Priority Initiatives Program Specialist, VP Development and Alumni

University of Calgary; Calgary; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Calgary seeks a Full-time Limited Term Priority Initiatives Program Specialist for approx. 22 months.

The role operates in a complex, cross-functional environment, requiring advanced project and portfolio-management expertise and independent judgment. The Specialist will lead priority enablement, portfolio management and fundraising readiness, coordinating across Development, Alumni, Advancement Services, Communications, Finance and research partners to ensure seamless transition

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in business, communications, public administration, project management or related field.
• Five years of related experience in project management, program coordination, portfolio coordination, advancement operations or related field.
• Experience coordinating complex, cross-functional projects or programs.
• Experience developing project plans, tracking tools, schedules and status reports.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with independent judgment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in a complex, matrixed organization is an asset.
• Experience in advancement, fundraising or higher education is considered an asset.

Responsibilities

• Lead Priority Planning & Enablement by developing and improving processes for transitioning priorities from review into planning and activity; establish planning requirements and documentation.
• Coordinate development of plans identifying requirements, timelines, dependencies and deliverables; track progress against plans.
• Analyze issues and gaps, develop solutions, and escalate where leadership decisions are required.
• Oversee Portfolio Management to maintain an integrated view of fundraising priorities, assets and opportunities; establish naming conventions and core portfolio information.
• Develop tools to track status, readiness, activity, dependencies and changes across the portfolio; maintain inventories of projects and fundraising assets.
• Produce portfolio reviews with updates on progress, dependencies and risks and reflect decisions in records.
• Support Fundraising & Engagement Readiness by coordinating components for fundraising readiness, including case materials, funding opportunities, CRM, communications and proposals.
• Coordinate cross-functional planning meetings and working groups across Development, Alumni, Advancement Services, Finance, Research, faculties and partners.
• Maintain centralized priority documentation and consistent version control; develop workflows and reporting structures.

Skills

Project management

Cross-functional coordination

Stakeholder management

Analytical thinking

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, communications, public administration or related field

Job description

Description

VP Development and Alumni is currently seeking a Full-time Limited Term Priority Initiatives Program Specialist for approximately 22 months.

The Development and Alumni team serves as a bridge between the University of Calgary and its champions, including donors, alumni, volunteers, community members and partners. The team supports engagement and philanthropic investment that advances the strategic priorities of the university and the communities it serves.

The position operates with a high degree of independence in a complex, cross-functional environment. The work requires advanced project and portfolio-management expertise, sound judgment and the ability to develop solutions where established approaches may not exist.

The Specialist works across multiple functions and priorities, assesses complex and sometimes competing operational requirements, develops and improves processes and practices, and leads multidisciplinary projects and working groups related to priority enablement.

The position requires the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources, identify broader portfolio and process implications, build consensus among stakeholders, and determine appropriate approaches within its area of expertise.
This position reports to the AVP, Advancement Services.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Priority Planning & Enablement

• Lead the development and continuous improvement of processes for transitioning priorities from review and decision into planning and activity for the Development and Alumni team; maintain and evolve these transition processes as the intake and feedback mechanisms mature.
• Establish the planning requirements, tools and documentation needed to support each priority.
• Coordinate the development of plans that identify key requirements, timelines, dependencies, responsibilities and deliverables.
• Track progress against plans and follow up on actions and dependencies.
• Analyze issues, gaps or barriers, develop solutions within the scope of the role, and upscale matters requiring leadership or functional decisions.

Portfolio Management

• Develop and maintain an integrated view of fundraising priorities and related projects, opportunities and assets.
• Establish and maintain naming conventions, identifiers and core portfolio information across planning and reporting tools.
• Develop and maintain tools and processes to track status, readiness, activity, dependencies and changes across the portfolio.
• Establish and maintain inventories of projects, funding opportunities and fundraising assets associated with priorities, where applicable.
• Analyze and synthesize portfolio information for regular portfolio reviews, including progress, changing circumstances, emerging opportunities and dependencies.
• Document decisions and changes arising from portfolio reviews and reflect them in portfolio records and plans.

Fundraising & Engagement Readiness

• Establish a consistent approach for identifying and coordinating the components needed to support fundraising and engagement activity for each priority.
• Coordinate across responsible teams to track the status and dependencies of fundraising readiness components, including case materials, funding opportunities, financial information, terms of reference, naming opportunities, gift administration, CRM, stewardship, communications and proposal materials.
• Maintain visibility into the status, dependencies and outstanding requirements associated with these components.
• Coordinate with Development, Alumni and Advancement Services teams to ensure priority information and supporting materials are available to inform their work.

Cross-Functional Coordination

• Establish coordinated approaches for bringing together the functions required to support priorities.
• Coordinate working groups and planning meetings involving Development, Alumni, Advancement Services, Communications, Finance, Research, faculties and other partners.
• Track cross-functional dependencies, actions and deliverables.
• Build alignment across participating teams on processes, requirements, dependencies and approaches.
• Address cross-functional process issues within the scope of the role and upscale matters requiring leadership or functional decisions.

Information & Operational Support

• Establish and maintain centralized priority documentation, records and related workspaces.
• Develop and maintain consistent documentation, version control and record-keeping practices.
• Coordinate the creation and maintenance of priority records, coding and reporting structures.
• Develop and improve workflows and other operational processes required to enable priority-related activity.

Portfolio Reporting & Review Support

• Develop and maintain portfolio tracking tools, dashboards and reporting practices.
• Establish processes for regular portfolio reporting and review.
• Prepare portfolio status reports and leadership briefing materials.
• Maintain visibility into activity, readiness, dependencies, risks, gaps and emerging issues across the portfolio.
• Identify and assess changes or circumstances requiring leadership review.Identify opportunities to improve portfolio-management processes, tools and practices based on evolving needs and relevant best practices.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in business, communications, public administration, project management or a related field; an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Five years of related experience in project management, program coordination, portfolio coordination, advancement operations or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating complex, cross-functional projects or programs.
• Experience developing and maintaining project plans, tracking tools, schedules, dashboards and status reports.
• Experience developing and improving processes, tools and practices to support coordinated work.
• Strong understanding of project and program management approaches.
• Experience facilitating meetings, coordinating working groups, building consensus and tracking actions and deliverables.
• Strong analytical, organizational and problem-solving skills, including the demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment and develop solutions to complex problems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities with a high degree of accuracy and follow-through.
• Experience working in a complex, matrixed organization is considered an asset.
• Experience in advancement, fundraising or higher education is considered an asset.

Application Deadline: November 4, 2026

This position is part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist/Advisor Job Family, Phase 3.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([e-mail]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([e-mail]).