Associate Director, Foundation Initiatives

Reporting to the Director, Foundation Initiatives, the Associate Director manages a diverse portfolio of high-visibility projects, partnering with Foundation and University leadership, internal teams, and external stakeholders. This role drives initiatives from concept through execution, setting priorities, advancing strategic and revenue-generating efforts, and ensuring timely progress in a fast-paced environment. Operating with autonomy and strong judgment, the Associate Director leads collaboration, develops executive-level communications, and supports successful outcomes across complex initiatives.

Essential Functions

• Assume leadership of special projects and initiatives, including the planning, establishment, and prioritization of project components and milestones, with a highly organized approach. Demonstrate expert thoroughness and special attention to detail while meeting deadlines across multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.
• Establish and maintain strong relationships with both internal and external partners and stakeholders.
• Provide independent analysis and judgement in prioritizing situations needing attention, take steps to ensure projects are moved forward and tracked for progress through completion.
• Develop and/or support business and revenue raising plans for various projects and initiatives.
• Demonstrate ability to advance strategies, while proactively anticipating project needs to ensure successful outcomes for the project and project team members.
• Ability to move concepts from ideation to process implementation while navigating complex environments with numerous and evolving priorities.
• Lead, participate in, and/or manage meetings/engagements related to portfolio.
• Operate autonomously, while demonstrating a strong collaborative style and diplomacy to manage complex situations.
• Skilled, strategic communication skills applied to development and drafting of special communications and correspondence to advance projects forward, including at the executive level. Demonstrate exceptional writing skills across all mediums and for all audiences.
• Develop, implement, and/or coordinate project-related strategies and manage the change process to ensure successful outcomes.
• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality and responsibility regarding information related to Foundation and University business and confidential prospect information.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Competency Aptitudes

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

Autonomy

• Establish and manage guidelines/timeline for department/project/program
• Perform project analysis; devise and implement process improvements to optimize outcomes

Complexity

• Initiate projects, strategies, and innovations within the organization
• Demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of department/project/program
• Ability to devise strategies and execute increasingly complex projects

Strategy

• Manage operational components for department
• Develop and submit budgets and other collateral materials as needed to advance a University initiative

Education and/or Experience

Bachelor's degree and 5-7 years of professional experience in fundraising, alumni relations, non-profit organizations, event planning, higher education, project management, or related fields.

Working Conditions

This position requires clarity of focus while juggling complex projects or deadlines with little physical effort. Will work evenings, weekends, or odd hours to meet organizational 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 constituents’ schedules.

Workplace Arrangements

This is classified as a remote position. Colleagues working under remote arrangements do not have a primary workstation in a university or foundation location. Remote employees may be asked to come into a Foundation office or go to another location from time to time. On days when Remote employees must come into the office or other designated locations, they will be notified of the location to which they should report. The Foundation will pay for a Remote employee’s travel to that location if it is more than 75 miles from the Remote employee’s residence.

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is Foundation policy to provide equal employment opportunity to all its employees and applicants. The Foundation prohibits discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, familial status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, veteran status, genetic information, and any other characteristics protected by applicable state, federal and/or local laws. Equal employment opportunity applies to hiring, placement, transfer, promotion, demotion, recruitment, advertising or solicitation for employment, treatment during employment, rates of pay or other forms of compensation, selection for training, layoff, or termination.