Assistant Director, Operations - McCormick

Department: Alumni Relations & Development
Salary/Grade: EXS/7

Target hiring range for this position will be between $63,500-$65,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Job Summary:

For full consideration, please submit a cover letter and resume in PDF format.

The Assistant Director is responsible for collaborating across departments to enhance the fundraising and development operations for the McCormick School of Engineering. This role will report to the Director of Development for McCormick and will work with them to oversee the following programmatic initiatives: annual giving, alumni engagement, stewardship and donor relations, and major gifts.

This position involves significant collaboration with colleagues from teams across Alumni Relations and Development (ARD) (e.g. leadership and annual giving, reunions, donor relations, marketing and communications, alumni engagement, prospect research and management, reporting and analytics, special events).

This role also interfaces with colleagues from the McCormick School of Engineering including deans, faculty, staff, program directors, and other University leaders.

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Administers & maintains existing strategic plans.
• Recommends changes & improvements to operational services strategies to better meet team needs & objectives.

Collaboration

• Involves high level of collaboration with internal department partners and moderate level of collaboration with University partners in implementing and expanding existing relationships to accomplish strategic goals.
• Innovate and improve team business processes by collaborating with internal ARD partners to understand needs and goals
• Liaise with the Dean's Office to help efficiently coordinate the Dean's visits with alumni and donors and ensure timely and accurate briefing materials
• Provides oversight and support to staff within the department

Prospects & Gifts

• Develop effective communications materials (talking points, sample proposals, case-for-support documents) for priority major gift opportunities
• Liaise with gift officers and prospect research and management team to identify strong major gift prospects to McCormick
• Support gift officer work to qualify, cultivate, and solicit top donors and prospects
• Enhance McCormick's leadership giving program to strategically develop the prospect pipeline for future major gift donors
• Draft and develop annual appeal and solicitation communications in partnership with Annual Giving team and Engineering departments to drive giving participation

Stewardship

• Liaise with Donor Relations team and McCormick staff contacts for annual expendable and endowed stewardship reports
• Develop stewardship communications in line with school priorities for annual fund and leadership giving society, including acknowledgement letter templates and cards
• Oversee and manage annual stewardship processes for key McCormick giving programs (Murphy Society and Undergraduate Research Awards)

Events and Alumni Engagement

• Partner with the Northwestern Alumni Association team and McCormick partners to scale meaningful engagement opportunities for McCormick alumni
• Coordinate with prospect research team to identify potential board members and volunteers aligned with McCormick and department needs
• Ensure that McCormick events and engagement opportunities are well-communicated to appropriate audiences to drive participation rates
• Identify and track strategic McCormick faculty and programs to feature in alumni engagement opportunities and events
• Provide on site and planning support for events involving McCormick faculty and/or alumni

Administration

• Completes day-to-day oversight, maintenance, continuity and consistency of business processes related operational services.
• Implements ongoing operational services data integrity initiatives including participating in review, testing and quality assurance of processes, software, hardware, etc.
• Compiles & analyzes data; prepares reports; shares results and recommendations with clients.
• Reviews processes and systems and recommends changes to incorporate state-of-the-art processes and technology as appropriate into operational services; streamlining the delivery and/or accessibility of information.
• Identifies service improvement opportunities that will better enable operational services to achieve its goals and objectives.
• Creates and maintains documentation, procedures, standards, and policies related to operational services.
• Researches best practices, peer institutions, market/economic conditions and government rules and regulations and recommends changes and enhancements to improve administrative effectiveness, services and/or resources.

Supervisory

• Supervises part-time, temporary, and/or work/study employee.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.

• 3 years operations, administration, development or equivalent experience is required.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Collaboration: Demonstrates the ability to build trust and foster strong working relationships across teams and levels of the organization. Effectively initiates and sustains teamwork, manages diverse stakeholder interests, and communicates clearly and respectfully

• Analytical Thinking & Problem Solving: Quickly learns and adapts to new systems, software, and processes. Applies critical thinking to identify root causes, analyze complex issues, and develop practical, effective solutions.

• Creativity and Innovation: Exhibits curiosity and a willingness to explore new ideas. Thinks creatively and brings fresh perspectives to challenges, contributing to continuous improvement and innovation.

• Reliability and Initiative: A proactive self-starter who takes ownership of tasks and projects, follows through with minimal supervision, and consistently delivers high-quality results. Demonstrates accountability and dependability in all aspects of work.

• Time Management & Organizational Skills: Effectively manages multiple, overlapping priorities in a dynamic environment. Adapts to change with agility and maintains focus and organization to drive outcomes and meet deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working within a higher education environment, including collaborating with faculty, staff, and academic departments to achieve institutional goals.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Strong writing and editing skills

• Project management skills

• Advanced knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, email, and database software programs

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.