Stewardship Assistant

Caltech; Pasadena, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 43,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement savings plan

Paid time off

Tuition reimbursement

Onsite counseling

Job summary

Caltech seeks a Stewardship Assistant to support the Advancement and Alumni Relations team in gift acknowledgments and budget administration. Reporting to the Director of Stewardship, you will coordinate daily acknowledgments, manage confidential donor data, and support communications and events.

The role emphasizes meticulous data handling, cross-team collaboration, and timely processing of correspondence for Caltech leadership in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent related work experience.
• Three years or more of progressively responsible administrative and project coordination experience in nonprofit or higher education.
• Excellent organizational, project and time management skills with ability to manage multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience using business databases to maintain and extract data.
• Discretion and diplomacy with confidential information.
• Strong customer service and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).

Responsibilities

• Independently coordinate daily processing of gift acknowledgments for Caltech leadership.
• Maintain confidential data in AAR’s Advance database and run gift reports.
• Produce and mail materials including gift correspondence, invitations, and reports.
• Track and reconcile the Stewardship team budget and purchasing activities.
• Manage team meeting schedules and coordinate meetings and events.
• Assist with donor recognition events and mailings.
• Develop professional relationships across AAR and act as content expert for SharePoint.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Skills

MS Office

Communication

Organizational skills

Project coordination

Data management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Tools

Advance database

SharePoint

Encompass

InDesign

Job description

Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.

Job Summary

The purpose of Advancement and Alumni Relations (AAR) is to foster a thriving and engaged community of support for Caltech. By strengthening and nurturing the community of people who share and support the Institute’s mission and values, we will ensure the Institute receives the necessary resources to achieve our aspirations and advocate for excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship in perpetuity.

Reporting to the Director of Stewardship, the Stewardship Assistant performs two diverse functions in support of the Philanthropic Initiatives and Stewardship team. First, in collaboration with members of the Stewardship team and the offices of the Vice President for AAR, Provost, and President, the Stewardship Assistant provides project management and coordination for gift acknowledgments from Caltech leadership. Second, the Stewardship Assistant provides high level administrative and budget support to the Director and team.

• Independently coordinate the daily processing of gift acknowledgment and related correspondence for Caltech leadership. Track, prepare, and coordinate routing of correspondence for the Vice President of AAR’s and Provost’s signatures; track and support the preparation of correspondence for the President’s signature.
• Develop and apply specialized knowledge and expertise to maintain and utilize confidential data in AAR’s Advance database. Input and maintain designated data, and on a daily basis, run relevant gift reports and scan and upload correspondence and stewardship reports into the database, ensuring timeliness and accuracy of entries. Research, compile, analyze, and present data needed for gift acknowledgment and donor reporting purposes.
• Facilitate the production and mailing of materials, including gift correspondence, invitations, reports, donor gifts, and other items.
• Track the Stewardship team’s operating budget, by reviewing and reconciling expenditures, as well as monitoring actual expenses against projections. Assist with projecting cost estimates and schedules. Oversee and administer purchasing activities for the team, including P-card reconciliation and travel arrangements for department team members.
• Manage team meeting schedule and help team members with coordinating other meetings and events. Provide administrative support at meetings as needed; track and follow-up with action items to ensure completion.
• Assist with preparation and follow up for donor recognition events and donor gift mailings.
• Develop and maintain professional relationships with counterparts across AAR.
• Serve as content expert for the Stewardship team for the Advancement and Alumni Relations SharePoint site, maintaining team data and ensuring the work of the team is conveyed appropriately to team members.
• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent related work experience.
• Three years or more of progressively responsible administrative and project coordination experience, two of which should be in a nonprofit or higher education setting.
• Excellent organizational, project and time management skills; including ability to work independently and collaboratively, manage multiple projects at same time, prioritizing tasks and meeting deadlines with a fast-paced environment with multiple and competing demands.
• Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.
• Excellent written communication skills, including strong editing, spelling, grammar and proofreading.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, interpersonal skills, and the ability to communicate clearly and tactfully within Caltech and to external constituents.
• Experience using business databases to maintain and extract data.
• Demonstrate discretion and diplomacy; experience and judgment to deal appropriately with confidential information.
• Strong customer service skills, demonstrating a professional and friendly demeanor, including the ability to anticipate and provide friendly and helpful service to internal and external partners.
• Sensitivity to constituent relations and service.
• Strong Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Authentic curiosity about science and technology.
• Demonstrate the ability to practice and adhere to AAR’s Guiding Principles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency with Advance or other fundraising CRM database experience.
• Expert-level proficiency with Microsoft Excel, and other programs that provide the ability to interpret, manage, and track large quantities of data.
• Experience working in donor relations/engagement, stewardship, events, or development/fundraising environment.
• Experience with additional applications such as event systems, project management software, Encompass, InDesign, or other graphic design programs.
• Experience with SharePoint.

Required Documents

• Resume.

Hiring Range

$30.75 - $48.75 per hour

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.

As one of the largest employers in Pasadena, CA, Caltech is committed to providing comprehensive benefits to eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Our benefits package includes competitive compensation, health, dental, and vision insurance, retirement savings plans, generous paid time off (vacation, holidays, sick time, parental leave, bereavement, etc.), tuition reimbursement, and more. Non-benefit eligible employees will have access to some benefits such as onsite counseling and sick time. Learn more about our benefits and staff perks .

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Caltech is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

Caltech complies with the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). We consider reasonable accommodation measures that may be necessary for eligible applicants and employees to perform the essential functions of a position.

If you would like to request an accommodation to complete this application, interview, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please contact Caltech Recruiting at [e-mail] .

Additionally, if you do not meet the basic qualifications of a role but believe you can perform the essential functions of the job with reasonable accommodation, please reach out to Caltech Recruiting at [e-mail] .