PAY GRADE: 30E

DEADLINE: Open until Filled

CONTEXT OF THE JOB:

The Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) engages donors, alumni, friends, parents, faculty, staff and students in a lifelong relationship and fosters a tradition of philanthropy to strengthen the University of Delaware's (UD) legacy as one of the great public institutions of higher education in America.

Under the direct supervision of the Associate Director for Development Communications and in support of the Communications and Constituent Relations (CCR) team within DAR, the Communications Specialist is responsible for producing a variety of communication pieces for both internal and external audiences in support of development and alumni relations strategies with a primary goal of increasing donor giving.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Initiates, prepares and writes development and alumni relations communications that include articles, features and commentaries on donors and alumni.
• Provides publicity for and coverage of Development and Alumni Relations events for the UD Messenger, UDaily and DAR's website.
• Develops proposals, reports, invitations, presentations and other print and web-based materials to promote the mission of DAR.
• Takes initiative in identifying students and donor profiles in addition to doing subsequent interviews and follow up.
• Contributes content to Campaign microsite, Campaign newsletters, case statements, college communications, printed and electronic, and other outlets.
• Prepares internal Campaign communications including Campaign talking points, volunteer solicitation materials, intranet resources and University-wide Campaign communications.
• Assists with the preparation of speaking points and speeches for the President and other senior leadership of the University in collaboration with the Office of Communications and Marketing to ensure DAR philanthropy strategy and language is incorporated.
• Assists with the creation of presentations and slideshows and assisting with other audio/video production that highlight the impact of the Campaign and philanthropy at UD.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Bachelor's degree in English, journalism, communications or a related discipline with at least four years of relevant work experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Strong writing skills and demonstrated experience in development and alumni relations communications related to fundraising and philanthropy in an educational setting. Creativity, strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in a diverse community. Ability to illustrate impact, express gratitude and encourage giving through the written word a must. Ability to work with a team as well as independently and to be proactive in seeking solutions to challenges or opportunities. Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously in order to complete rapid turn-around of communications pieces and successfully meet deadlines. Experience and interest in creative use of internet-based journalism, social media, and familiarity with publishing software.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Works occasional evenings and weekends for donor and special events.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Delaware is an Equal Opportunity Employer which encourages applications from Minority Group Members, Women, Individuals with Disabilities and Veterans. The University's Notice of Non-Discrimination can be found at http://www.udel.edu/aboutus/legalnotices.html

To apply please click here!