Director of Stewardship

The Director of Stewardship is an important partner in the strategic management of the University’s relationship with its top donors. They will oversee all stewardship priorities within the Office of Donor Relations and Stewardship by managing and advancing fund administration and gift administration for the University. The Director will lead the central stewardship team to ensure donor funds are properly established, awarded, and reported on. They will build relationships with colleagues across campus to make certain that donor funds are administered in accordance to their guiding gift agreement, donor intent and university and foundation policies. They also collaborate with campus partners and the University of Maryland’s affiliated foundations, including the University of Maryland College Park Foundation and the University System of Maryland Foundation to ensure sustainable and efficient management of donor-funded accounts across the University of Maryland.

The Director will oversee the annual endowment report, fund audit, donor impact reporting and fund analysis. Their work will focus on reinforcing data integrity, streamlining processes, and maintaining best practices for stewardship and gift administration. They will contribute to the overall strategy in continuously improving donor fund communications, impact reporting and enhancing the donor experience at the University of Maryland.

Education (include licenses, certifications, etc.):
Bachelor’s degree required

Experience:

Minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in the field of stewardship/donor relations, and a demonstrated understanding of the importance of donor relations and stewardship to a successful fundraising program. Candidates should also have some marketing and communications experience, as well as experience working with data and spreadsheets for mass communication, reporting and data clean up.

Additionally, successful candidates must have leadership experience in a complex environment, and the ability to effectively manage situations involving numerous and sometimes competing constituencies.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Ability to establish measurable goals and objectives, motivate, manage performance, and develop and implement strategies for success.
• Ability to maintain high degree of confidentiality and responsibility on information related to donors and the university, as well as the ability to represent the institution well.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills. Strong interpersonal and customer service skills, with the ability to deal effectively and discreetly with donors, colleagues, and other appropriate officials.
• Strong business and organizational acumen with the ability to work effectively in a metrics-driven environment and a commitment to building a culture of engagement and philanthropy.
• Negotiation, instructional, supervision, and persuasion skills.
• Proven success with large and high level data, data analysis, and report preparation, as well as analytical skills with the ability to identify problems and propose and implement solutions.
• Strong organizational skills, and the proven ability to work effectively and successfully on and off campus autonomously, while managing complex priorities and projects concurrently.
• Superior problem solving and strategic planning skills.