Assistant Director, Donor Relations

Wright State University; Dayton (OH); On-site; USD 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dedicated individual to manage the scholarship application and award process. This role involves ensuring compliance with donor agreements, developing strong relationships across campus, and effectively managing the Scholarship Manager software. The ideal candidate will possess excellent communication skills, a strong analytical mindset, and the ability to handle multiple priorities with precision. Join a dynamic team where your contributions will directly impact student success and donor relations in a collaborative and supportive environment. If you are passionate about higher education and making a difference, this opportunity is for you.

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in higher education with a focus on scholarship management.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills required.

Responsibilities

• Manage scholarship application and award process while ensuring compliance.
• Develop relationships with campus offices and oversee scholarship management.

Skills

Verbal Communication

Written Communication

Organizational Skills

Time Management

Analytical Skills

Problem Solving

Project Management

Attention to Detail

Confidentiality

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

MS Office Suite

Scholarship Manager (Next Gen)

Banner Advancement

Job description

Affirmative Action No.:: 25P158

First Consideration Date:: 04/17/2025

Department:: VP-University Advancement Admin

Position FTE:: 100%

Minimum Annual or Hourly Rate: $50,000

Job Purposes::

This position manages the University's scholarship application and award process; stewards our donors through the reporting and compliance function; manages the agreement process between donors, University Advancement, and the Foundation; serves as the liaison with the Office of Financial Aid, donors, and the campus community regarding fund management, scholarship agreements, award processing, and stewardship.

Required Qualifications::

• Bachelor's degree
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in higher education
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Exceptional organizational and time-management skills
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite and Internet-based collaboration tools
• Must be detail-oriented and organized
• Effective problem solving and project management skills
• Ability to think and act independently and work in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to create and sustain a professional and collaborative work environment
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail

Preferred Qualifications::

• Experience in advancement, fundraising or non-profit work
• Prior work experience within student financial aid
• Knowledge of the Scholarship Manager (Next Gen) software
• Knowledge of Banner Advancement and Student Financial Aid modules

Essential Functions and percent of time::

Stewardship: Gift Management and Acceptance (35%)

• Develop written gift agreement templates and manage the process of implementation for each unit, including:
  • review and edit to ensure the agreement meets Foundation policies
  • distribute final agreement to all stakeholders and capture final agreements into official recordkeeping systems
  • audit documentation of existing Foundation funds to ensure all donor agreements conform to policy
• Approve scholarship award requests from Financial Aid and campus departments
• Oversee and manage fund policies and procedures
• Manage the use and maintenance of the Scholarship Manager (SM) software program, which includes:
  • determine the amount of Foundation scholarship awards by evaluating account balances and fund sustainability
  • manage, review, and approve all scholarship awards that require special processing outside the SM system for donor-intent compliance and available funding
• Review and monitor:
  • gift processing to ensure compliance with donors' intentions (and correct if necessary)
  • the distribution of endowed funds to ensure that the funds are being used in accordance with the donors' wishes
  • active scholarship accounts to ensure that scholarships are awarded within established guidelines
  • expenditures of gifts and endowments
  • oversee the preparation of fund frameworks and gift agreements
• Manage the stewardship of named funds
• Review hundreds of student scholarship applications for funds sitting in Advancement, and additional campus committees needing reviewers

Scholarship Platform and Stakeholder Relationships (30%)

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with campus offices, including the Office of Financial Aid (OFA), Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, major gift officers, deans, and academic departments, through frequent communication and regular meetings to ensure donor-established scholarship and fund criteria are met and donor dollars are properly and routinely expended
• Serve as a visible, primary liaison to OFA, and between Advancement, Foundation, OFA, and scholarship committees across campus by:
  • maintaining an accurate list of all scholarship committees on campus
  • working with OFA concerning student awards and scholarships
  • facilitating the flow of financial information to campus scholarship coordinators prior to awards
• Manage the use and maintenance of the Scholarship Manager (SM) software program, which includes:
  • annually designing and updating the scholarship applications
  • entering new scholarship funds, updating award parameters and scholarship profiles
  • liaison with CATS to ensure student uploads are accurate and timely
  • coordinate and provide training on the scholarship process and the SM software for designated staff in the OFA, Advancement staff, and scholarship committee members in the academic and non-academic units
• Provide internal support and collaboration, including:
  • project support and reporting to upper management
  • provide expertise in navigating donor database regarding fund management, financial aid, and student modules
  • provide appropriate and accurate donor information to development staff to ensure successful visit and/or solicitations
• Conduct regularly scheduled scholarship review meetings with central office staff members
• Oversee and manage external community stakeholder relationships and community scholarship providers
• Donor advocate and university liaison
• Address donor/constituent concerns regarding stewardship issues through