Assistant Director, BuckeyeThon

Inside Higher Ed; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A university in Ohio seeks an Assistant Director for BuckeyeThon, responsible for advising student philanthropy and engaging students in fundraising initiatives. Ideal candidates will have a Bachelor's degree, 6-12 years of relevant experience, and strong skills in relationship-building, data analysis, and communication. This full-time role requires a commitment to fostering a culture of philanthropy among students and frequently involves evening and weekend hours.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• 6 years of relevant experience required, 8-12 years preferred.
• Direct experience in student involvement desirable.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary advisor to BuckeyeThon.
• Develop philanthropy education materials.
• Execute strategic engagement plan and manage budget.

Skills

Relationship-building skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Data analysis

Leadership skills

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Master’s degree in Higher Education

Tools

MS Office

Database software

Job description

Assistant Director, BuckeyeThon

Department: Student Life | Student Philanthropy

Location: Ohio Union (0161)

Position Type: Regular (Full-time)

Scheduled Hours: 40 per week. Shift: First Shift.

Responsibilities

The Assistant Director of BuckeyeThon serves as the primary advisor to BuckeyeThon, the official student philanthropy for The Ohio State University. This role drives how BuckeyeThon can be used as a resource for the student philanthropic movement on campus, spreads a culture of philanthropy among students through education and engagement within the Dance Marathon program, and utilizes fundraising resources and communication leading up to the annual dance marathon to empower students to understand the impact of their philanthropic behavior. The Assistant Director develops philanthropy education materials for BuckeyeThon Team members, partners with Student Life Departments, academic units, and service‑based student organizations, and promotes Ohio State’s Student Philanthropy through the Dance Marathon. Additionally, the assistant director executes a strategic engagement plan to connect BuckeyeThon Team Members back to giving, maintains a large budget for the organization, and ensures spending aligns with guidance from the Office of Student Life.

The position requires high independence, decision‑making, judgment, and relationship‑building skills, and the ability to handle and prioritize multiple projects simultaneously. This role also works collaboratively with other offices and fundraising units to promote recruitment and fundraising efforts for BuckeyeThon and may serve as a liaison to select fundraising units.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience.
• Advanced degree in a relevant field may be desirable.
• 6 years of relevant experience required.
• 8-12 years of relevant experience preferred.

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Higher Education or equivalent.
• Direct experience in student involvement.
• Experience using data in developing strategic plans or initiatives.
• Experience in peer‑to‑peer fundraising.
• Experience creating innovative trend analysis and systems thinking/ideation.
• Experience in other advancement departments such as annual giving and/or alumni relations.
• Experience in program planning, student engagement, senior class participation, volunteer management, annual giving, higher education, and administration.
• Strong organization and communication skills.
• Knowledge of current trends in student engagement and student philanthropy.
• Ability to lead volunteers toward ambitious goals.
• Ability to interact with a diverse population, including students, alumni, community leadership, and university leadership.
• Familiarity with dance marathon programs and/or other student‑led peer‑to‑peer programs.
• Familiarity with MS Office, spreadsheets, database, crowdfunding, giving days, and web‑based technology.

Additional Requirements

Frequent early morning, evening, and weekend work required.

Final candidates are subject to successful completion of a background check. A drug screen or physical may be required during the post‑offer process.

Mission

The Office of Student Life fosters students’ development, learning, well‑being, and sense of belonging; empowers students to achieve their academic, personal, and professional goals; and prepares students to be engaged in a global society.

CRM Information

Function: Student Life; Sub Function: Student Leadership, Engagement and Activities; Career Band: Individual Contributor – Specialized; Career Level: S4.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The university is an equal opportunity employer, including veterans and disability. As required by Ohio Revised Code section 3345.0216, Ohio State will: educate students by means of free, open and rigorous intellectual inquiry to seek the truth; equip students with the opportunity to develop intellectual skills to reach their own, informed conclusions; not require, favor, disfavor or prohibit speech or lawful assembly; create a community dedicated to an ethic of civil and free inquiry, which respects the autonomy of each member, supports individual capacities for growth and tolerates differences in opinion; treat all faculty, staff and students as individuals, hold them to equal standards and provide equality of opportunity with regard to race, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.