with supervisor approval. 

ADDITIONAL POSITION DETAILS:  Regular, full-time, exempt position. Salary: $68,640 - $74,640. The specific factors that the College will consider when offering a salary to an individual will include, but not be limited to: education, training, relevant prior experience, and performance in prior roles. All staff positions are ineligible for visa or permanent resident card sponsorship. As a California employer, Pomona College requires all employees to be residents of California.

POMONA COLLEGE REWARDS:  Pomona College offers a wide variety of benefits and perks including health, dental, and vision plan options; paid time off; flexible spending accounts; retirement benefits; tuition assistance; fitness and wellness programs; ride share incentives; and so much more! 

TO APPLY: For full consideration, please submit your resume and cover letter. You may submit both resume and cover letter as one attachment in the My Experience section of the application under the "resume/CV" upload section, or as separate attachments. Once you submit your application, you will not be able to attach additional documents. Screening of complete applications will begin immediately and continue until the completion of the search process.

ADA/OSHA: This job description defines the essential job duties of this position.  The College expects that employees hired for this position can perform the essential functions of this job without imposing risk of substantial harm to the health or safety of themselves or others.  It may also include marginal functions, generally defined within Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

DISCLAIMER: This job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification.  It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to this position.  When duties and responsibilities change and develop, the College will review this job description and make changes of business necessity.