The Rutgers University Foundation (RUF) seeks a dynamic, analytical, and passionate professional to join the Estate and Gift Planning team as the Associate Director, Marketing and Engagement. This role is dedicated to deepening donor relationships with Rutgers University, emphasizing the connection between donors' passions and the university's mission in student education, research, and programs. They will play a crucial role in strategizing and implementing philanthropic engagement, marketing plans, and internal and external communications.

The ideal candidate is a team player who values excellence and creativity, thriving in a culture that values credibility and collective effort. This role is vital in ensuring the Rutgers University Foundation's Estate and Gift Planning department provides expert, innovative support to colleagues and donors in its fundraising endeavors.

Essential Functions

• Strategic Constituent Engagement: Lead initiatives to enhance donor and constituent relationships, aligning their enthusiasm for Rutgers with impactful philanthropic strategies.
• Comprehensive Marketing and Communication: Oversee the annual marketing strategy, integrating a mix of digital, social media, and traditional communication channels. Ensure that the content accurately reflects the Rutgers brand and effectively engages the donor community.
• Website and Content Oversight: Manage the content strategy for the Estate and Gift Planning team's website, ensuring it effectively communicates philanthropic opportunities. Maintain vendor relationships to support digital and content needs.
• Data-Driven Prospect Identification: Work with the Prospect Management team to identify potential donors using specific criteria, utilizing RUF's database for analytics and strategic communication plans.
• Support and Collaboration: Assist RUF/RU development officers with analytics and strategies to optimize engagement with donor prospects.
• Stewardship of Donor Societies: Actively participate in the stewardship of the Colonel Henry Rutgers Society, fostering a committed donor community.
• Other duties as assigned

Skills and Abilities

Consistency

• Demonstrate the ability to own an increasingly complex project portfolio
• Meet and exceed individually defined roles and responsibilities within the department/project/program

Contributions

• Contribute to and provide input on the operational goals of the department/project
• Build strong working relationships with internal and external partners
• Initiate processes, procedures, and programs/innovate within the organization
• Contribute to pan-university and pan-foundation initiatives
• Establish strong working relationships with deans, chairs, directors, and faculty members of assigned unit(s)

Competencies

• Demonstrate an ability to operate autonomously
• Demonstrate an ability to manage projects and/or a team
• Demonstrate the ability to work on projects across the department
• Demonstrate mastery to discover, cultivate, solicit and steward major gift prospects with increasing levels of autonomous work

Leadership

• Own complex projects with senior leadership support (leadership coaches and removes roadblocks)
• Set clear direction for a project
• Provide feedback, develop staff, and colleagues
• Set clear direction for a project or sub-team of colleagues; provide feedback and develop staff

Education/ Qualifications

Bachelor's degree and three to five years of progressively responsible experience in donor engagement, website content management, or vendor relations. Master's degree preferred.

Mental Demands

Clarity of focus while juggling complex projects or deadlines.

Working Conditions

This position requires little physical effort. Will work evenings, weekends, or odd hours to meet resource-raising commitments. Typical working conditions with an absence of disagreeable elements. This position requires some early mornings and late evenings to accommodate meetings, travel, events, and external constituent's schedules.

Benefits

• Office-centric hybrid work schedule
• Comprehensive medical
• Comprehensive no cost dental, and no cost vision insurance for employee and dependents
• 403(b) plan with matching employer contribution
• Accrual of three weeks of annual vacation time, in addition to accrual of five wellness days per year
• Nine holidays, as well as four flex days
• Significant tuition reductions
• Professional development is highly valued at the Rutgers University Foundation, where employees are encouraged to look across the organization to develop new skills and abilities for professional career progression
• $40 monthly cell phone reimbursement

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is Foundation policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants for employment regardless of their race, creed, color, national origin, age, ancestry, nationality, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, sex, pregnancy, gender identity or expression, disability status, liability for military service, protected veteran status, affectional or sexual orientation, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing), or any other category protected by law. As an institution, we value diversity of background and opinion, and prohibit discrimination or harassment based on any legally protected class in the areas of hiring, recruitment, promotion, transfer, demotion, training, compensation, pay, fringe benefits, layoff, termination or any other terms and conditions of employment.