SENIOR DIRECTOR, DONOR RELATIONS & VOLUNTEER ENGAGEMENT

Scripps Research; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Scripps Research in La Jolla, CA seeks a Senior Director of Donor Relations & Volunteer Engagement to lead donor stewardship, recognition, and volunteer programs within the Office of Development. You will supervise a Manager, Stewardship & Reporting and an Associate Director, Volunteer & Donor Engagement, guiding strategy, reporting, and messaging to alumni, faculty, staff, and donors.

The role emphasizes collaboration with gift officers, strategic philanthropy, and a culture of philanthropy,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 10 years in donor relations, stewardship, or advancement.
• 5+ years leading the function in higher education or a research environment.
• Expert knowledge of gift agreement structures, endowment and restricted fund administration, donor intent compliance, and named and endowed recognition programs.
• Demonstrated success leading stewardship initiatives that strengthen donor and constituent engagement.
• Exceptional writing, storytelling, and presentation skills with the ability to translate complex science and philanthropy into compelling narratives.
• Demonstrated ability to advise and influence executive leadership, faculty, Trustees, and principal donors with discretion, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• Highly proficient with CRM (e.g., Raiser’s Edge) and advancement systems and reporting tools, with demonstrated ability to use donor data to drive stewardship strategy.
• Commitment to advancing the mission and values of Scripps Research through strategic philanthropy and constituent engagement.
• On-campus position requiring a minimum of 4 days per week onsite from La Jolla campus, with 1 remote day per week.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive donor relations and volunteer engagement strategy that strengthens constituent relationships and supports fundraising goals.
• Partner with senior leadership to ensure alignment with institutional priorities.
• Manage budgets and resources effectively, ensuring operational excellence and measurable outcomes across all stewardship and volunteer engagement efforts.
• Serve on the Office of Development Office Manager’s Team to align priorities and lead with consistency and transparency.
• Directly supervise the Manager, Stewardship & Reporting and the Associate Director, Volunteer & Donor Engagement, coordinating with gift officers for aligned efforts.
• Oversee donor relations and stewardship to ensure timely, personalized recognition of donors at all levels.
• Design, produce, and project manage impact and endowment reports, donor appreciation, and recognition events.
• Maintain an annual stewardship report and highlight tangible outcomes of giving to key constituencies.
• Guide planning and execution of signature cultivation and stewardship events.

Skills

Donor relations

Stewardship

Leadership

Storytelling

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

Raiser’s Edge

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY:

The Senior Director of Donor Relations & Volunteer Engagement provides strategic leadership and vision for Scripps Research's donor stewardship and volunteer engagement strategy. This role unites donor relations, stewardship, and volunteer engagement within the Office of Development under a cohesive framework that strengthens relationships with donors, prospects, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Development Services & Administration, the Senior Director leads a multidisciplinary team responsible for stewardship programming, impact reporting, donor recognition, and volunteer engagement, and prospect strategy that advance philanthropy across the institute. The Senior Director directly supervises the Manager, Stewardship & Reporting and the Associate Director, Volunteer & Donor Engagement, and partners closely with gift officers to ensure donor, prospect, and volunteer efforts are aligned, timely, and impactful.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

Strategic Leadership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive donor relations and volunteer engagement strategy that strengthens constituent relationships and supports fundraising goals.
• Partner with senior leadership to ensure alignment with institutional priorities.
• Manage budgets and resources effectively, ensuring operational excellence and measurable outcomes across all stewardship and volunteer engagement efforts.
• Serve on the Office of Development Office Manager’s Team to align priorities, develop culture, and lead with consistency and transparency.

Donor Relations & Stewardship

• Directly supervise the Manager, Stewardship & Reporting, who oversees impact reporting, donor profiles, fund reporting, recognition content, storytelling, mass stewardship, and donor proposals.
• Oversee the Donor Relations and Stewardship function to ensure timely, personalized, and meaningful recognition of donors at all levels.
• Design, produce, and project manage impact and endowment reports, donor appreciation, and recognition events.
• Strengthen a culture of philanthropy through communications, including an annual stewardship report, that highlights the tangible outcomes of giving with key constituencies, including but not limited to alumni, faculty, and staff.
• Collaborate with gift officers to develop customized stewardship and reporting plans for donors and prospects.
• Manage personalized and broad-based donor stewardship, including targeted stewardship for Annual Giving, the Science Trust, and the Legacy Circle.

Volunteer & Board Engagement

• Directly supervise the Associate Director, Volunteer & Donor Engagement, who serves as the primary staff liaison for the Global Ambassadors Council (GAC), the Alumni Board, and the Advancement Committee, as well as individual key volunteers and philanthropic partners.
• Ensure prospect strategy for top prospects is coordinated, implemented, and tracked in partnership with gift officers and leadership.
• Provide strategic oversight of annual engagement calendars, individual stewardship plans, and multi-year strategies for volunteer boards, key volunteers, and philanthropic partners.
• Guide the planning and execution of signature cultivation and stewardship events, including chair celebrations, donor appreciation event, fellowship recognitions, Front Row Dinners, faculty engagement opportunities, and salon dinners.
• Maintain the Office of Development's master engagement calendar and ensure it reflects coordinated priorities across stewardship and volunteer engagement.
• Details of established essential functions for this position will be addressed/discussed during the interview process.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in donor relations, stewardship, or advancement, including at least 5 years leading the function in higher education or a research environment.
• Demonstrated experience managing managers and developing high-performing professional teams.
• Expert knowledge of gift agreement structures, endowment and restricted fund administration, donor intent compliance, and named and endowed recognition programs.
• Demonstrated success leading stewardship initiatives that strengthen donor and constituent engagement.
• Exceptional writing, storytelling, and presentation skills with the ability to translate complex science and philanthropy into compelling narratives.
• Demonstrated ability to advise and influence executive leadership, faculty, Trustees, and principal donors with discretion, diplomacy, and sound judgment.
• Highly proficient with CRM (e.g., Raiser’s Edge) and advancement systems and reporting tools, with demonstrated ability to use donor data to drive stewardship strategy.
• Commitment to advancing the mission and values of Scripps Research through strategic philanthropy and constituent engagement.
• While subject to change based on business needs, this is an on-campus position requiring a minimum of 4 days per week working onsite from our La Jolla campus, with flexibility to work 1 day per week remotely from home.