Campaign Manager

New Mexico State University Foundation Inc; Mesilla Park (NM); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

The New Mexico State University Foundation is seeking a highly organized, strategic Campaign Manager to lead a seven-year, $250 million comprehensive campaign. You will guide day-to-day operations, implement strategy, and align advancement, campus partners, and volunteers to meet ambitious fundraising and engagement goals.

Reporting to the VP of Philanthropy & Alumni Relations, you will coordinate across university leadership, campus partners, and volunteers to maintain momentum and ensure

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, advancement, or campaign management.
• Demonstrated experience supporting capital or comprehensive campaigns strongly preferred.
• Experience in higher education or complex nonprofit environments is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategy and execution across all campaign phases from silent to closeout.
• Manage cross-functional timelines, dashboards, and donor engagement
• Coordinate with leadership, volunteers, and campus partners to advance fundraising goals.
• Develop and maintain data reporting, transparency, and accountability for senior leadership.
• Support communications for branding, messaging, and stakeholder outreach.
• Plan and execute events and milestone activities that drive donor engagement.

Skills

Project management

Multitasking

Data-driven decisions

Communication

Stakeholder engagement

Discretion

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Fundraising CRMs

Reporting tools

Job description

Position Classification Title: Campaign Manager

FLSA Status: Full-Time | Exempt

Reports To: VP of Philanthropy & Alumni Relations

About Us

Established in 1959, the Foundation is a privately governed nonprofit corporation whose mission is to support New Mexico State University. The Foundation consistently strives for trust, accountability and excellence in its constituent relationships by promoting the values of fiduciary duties, leadership, teamwork, and the highest standard of ethics among its employees and volunteers. The Foundation is committed to upholding and preserving public and private trust while at the same time protecting the privacy of donors and employees, and the confidentiality of its competitive strategies.

We Believe In

Integrity

Do the right thing - always

Accountability

Be responsible for your actions, decisions and outcomes

Teamwork

Work collaboratively with trust, respect, and shared responsibility, to achieve a common goal.

Growth

The ongoing process of evolving, improving, and reaching new potential – individually, as a team, and as an organization

Grit

The relentless drive to overcome obstacles, stay focused, and pursue long-term goals.

Job Summary

The NMSU Foundation is seeking a highly organized, strategic, and collaborative professional to serve as Campaign Manager for its upcoming $250 million comprehensive campaign. This landmark seven-year initiative will advance NMSU’s mission to transform lives through education, research, and community engagement.

The Campaign Manager will play a critical role in ensuring the campaign’s success by leading day-to-day campaign operations, driving implementation of campaign strategy, and maintaining momentum across all phases. Reporting to the Vice President of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations, this position will coordinate efforts across advancement, university leadership, campus partners, and volunteers to achieve ambitious fundraising and engagement goals.

This is a seven-year term position aligned with the life of the campaign, offering a unique opportunity to shape and execute one of the most significant initiatives in NMSU’s history.

Essential Functions

Campaign Strategy & Execution

• Partner with the Vice President of Philanthropy and Alumni Relations to implement the comprehensive campaign plan, including goals, priorities, and timelines
• Coordinate all phases of the campaign (silent, public launch, broad engagement, and closeout) to ensure progress toward the $250 million goal
• Maintain a master campaign work plan and ensure alignment with university-wide priorities
• Monitor campaign benchmarks and adjust strategies to maintain momentum

Project Management & Operations

• Serve as the central project manager for campaign activity across advancement teams, campus stakeholders, and volunteers
• Develop and maintain timelines, task tracking systems, and accountability structures while coordinating cross-functional workflows to support major gift fundraising, donor engagement, and campaign initiatives
• Ensure consistency and efficiency in campaign execution

Volunteer & Leadership Engagement

• Support advancement leadership, campaign committee, and volunteer leaders, including coordinating meetings, materials, follow-up, and strategic briefings
• Design and coordinate campaign training programs, toolkits, and best practices to equip staff, university partners, and volunteers with the knowledge and skills needed to achieve campaign goals
• Assist in building a high-performing volunteer structure to expand campaign reach

Data & Reporting

• Develop and maintain campaign dashboards and reporting systems in collaboration with the data team
• Prepare regular progress reports for senior leadership, campaign leadership, and stakeholders and ensure transparency and accountability in campaign progress

Communications & Campaign Messaging

• Collaborate with communications and marketing teams to support campaign branding and storytelling, and consistent messaging aligned with NMSU’s mission and campaign priorities
• Assist in development of campaign materials, presentations, proposals, and donor communications

Events & Milestones

• Support planning and execution of campaign-related events, including launches, cultivation events, and milestone celebrations, ensuring events strategically advance donor engagement and campaign visibility

Requirements

Minimum Required Education, Knowledge, & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in fundraising, advancement, or campaign management
• Demonstrated experience supporting capital or comprehensive campaigns strongly preferred
• Experience in higher education or complex nonprofit environments is highly desirable

Skills & Core Competencies

• Exceptional project management and organizational skills with strong attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a dynamic, fast-paced environment
• Strong analytical skills and experience with data-driven decision-making
• Excellent written and verbal communication abilities
• Proficiency with fundraising CRMs and reporting tools
• Ability to build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• High level of discretion in managing confidential donor information

Key Attributes

• Strategic thinker who can translate vision into execution
• Proactive, solutions-oriented, and highly accountable
• Collaborative team player with strong interpersonal skills
• Adaptable and resilient in a multi-year campaign environment
• Deep commitment to NMSU’s mission and impact

The NMSU Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process should contact Human Resources for assistance.