Senior Stewardship Associate

We have an exciting full-time opportunity for a Senior Stewardship Associate or a Stewardship Manager to join a fast-paced and growing Office of Philanthropy and Strategic Partnerships within the AAAS Advancement Office. At this critical time for science and society, philanthropists increasingly recognize the importance of AAAS’s work to advance science, engineering and innovation for the benefit of all. As giving increases and philanthropy emerges as a growing priority for AAAS leadership, strengthening relationships with our top individual, corporate, and foundation donors is of the utmost importance. 

As the first person to fill this new role, this individual will professionalize and systematize the way we steward those partnerships, working in collaboration with the Advancement team, program staff, and AAAS leadership to provide thoughtful, personalized attention to key donors and developing and implementing strategies that will enhance their connections to AAAS. They will work with development and program colleagues and directly with donors to understand and deliver on our most important contributors’ information needs and share donor and partner stories in creative and strategic ways. Reporting to the Director of Individual Philanthropy in our Washington, DC office, this individual will set the stage for exponential growth as we look toward a future when philanthropy sustains the Science family of journals, our programs, and all of AAAS’s work to advance science for society. 

Are you ready to be a Force for Science?

What You’ll Do

• Work with the fundraising team to develop custom stewardship strategies to strengthen long-term relationships with certain key donors and partners.
• Oversee and/or carry out the implementation of these stewardship plans, ensuring that they are documented and communicated to all involved parties and that each interaction is recorded.
• Lead and/or support the creation of timely and meaningful impact and outcome reports, qualitative and quantitative, for certain key donors.  
• Work with Advancement colleagues, as well as the Communications and Program teams, on public recognition of donors and to develop and disseminate content highlighting key partnerships.
• Coordinate and/or support coordination of recognition and naming events and activities associated with key major gifts and other partnerships.
• Customize donor acknowledgements 
• Develop systems to increase the number and value of contacts that donors receive— including Board members and other volunteers, AAAS CEO, the Chief Advancement Officer, program directors, and other colleagues—and ensure they are recorded.
• Lead a team effort to develop stewardship plans for donors at various recognition levels within the major, annual, and planned gifts programs and ensure implementation is consistent across audiences.
• Collaborate on the development of the AAAS annual report and other stewardship communications. 
• Identify and implement best practices for continued growth of AAAS’s stewardship operation.
• Serve as a central member of a cohesive and dynamic Advancement team.

Minimum Qualifications  

• One year or more of successful fundraising, sales, customer service or similar relationship-management experience 
• Energetic and enthusiastic self-starter
• Impeccable written and oral communication skills 
• Capacity to understand and respond to individual donors’/partners’ needs and perceptions
• Creativity, curiosity, high energy level, and an enthusiasm for meeting and working with a wide range of individuals
• Strong decision-making skills, tactful, good listener, willingness to search out answers, ability to recognize when others need to be involved in activities or decisions
• Highly organized, with the ability to prioritize, multi-task, set and meet goals and deadlines
• Enthusiasm for, and ability to compellingly communicate about, the mission of AAAS and our programs
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative and entrepreneurial small-team environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree preferred
• Experience with constituent relationship management databases, especially Raiser’s Edge NXT
• Some graphic design experience or familiarity with basic design tools 
• Knowledge of principles and techniques relevant to major gift fundraising and stewardship
• Experience planning and/or staffing small- to medium-sized events
• Ability to travel occasionally (likely less than 10 percent time)

Application Process

Submit a resume, portfolio, and cover letter, and relevant writing sample by December 17, 2022. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. A Recruiter will contact you with next steps if you are selected for an interview.   

AAAS is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or other protected category. AAAS uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.