Stewardship Storyteller & Donor Relations Lead

Worcester Polytech

Worcester (MA)

On-site

USD 63,000 - 70,000

Full time

14 days+

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Job summary

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) seeks an Assistant Director, Stewardship and Donor Relations Communications to serve as the stewardship writer and content strategist for reporting and communications. Blending narrative storytelling with data, you will translate complex academic, research, student, and institutional initiatives into meaningful stories that deepen donor engagement.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Stewardship and Donor Relations, you will collaborate with campus

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree required.
3–5 years of experience in journalism, communications, higher education, or a related field.
Exceptional research, writing, and editing skills.
Experience with narrative storytelling and incorporating data and other elements to tell a story.
Excellent organizational skills with a track record of setting priorities, managing multiple responsibilities, and meeting deadlines.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
Ability to synthesize and distill complex and/or technical information for a non-technical audience.
Ability to work well as a member of a team and to collaborate effectively with colleagues in other university departments.
Ability to apply good judgment; tact and discretion are required to deal with highly confidential information.
Preferred: Experience in a comprehensive campaign environment; Understanding of STEM education and research university context; Experience with Adobe Creative Suite; Familiarity with donor database/CRM systems; Familiarity with fund management, endowments, and other common giving vehicles.

Responsibilities

Stewardship Reporting (55%): Write impact reports showing how donor investments advance WPI's mission with data points.
Develop customized, donor-specific content designed to fulfill stewardship commitments, strengthen donor relationships, and communicate outcomes of philanthropic support.
Ensure messaging is authentic, personalized, and aligns with the broader university narrative.
Ensure content is thoroughly researched and accurate, well-written and edited.
Seek input and vet materials with campus stakeholders and university leadership when needed.
Partner with stakeholders across campus to gather stories of impact and data for stewardship reporting.
Analyze data for key insights to highlight.
Interview faculty, students, and other individuals as needed.
Develop a deep knowledge of the portfolio of funds and subject areas.
Stewardship Communications (15%): Draft stewardship communications for giving societies and campaigns; Identify relevant stories, events for donors.
Relationship Building (15%): Build relationships with gift officers; Serve as content expert on funds; Collaborate with academic leaders, faculty, researchers, students, and administrators.
Cross-Functional Collaboration (15%): Collaborate on donor storytelling projects; Contribute impact content for annual reports and philanthropy publications; Support donor engagement campaigns; Develop stewardship messaging for events; Maintain editorial calendars and content planning processes.