Associate Director, Donor Experience

The University Advancement’s Office of Engagement team seeks a dynamic and experienced Associate Director of Donor Experience to lead a team of four Donor Experience Officers (DXOs) and ensure the successful execution of donor engagement strategies. The Associate Director of Donor Experience will play a pivotal role in achieving the University Annual Giving Team’s goals by overseeing the team of DXOs, managing school and program partner relationships, organizing reporting efforts, and carrying a portfolio of DXO prospects in their role as player-coach.

Donor Experience Officers (DXOs) combine digital-first communication efforts with innovative workflows to achieve the University of Virginia's fundraising and alumni participation goals. By utilizing technology tools, DXOs develop personal, customized relationships with an assigned portfolio of up to 1,000 current and former alumni donors to ask for renewed or increased support for the University. The Associate Director of Donor Experience reports to the Director, Virtual Philanthropy and will work closely with the EverTrue Donor Experience Program Manager (DXPM).

Responsibilities:

• Team Leadership:
  • Supervise a team of four Donor Experience Officers (DXOs).
  • Set clear performance goals and expectations, provide coaching and mentorship, and foster collaboration.
• Donor Engagement Strategy:
  • Develop an outreach strategy with the DXO team and DXPM to engage undergraduate alumni and increase undergraduate alumni participation.
  • Oversee the management of DXO portfolios, ensuring high-velocity, targeted, and alumni-centric engagement, in partnership with Prospect Management.
• Fundraising:
  • Maintain a portfolio of higher propensity annual giving prospects consisting of 300 to 400 undergraduate alumni.
  • Actively engage with and steward these prospects to create fundraising best practices.
  • Share the knowledge gained from managing this portfolio with the DXO team to enhance their performance.
• Partner Collaboration:
  • Foster cross-ground connections by collaborating with various school and program colleagues to align DXO outreach strategies with broader university initiatives.
  • Generate reporting for undergraduate school partners and train the DXO team to be specialized partner contacts.
  • Participate in communities of practice to learn and share best practices.
• Reporting and Analytics:
  • Use internal and external reporting mechanisms to track the performance and progress of the DXO team.
  • Analyze data and use insights to make data-driven decisions and recommendations, improving donor engagement strategies.
  • Provide consistent reporting to DXO partners and University Advancement Leadership.
• Work closely with digital engagement technology vendors, including EverTrue, to stay up to date on virtual philanthropy best practices.
• Perform other responsibilities as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree.
• At least two years of relevant experience in donor engagement, fundraising, or related fields.
• Proficiency in using digital media, text, phone, video conferencing, and other technology tools for donor engagement.
• Strong leadership and team management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Proven problem-solving abilities and sound judgment.
• Ability to prioritize and pay attention to details.
• Highly organized, goal-oriented, and self-motivated.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with relational CRM or databases.
• Previous digital fundraising experience.
• Familiarity with the University of Virginia or a UVA graduate.

UVA Advancement offers a flexible and hybrid workplace. All team members must have access to and maintain a secure home office environment with high-speed internet service and work collaboratively with others using various technologies and tools. Depending on the type of position and work performed, or as deemed by the manager, some positions may be required to work intermittently in a shared office space in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

This position will remain open until it is filled. This is an exempt level, benefited position—Anticipated Hiring Range: $65,000 - $75,000 commensurate with education and experience. This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas. This position is a restricted position and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding and performance. The University will perform background checks on all new hires before employment. For questions about the position or the application process, please contact Daniel Strong (das6zb@virginia.edu.)