Job Description

Department:

Center for Small Town Jewish Life

Pay Rate Type:

Hourly

Employee Type:

Job Summary:

The Development and Engagement Specialist supports the mission of the Center for Small Town Jewish Life (CSTJL) by coordinating donor relations, advancement communications, and community programs that build meaningful connections between Colby College and Jewish communities across Maine and beyond. Reporting to the Director of Development, this position provides critical support for fundraising events and stewardship activities. The Specialist serves as a key liaison among donors, campus partners, and community members, helping to advance CSTJL’s visibility, reach, and impact.

Essential Functions and Key Responsibilities

To perform successfully in this position, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily as well as possess education/experience, employ the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed in representative fashion. Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.  This listing of essential duties is not all-inclusive, but representative; other duties may be assigned.

• Support the Director of Development in executing CSTJL’s advancement and stewardship strategies, including donor outreach, communications, and event coordination.

• Research and identify new foundation funding opportunities aligned with organizational priorities

• Maintain foundation grant calendar and ensure timely submission of all deliverables

• Track grant requirements, deadlines, and reporting activity

• Plan and manage logistics for development events - both on campus and in partner communities across the state.

• Maintain accurate and confidential donor and program records in the CRM system.

• Assist with the creation of donor communications, acknowledgement letters, impact reports, and marketing content that convey the Center’s mission and achievements.

• Collaborate with Advancement and Communications staff to ensure consistency in messaging, branding, and engagement materials.

• Serve as a welcoming, professional representative of CSTJL when interacting with visitors, alumni, trustees, and community partners.

• Provide administrative support for meetings, mailings, follow-up communications, and post-event reporting.

Position Qualifications

Education and/or experience:

• Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in education and experience

• One to three years of experience in development, advancement, event coordination, communications, or a related field.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to create clear, compelling, and accurate correspondence and reports.

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build positive relationships across diverse audiences - including donors, alumni, students, faculty, and community partners.

• Highly organized, proactive, and adaptable to changing priorities in a dynamic, mission-driven environment.

• Strong attention to detail, problem-solving ability, and professional judgment.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite; ability to learn tools such as Airtable, Adobe Creative Suite, Eventbrite, SurveyMokey, and Workday.

• Appreciation for Jewish traditions, culture, and civic engagement, with curiosity and openness to cross-cultural experiences.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively with minimal supervision..

Working Conditions/Schedule

This is a part-time position (approximately 15-20 hours per week). Some evening and weekend hours are required to support CSTJL events and programs.

Physical/Mental Demands

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this position and/or may be encountered while performing essential functions.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• To successfully perform the essential functions of this position, an employee must be able to maintain appropriate confidentiality with regard to employee data, documents, issues, etc., and respect privacy needs of employees and past employees with regard to the same.

• The ability to comply with highly inflexible deadlines is requ