Senior Director, Strategic Donor Engagement and Communications, VP Development and Alumni

Description

The Donor Engagement Team within VP Development and Alumni is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Senior Director, Strategic Donor Engagement and Communications
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Located in Canada's most enterprising city, the University of Calgary (UCalgary) is a global intellectual hub for teaching and learning, research and scholarship, and deep engagement with the community.

UCalgary is one of Canada's top comprehensive research universities, with more than 7,500 graduate students and 30,500 undergraduate students, 1,800 academic staff, and over 4,000 non-academic staff in 14 faculties, across five campuses. As one of Canada's leading research-intensive universities, UCalgary is home to 146 research chairs (75 Canada Research Chairs), and more than 50 research institutes and centres. The University is bolstered by the incredible philanthropic support of the community, including more than $1.4B raised during Energize:
The Campaign for Eyes High - the third-largest completed fundraising campaign in Canadian history. UCalgary has the fastest growth rate in attracting research funding among the 10 largest universities in Canada and for three years in a row was ranked the #1 start-up creator among Canadian research universities.

Through its strategic plan, Ahead of Tomorrow, UCalgary continues on its remarkable growth trajectory, striving for inimitable excellence through innovative teaching and learning, cutting-edge exploration, and community linkage through 2030. The strategy reflects our ambition to expand access to future-focused education, maximize research and innovation impact, put community at the centre of all that we do, and build operational clarity and excellence across the institution.

The Development and Alumni team serves as a bridge between the University of Calgary and its champions, including donors, alumni and community members. Supporting engagement, volunteerism and partnerships, it creates opportunities for impact in Calgary and beyond. The Development team is responsible for all private philanthropic fundraising, and alignment of investment to advance the strategic priorities of the University of Calgary and the communities it serves.

The Office of Principal Gifts and Strategic Donor Engagement develops and implements focused, integrated fundraising strategies to drive donor engagement and advance philanthropic investment in support of UCalgary's strategic priorities.

The Senior Director, Strategic Donor Engagement plays a central leadership role in shaping and executing the University of Calgary's donor communications and engagement strategy.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Principal Gifts and Strategic Donor Engagement, the Senior Director is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive, integrated donor engagement strategy for the University - broadly and for specific institutional priorities and donor segments. The role ensures coordinated engagement across multiple channels and touchpoints, aligning communications, experiences, and stewardship approaches based on donor engagement levels, affinities, giving history, and philanthropic inclination.

Through disciplined planning and cross-campus collaboration, the position strengthens long-term donor relationships and advances UCalgary's fundraising performance and strategic ambitions.

A key leadership position within Development and Alumni, the Senior Director oversees a best-in-class donor engagement and communications portfolio setting and maintaining the highest standards and sector-leading practices. This portfolio supports revenue growth, enhances donor experience, and strengthens UCalgary's position as a leading research-intensive institution locally, nationally, and globally.

This role leads and has oversight for communications and engagement professionals, in the following areas:

• Fundraising communications, including articulation of UCalgary's overarching philanthropic narrative, development of compelling cases for support, and production of tailored materials to advance cultivation and solicitation strategies
• Donor stewardship communications, including recognition, impact reporting, and storytelling
• Development marketing communications, including management of donor-facing channels such as giving websites, newsletters, and email marketing, and strategic coordination with institutional communications on advertising, earned, and social media
• Donor engagement experiences and events, including strategic oversight of donor-focused experiences that support cultivation, stewardship, solicitation, and recognition across the donor lifecycle. This includes leading select high-impact institutional initiatives and major donor experiences, while establishing best practices and experience standards that elevate quality and consistency across the university
• Cumming School of Medicine donor communications, stewardship, and engagement
• Communications and engagement strategies for priority areas across campus and within faculties

Working…