Senior Communications & Stewardship Writer Penn Medicine Development & Alumni Relations

Trustees of University of Pennsylvania; Market (NY); On-site; USD 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia seeks a senior Communications & Stewardship Writer for Penn Medicine Development & Alumni Relations. This role focuses on creating high‑impact donor communications, combining clinical, research, and educational priorities with compelling storytelling.

The candidate will edit and craft proposals, stewardship reports, and leadership communications, while collaborating with the broader PMDAR team to deliver polished collateral.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 3–5 years' experience or equivalent education/experience required.
• Portfolio demonstrating persuasive writing, translating science for lay audiences.
• Experience in fundraising or marketing; higher education/health care background preferred.

Responsibilities

• Write proposals, stewardship reports, handouts, and brochures.
• Edit work from fellow writers and provide constructive feedback.
• Write leadership communications, including letters and speeches.
• Write and identify visuals for articles, newsletters, and social media content.
• Design written projects using InDesign templates.
• Collaborate with Health System design team on customized projects.

Skills

Strong writing skills

Editing and feedback

Persuasive writing

Science communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

InDesign

Job description

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

• excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families
• generous retirement benefits
• a wide variety of professional development opportunities
• supportive work and family benefits
• a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources
• and much more

Posted Job Title

Senior Communications & Stewardship Writer Penn Medicine Development & Alumni Relations

Job Profile Title

Staff Writer C

Job Description Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director of Development & Research Communications, the Senior Communications & Stewardship Writer develops some of the Office's most important solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship communications projects, supporting in particular the Neuro and Biomedical Research Development (BRD) teams. This Senior Writer is comfortable and confident in their writing and, with the Senior Director of Development & Research Communications, acts as a leading figure on the creative team. The Senior Writer has a high comfort level in writing about basic science research and the biomedical sciences, as well as the ability to carefully edit and provide thoughtful, constructive feedback regarding the writing of other members of the team.

The Senior Writer has a sound understanding of the ways engaging copy can help stakeholders achieve their aims and is able to keep the donor perspective at the center of all efforts, successfully and consistently generating copy that reflects the caliber of our institution. Especially vital for this position is the ability to integrate the very technical aspects of Penn Medicine's clinical, research, and educational priorities with the very emotional realities about serious illness, care, and the future of medicine. The Senior Writer is comfortable with using design software such as InDesign for the presentation of written material; if not already proficient, they are willing and able to swiftly build this skillset. Also critical is the ability to work with members of the broader PMDAR team, including frontline gift officers, to deliver the best possible communications collateral for the specific objectives of each project.

Job Responsibilities

• Write high-quality projects such as proposals, stewardship reports, handouts, and brochures
• Edit work from fellow writers and colleagues and provide thoughtful, constructive feedback in keeping with PMDAR standards
• Write high-level leadership communications, including letters and speeches/talking points
• Write and identify visuals for articles, newsletters, feature publications, and social media content
• Design, based on templates in creative tools such as InDesign, written projects, including proposals, stewardship reports, and brochures
• Collaborate with Health System design team to develop highly customized projects, ranging from advertisements and posters to multi-million dollar proposals and case statements
• All University benefits applicable

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Perfer experience as a professional writer in fundraising, marketing, or related area
• Prefer at least 2 years' direct experience in higher education or health care
• Portfolio that demonstrates ability to write persuasively, especially while conveying scientific concepts to a lay audience

Professional Skills

• Possesses strong writing skills, including especially the ability to write persuasively and translate complex scientific and medical information for a variety of audiences
• Has a firm grasp of English language mechanics and the ability to review and edit written communic