Director of Donor Relations

Director of Donor Relations

New Jersey Institute of Technology, one of the nation’s leading public polytechnic universities, is pleased to announce it is seeking a qualified, highly energetic, and ambitious professional to join the Office of Development & Alumni Relations as Director of Donor Relations.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Planned Giving and working in collaboration with the Donor Relations Coordinator and the as-yet-to-be hired Associate Director of Donor Relations, the Director of Donor Relations will lead a team responsible for strategically stewarding, cultivating, and enhancing the relationships between NJIT and its donors at all levels, with a focus on those who have made major and leadership commitments to the university.

Key Responsibilities

The Director of Donor Relations will:

• Manage the strategy and execution of a comprehensive stewardship and engagement program for donors of all levels, with a particular focus on developing individualized opportunities to recognize and philanthropically inspire the university’s most generous benefactors.
• Serve as the primary liaison with General Accounting, Student Financial Aid Services, the Office of Graduate Studies, and other divisions throughout the university to ensure the timely and appropriate awarding of all current and endowed scholarship and fellowship funds. Draft accurate and timely scholarship agreements to formally document the expectations and obligations of the university and its donors.
• Develop and implement a series of meaningful donor recognition programs to recognize, inspire, and steward the university’s benefactors.
• Supervise and develop the Associate Director of Donor Relations and the Donor Relations Coordinator, facilitating professional opportunities to improve individual capability and managing performance against job accountabilities, department goals, and established university, campus, and department policies and procedures.
• Working in conjunction with the Director of Alumni and Donor Events, facilitate meaningful donor recognition events to celebrate and demonstrate the significance of philanthropic gifts, including, but not limited to, the Colton Society induction ceremony, facility naming events, and the much-lauded annual Scholarship Brunch.
• Develop strategic and collaborative partnerships with development officers and other frontline fundraisers to create and execute individualized stewardship plans for a select group of donors.
• Plan and implement a coordinated series of written communications to demonstrate the impact of donor support, including the generation of annual endowment reports for a select number of the university’s most generous donors as well as the “Giving Back, Moving Forward” donor impact e-newsletter.
• Provide strategic guidance and oversight for the generation of acknowledgement letters for gifts at all levels, including customized notes for honor, memorial, and tribute gifts.
• Develop and maintain the university’s naming and recognition policy, as well as the list of campus-wide naming opportunities.
• Perform other duties, as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree; advanced degree preferred.
• A minimum of 4 – 6 years professional experience in the advancement field, preferably in a higher education setting. Candidates with equivalent professional experience outside the advancement industry will be considered, if translatable skills are noted.
• Exceptional writing, speaking, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
• Must demonstrate an ability to: establish and maintain good working relationships with colleagues and external constituents; facilitate multiple projects, make decisions, and meet deadlines; and identify problems and develop creative, timely, and efficient solutions.
• Knowledge of, and familiarity with, Microsoft Office suite software is required. Familiarity with The Raiser’s Edge NXT database a plus.
• Candidate must have a valid driver’s license, as the position entails limited regional travel. Additionally, this role requires the ability to work some evenings and weekends, as needed.

For more information, and to apply, please visit: https://njit.csod.com/ats/careersite/JobDetails.aspx?site=1&id=2974

As an EEO employer NJIT is committed to building a diverse and inclusive teaching, research, and working environment and strongly encourages applications from individuals with disabilities, minorities, veterans, and women.

Diversity is a core value of NJIT and we are committed to make diversity, equity and inclusion, part of everything we do. We celebrate the diversity of our university community and recognize the cultural and personal differences. We strive to cultivate an inclusive campus culture that promotes excellence among our faculty, staff and students.   Building a robust and diverse community is critical to NJIT’s continuing status as a premier institution of higher education and a leading polytechnic university.