The University Advancement Donor Relations team seeks to hire a highly motivated and innovative event planner. The Donor Relations team works to build and sustain lifelong relationships with UVA’s donors, encouraging individuals and organizations to get involved, stay informed, and invest in UVA.

The Assistant Director of Donor Relations will serve as lead event planner and strategist for a robust portfolio of Advancement events. This individual will collaborate with key stakeholders execute the annual calendar of events, including board meetings, receptions, and dinners. Events will be conceptualized and executed in partnership with colleagues from University Advancement, schools and affiliated units, and often University leadership.

The incumbent is a strong collaborator and excellent verbal and written communicator who thinks strategically and innovates to achieve individual and departmental objectives and goals. This individual has a high level of attention to detail and thrives in a fast-paced and nuanced organization. The Assistant Director is both process and product oriented, has the ability to refine and iterate on existing protocols, plans, and partnerships to improve outcomes, and works strategically to deliver top quality, concierge-level service to partners, constituents, and donors.

Position reports to:

Senior Associate Director of Donor Relations, University Advancement

Responsibilities and Duties:

• Manage events (in-person, virtual, and hybrid).

• Take point on logistical arrangements, including but not limited to, vendor relations, leading efforts to create print and digital invitations and other event collateral, catering, and event décor.

• Coordinate and negotiate contracts with vendors and maintain event budgets.

• Utilize specialized technology, including UVA’s Customer Relationship Management (CRM), event management and communications platforms, and reporting systems.

• Prepare event briefing materials for leadership in collaboration with the Director of Donor Relations.

• Collaborate with Advancement Communications design team and other key stakeholders to develop invitations and other event collateral.

• Monitor evolving University policies, rules, and regulations and ensure that events are in compliance.

• Serve as a resource for colleagues across Grounds on best practices for event planning.

• In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.
  

Required Qualifications:

• A Bachelors Degree is required.

• At least one year of experience.

• The ability to interact with executive level administrators, government officials, donors/prospects, alumni, and development staff, with an understanding of protocol, political environment and implications, and confidentiality.

• Proven critical thinking and decision-making skills with ability to adjust and adapt when unforeseen situations arise.

• Exceptional attention to detail.

• Ability to manage multiple projects concurrently.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Exemplary interpersonal and organizational skills.

• Ability to thrive in a collaborative and and nuanced environment.
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in higher education.

• Experience working with the C- suite level of an organization.
  

Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, University Advancement honors your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, we strive to create and maintain working environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming so we can best achieve our mission of supporting our broadly diverse partners, schools, and networks of engaged alumni, parents, and friends of the University.

UVA Advancement offers a flexible and hybrid workplace, and UVA offers an onsite workspace in Charlottesville, VA. All team members who opt for a hybrid work arrangement must have access to and maintain a secure home office environment with high-speed internet service and work collaboratively with others using a variety of technologies and tools. This position is required to work intermittently in a shared office space located in Charlottesville, Virginia and the incumbent must live within driving distance of Charlottesville.

Physical Demands:

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. This role requires domestic and periodic international travel to attend meetings and staff events, as well as the ability to work evenings and weekend events on an as-needed basis.

This position is a restricted position and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding and performance. Anticipated Hiring Range: $52,000 - $62,000 commensurate with education and experience.

The anticipated start date is as soon as possible.

This position will remain open until filled. This is an Exempt level, benefited position. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit www.hr.virginia.edu/benefits .

This position will not sponsor applicants for work visas.

The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

Process for External Applicants: Please visit UVA job board at https://uva.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/UVAJobs and search for “R0047096”.

Complete an application online with the following documents:

• CV

• Cover letter
  

Upload all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Alternatively, merge all documents into one PDF for submission. Applications that do not contain all required documents will not receive full consideration.

References will be completed via UVA’s standardized process Skill Survey. A total of five references will be requested via SkillSurvey during the final phase of the interview process.