Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is an independent, culturally diverse institution providing quality education and research in aviation, aerospace, engineering, and other related fields with residential campuses located in Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona. The University’s Worldwide campus provides educational opportunities online and at approximately 130 locations throughout the United States, Asia, Europe, and Central/South America.

As the largest and most comprehensive aviation and aerospace-focused university in the world, Embry-Riddle is a unique institution. Over the past 90 years, the University has evolved with industry to break new ground and produce top-level graduates who serve the ever-changing needs of aviation and aerospace and other STEM-related disciplines. Embry-Riddle offers programs in seven primary fields of study including Applied Science; Aviation; Business; Computers and Technology; Engineering; Safety, Security, and Intelligence; and Space.

For Academic Year 2020-21, there were over 10,700 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students that attended the University’s residential campuses and approximately 32,700 students in total enrolled with the University around the world.

The Opportunity:

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is currently recruiting for a Senior Director of Annual Giving and Stewardship to support the Office of Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement.

The Senior Director will develop and implement a comprehensive program of communication and engaging all donors regarding the impact of giving and leverages such communications in order to secure smaller annual gifts via strategically segmented programmatic solicitations using mail, email, crowdfunding and other means.

The Senior Director will increase donor retention rates and elevate the level of giving by the constituents by engaging them through print and digital publications, and correspondence, social media, personal interactions, speeches, press releases, web pages, multimedia presentations, and in-person or virtual events and activities. The Senior Director is responsible for generating and/or deploying accurate and compelling content tailored to address the passions and interests of segmented demographics based on their giving behaviors. Among the Senior Director’s chief responsibilities is ensuring the institutions’ scholarship awarding tool is supplied with the most accurate information available and to collaborate with colleagues in Financial Aid the scholarship awarding and stewardship processes unfold successfully.

The Senior Director is responsible for the strategic development and implementation of most in-person and virtual events organized by the Office that focus on major gift donor engagement and stewardship. This position will lead the creation of meaningful and high-impact events that provide high-quality participant experiences that successfully motivate philanthropy and volunteerism.  These events will generate high rates of attendance among key audience demographics, deliver strategic messaging that educates and inspires, grow brand strength and awareness, and attract sponsorship revenues.

Leveraging the messaging of the impact of giving and behavior-based stewardship strategies, the Senior Director also oversees marketing/communications-based solicitations for the Annual Fund and annual gifts through mailings, emails, and crowdfunding to segmented audiences. The Senior Director is responsible for developing segmentation and marketing strategies and ensuring their successful implementation.  Individual appeals are tracked, assessed, and their performance reported upon.  Differing appeal strategies will routinely be tested to continually refine approaches.

In order to excel in these integrated roles, the Senior Director must possess a blend of experience and strengths in marketing/communications including social media, stewardship, and event management coupled with demonstrated aptitudes in annual giving, data analytics, operations/project management, and volunteer management.

The ideal candidate shall be a proactive, creative, and tenacious problem solver; engaging and unfailingly positive in attitude and demeanor; highly collaborative and nurturing of professional and client relationships; a careful listener with high emotional intelligence; professional, poised, and polished; discrete with confidential material; an exceptional communicator and brand ambassador; and a confident and skilled public speaker and leader of meetings. Candidates must possess the ability to work with sense of urgency, high attention to detail, and commitment to producing excellent, finished work with minimal oversight. The Senior Director must be a leader who quickly perceives and seizes opportunities for synergies and has the ability to leverage their advancement experience and professional insights to make sound, independent decisions with significant strategic and financial impact on the program and the University.

The Senior Director will be based out of our Daytona Beach, FL, or Prescott, AZ, office.  Occasional travel, evening, and weekend work may be required.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and 8 years of experience in higher education advancement.  The candidate must have 8 years each in stewardship, marketing, events and social media communications and 5 years of experience each in annual giving, data analytics, operations/project management, and volunteer management.  Preference for master’s degree or certification in project management.

Required skills, knowledge, abilities:

Knowledge: 

• Best practices in philanthropy, including both annual giving and donor stewardship
• Best practices in advancement marketing communications
• Best practices in event etiquette, planning, management, execution, and evaluation
• Experience preparing strategic seating charts
• Digital communications
• Vendor and contract negotiation
• Proficiency with event planning software
• Volunteer management
• Public speaking
• Experience working with client-relationship management software or similar databases
• An understanding of charitable giving legal guidelines, specifically as it relates to nature of events
• Fundamentals of web site management
• Proper business correspondence
• Proficiency in the Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Use of general office equipment and computer
• Research and analyses
• Use of the internet as a productivity or research tool
• Business and professional etiquette

Skills: 

• Excellent relationship management and interpersonal skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Marketing/Communications skills
• Effectively use and communicate through social media techniques and platforms
• Problem solving skills, emphasizing a solutions-oriented mentality
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail
• Strong analytical skills
• Analyze and synthesize prospect reports, maps, tables, graphs, and other technical information
• Budgeting and cost estimating
• Judgment, diplomacy and client-relations skills

Abilities: 

• Conduct effective, integrated stewardship programs
• Conduct effective programmatic annual giving campaigns
• Manage volunteers and prepare them to execute roles in stewardship or annual giving activities
• Analyze program or appeal performance, develop clear and actionable reports, and publish results
• Assemble and execute successful behavior-based models of communication for stewardship and solicitation
• Successfully manage virtual event technology
• Successfully manage IT and AV related to supporting event speakers and presenters
• Create and implement effective seating charts and creative and affordable catering plans and design themes.
• Successfully conduct direct, face to face solicitations for sponsorships, if directed
• Develop proficiency with the university’s alumni portal software
• Develop proficiency with university’s fundraising database/software
• Generate prospect reports, maps, and other technical information associated with giving and engagement
• Effectively prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously with effectiveness and poise
• Demonstrate adaptability and resilience when confronted with challenges and changing priorities
• Be self-motivated
• Manage and meet deadlines
• Demonstrate strong character, emphasizing integrity, caring, and honesty
• Adhere to divisional and university policies and procedures.
• Maintain positive and respectful engagement with colleagues and clients; Work effectively in a multi-faceted organization and develop mutually respectful relationships with stakeholders at all levels as well as diverse individuals and communities.
• Manage sensitive and confidential information
• Demonstrate an authentic and enthusiastic interest in the mission of the university
• Travel as appropriate by automobile, aircraft and other means for work related trips
• Work frequently on evenings and weekends
• Maintain a valid driver’s license and possess the ability to safely and effectively drive