Director of Stewardship & Development Content

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional training opportunities

Exclusive perks

Retail discounts

Restaurant discounts

Performing arts discounts

Child care savings

Campus events discounts

Job summary

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Adams School of Dentistry seeks a Director of Stewardship & Development Content to lead the school’s donor stewardship program and development-focused content within the Office of Advancement.

Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Director will shape donor recognition, impact reporting, and donor communications across print and digital channels, including editorial direction for the North Carolina Dental Review.

Qualifications

• Experience in development, donor relations, stewardship, fundraising, or a closely related field.
• Ability to translate complex institutional and philanthropic information into clear, compelling content.
• Strong writing, editing, and editorial judgment for donor-facing materials.

Responsibilities

• Lead donor stewardship and development content strategy.
• Oversee donor recognition, impact reporting, and donor communications.
• Collaborate with university partners on stewardship content and messaging.

Skills

Donor relations

Stewardship programs

Content development

Editing and writing

Relationship management

Strategic leadership

Education

Master’s degree

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

Director of Stewardship & Development Content

Working Title Director of Stewardship & Development Content

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC -Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit

The UNC Adams School of Dentistry Dental Foundation of North Carolina was established to aid and promote education, research, patient care and service in the dental and allied dental fields. The DFNC is operated exclusively for charitable, educational, and scientific purposes to benefit the School. The DFNC raises funds from alumni, friends, corporations and foundations, and provides those funds to the School for faculty and staff support, student scholarships and fellowships, building construction and renovations, and other purposes.

Position Summary

The Director of Stewardship & Development Content, housed within the Adams School of Dentistry ( ASOD ) Office of Advancement, serves as a senior advancement professional providing strategic leadership for the School’s comprehensive donor stewardship program and development-focused content. The position supports the philanthropic mission of ASOD and the Dental Foundation of North Carolina ( DFNC ) by strengthening donor relationships, demonstrating the impact of private support, and advancing philanthropic engagement benefiting students, faculty, programs, research, patient care, and facilities. Reporting to the Chief Development Officer, the Director serves as the School’s primary subject matter expert in donor stewardship and lead strategist for development content, working closely with development officers, Alumni Affairs, University Development, faculty, and School leadership.

The Director independently develops, implements, evaluates, and continuously improves a comprehensive stewardship program supporting annual, major, principal, and planned gift donors. Responsibilities include donor recognition and acknowledgment strategies; recognition and naming opportunities; impact reporting for endowed funds, scholarships, and other philanthropic initiatives; and individualized and broad-based stewardship activities designed to strengthen donor engagement, retention, and long-term relationships. The Director provides expertise on stewardship best practices and applicable University policies related to endowments, fund use, recognition, and donor reporting and advises Development colleagues and leadership on effective stewardship approaches. The position also represents the School in University-level stewardship activities, including OneCarolina Stewardship meetings and the University Development Office’s Davie User Group.

The Director provides strategic leadership for development-focused content and philanthropic communications across print and digital channels supporting fundraising, stewardship, donor and alumni engagement, and broader advancement priorities. The position develops and oversees donor impact stories, philanthropic messaging, fundraising and campaign materials, proposals, and other donor-facing content that communicates School priorities and demonstrates the impact of private support. The Director also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the North Carolina Dental Review, the School’s alumni publication, establishing editorial direction and overseeing content development, production, and distribution in collaboration with writers, designers, institutional partners, and external vendors.

The Director collaborates with Development colleagues, University Development, faculty, students, administrators, and other partners to align stewardship and development content with School and University advancement priorities and to identify and translate compelling academic, clinical, research, and student-focused stories for donor and alumni audiences. The position serves as a strategic resource to Advancement leadership and contributes stewardship and development-content expertise to fundraising, donor engagement, and advancement planning.

The position also provides leadership for stewardship and development-content operations, including management of assigned budgets, production timelines, external vendors, and multiple concurrent initiatives. The Director exercises significant independent professional judgment in establishing strategies, priorities, approaches, and timelines while ensuring the accuracy, confidentiality, and appropriate use of donor and institutional information. Through strategic stewardship, donor relations, impact reporting, and development-focused storytelling, the Director strengthens the donor experience and cultivates lasting relationships in support of ASOD’s education, research, patient care, and service missions.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements

Master’s or Bachelor’s and 0-2 years’ experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• Demonstrated professional experience in development, advancement, donor relations, stewardship, fundraising, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of advancement and fundraising practices, including donor stewardship, recognition, engagement, impact reporting, and relationship-building principles.
• Demonstrated ability to independently develop, implement, and manage donor stewardship, donor relations, development content, or other advancement-focused programs and initiatives.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including strong writing, editing, and editorial judgment and the ability to translate complex institutional and philanthropic information into clear, compelling, audience-appropriate content.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent professional judgment, assess needs, establish priorities, solve complex problems, and manage multiple projects and initiatives simultaneously.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-management skills, including the ability to collaborate effectively and influence outcomes across organizational boundaries with development professionals, organizational leadership, faculty, staff, donors, alumni, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to interpret and apply applicable policies, procedures, and standards related to donor stewardship, recognition, reporting, and confidential donor information and to exercise appropriate discretion in handling sensitive institutional matters.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience

• Experience in advancement, development, donor relations, stewardship, or fundraising within a higher education, healthcare, nonprofit, or similarly complex organization.
• Experience developing, implementing, and evaluating comprehensive donor stewardship and engagement strategies, including donor recognition, endowment or impact reporting, and individualized stewardship initiatives.
• Experience developing high-level donor-facing and fundraising content, including impact stories, proposals, campaign materials, philanthropic messaging, print and digital communications, or alumni-focused publications.
• Experience managing complex advancement-related projects involving budgets, production timelines, external vendors, and multiple internal and external stakeholders.
• Experience using advancement systems, donor information, engagement data, or other measures to evaluate stewardship activities, inform strategy, and identify opportunities to strengthen donor relationships.

Special Physical/Mental Requirements

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities

Required Documents

• Curriculum Vitae / Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of References
• Degree Transcripts
• Writing/research Sample

Optional Documents

Supplemental Questions

* Please select the education / experience that matches your background.

• Masters degree or higher
• Bachelors degree and 0-2 years of experience
• A combination of related education and experience
• None of the above