Donor Stewardship Communications Lead

California Institute of Technology; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 78,900 - 106,800; Full time

Job summary

Caltech is seeking an Assistant Director within Advancement and Alumni Relations to lead donor-relations communications. The role focuses on writing and designing donor impact reports, event materials, and recognition pieces for top supporters, while collaborating with multiple campus teams to align messaging with Institute goals.

The ideal candidate will have superb writing, editing, and proofreading skills, and the ability to translate complex science and technology concepts for educated,

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent related work experience.
• Three years or more of experience in a professional communications role.
• Proven superior writing, editing, and proofreading skills.
• Ability to communicate about a wide range of science and technology topics to non-technical audiences.
• Ability to synthesize complex information into clear and persuasive prose.
• Ability to independently manage complex tasks simultaneously, coordinate the roles of various participants in projects, set priorities and schedules, and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to continually seek new ways to tell the story of impact to donors across various channels.
• Expertise in developing and implementing best practices for conveying impact to donors.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to facilitate mutual understanding and work effectively with a wide variety of people, including faculty, administrators, advancement colleagues, donors, alumni, students, and friends of the Institute.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Authentic curiosity and interest in science and technology.
• Demonstrate the ability to practice and uphold AAR's guiding principles.

Responsibilities

• Research and write compelling reports and other individualized communications in support of the Institute's significant donors, inspiring continued philanthropy and conveying the impact of giving.
• Translate complex academic, scientific, and technology-focused concepts into clear, compelling language for educated, non-technical audiences.
• Independently conduct research and incorporate changes, comments, and critiques from multiple reviewers using exceptional writing and editing skills; exercise sound judgment with regard to strategy and appropriate points of emphasis.
• Review, edit, and proofread donor stewardship materials, including gift agreements and correspondence.
• Draft gift acknowledgment templates and other official correspondence (appointment notifications, condolence notes, etc.) for the vice president for Advancement and the provost. Regularly update templates to ensure they reflect the voice and style of the signer.
• Review event materials (including invitations, menus, programs, etc.) and produce speaking points/remarks and follow-up messages for donor events, as needed.
• Use graphic design skills to support the creation of Stewardship materials (both print and web-based) including selecting and securing appropriate images, developing layouts, and preparing files for print or digital publication. Collaborate with external graphic designers as needed.
• Review language for donor recognition pieces and signage that acknowledge and honor the philanthropy of Caltech's supporters.
• Manage multiple projects simultaneously and independently and keep a comprehensive plan of all work in progress. Analyze requests for assistance, project realistic deadlines for project completion, and complete work on schedule.
• Develop strong working relationships and understand the communications goals and styles of other writing teams across campus to ensure the successful integration of donor-stewardship materials with the messaging of Advancement Communications, Strategic Communications, and other academic partners.
• Collaborate with colleagues in Advancement Communications and the Office of Communications and External Relations to ensure all materials produced align with Institute messaging, tone, style, and brand guidelines.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Skills

Superior writing

Editing

Proofreading

Science/tech communication

Non-technical audience communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Creative Suite

Microsoft Office

Encompass

Thankview

Job description

Caltech is seeking an Assistant Director within Advancement and Alumni Relations to lead donor-relations communications. The role focuses on writing and designing donor impact reports, event materials, and recognition pieces for top supporters, while collaborating with multiple campus teams to align messaging with Institute goals.

The ideal candidate will have superb writing, editing, and proofreading skills, and the ability to translate complex science and technology concepts for educated,