Associate Director of Advancement Communications

Schenectady, NY (On-site)

$70K/yr – $76K/yrSenior Level5+ years expFull time

Posted 2 days ago

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Job Summary

Own the college relations communications strategy and execution, coordinating multi‑channel fundraising campaigns, content development, and project management to drive annual giving and donor engagement.

  • Lead embedded partnership with the Annual Giving team to align messaging and campaigns
  • Develop and manage calendars, production schedules, and donor-facing communications
  • Analyze metrics to optimize audience engagement and fundraising outcomes

Job Description

Responsibilities

  • Strategy Management : Develop and maintain an annual communications calendar that supports annual giving, engagement, stewardship and other College Relations communications.
  • Annual Giving Partnership : Serve as the embedded communications partner for the Annual Giving team. Coordinate multi-channel fundraising campaigns, develop donor-facing communications and manage production schedules to ensure projects are delivered accurately, on time and in alignment with the College’s messaging priorities.
  • Project Management: Develop project timelines, track production schedules, manage approval processes and oversee multiple projects simultaneously. Monitor and report on communications metrics and recommend improvements to increase audience engagement and fundraising success. Maintain files, templates, mailing lists and communications assets to support project management and consistency.
  • Materials Development: Conceive, draft, edit and proofread fundraising appeals, donor impact reports, event invitations and other donor-facing communications that support annual fundraising and/or engagement objectives.
  • Email Marketing and Web Management : Administer and optimize the College Relations email marketing platform and website, including audience segmentation, testing, deployment, analytics and webpage maintenance.
  • Social Media Management : Develop and implement social media strategies that strengthen relationships with alumni, donors, parents and friends. Create engaging content, monitor conversations, analyze performance metrics and recommend opportunities to increase audience engagement.
  • Brand Alignment: Ensure that communications adhere to institutional brand standards, style guidelines, visual identity requirements and messaging priorities.
  • Vendor Management: Manage relationships with external vendors, including graphic designers, printers, mail houses and other service providers. Prepare project specifications, coordinate production schedules, review proofs and monitor quality.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree and/or 5+ years of relevant experience in communications, marketing or advancement, preferably in higher education or nonprofit settings.
  • Familiarity with fundraising principles and alumni engagement best practices.
  • Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Exceptional writing, editing, proofreading and storytelling skills, and superior attention to detail.
  • Experience writing content for print, social media and web.
  • Demonstrated ability to develop and execute multichannel communication strategies.
  • Experience in email marketing and social media marketing is required.
  • Strong organizational, planning and project management skills.
  • Ability to analyze and interpret data to guide communication strategies.

Preferred

  • Graphic design experience is strongly preferred.
  • Working knowledge of Google Workspace, MS Office, AI platforms, Adobe Creative Cloud, Canva, GiveCampus, Salesforce or comparable platforms is desirable.

Benefits

  • Generous Vacation, Sick, and Personal Time
  • Winter Recess Break in Addition to Paid Holidays (in accordance with policy)
  • Healthcare: Medical (PPO & HDHP), Dental, and Vision Insurance (Flexible Spending and Dependent Care Accounts)
  • Free On-Campus Fitness Facility Access and Discounts for On-Campus Wellness Programs
  • Pre and Post Tax participation in a 403(b) Retirement Plan
  • Salary Continuation Program in the event of Disability
  • Tuition Exchange
Union College Career Center in Becker Hall logo

Union College Career Center in Becker Hall

At Becker, you will:Align your personal passions with your academic and professional pursuits.Connect with alumni in all fields through the Union Career Advisory Network (UCAN)Write effective cover letters and resumes.Power up your business etiquette, interviewing and job search skills.Meet potential employers at campus career and internship fairs and other employer alumni events.MISSION AND PHILOSOPHYAt the heart of our mission is helping students pursue their passion. By this we mean going after opportunities that pique their interest and spur their enthusiasm. Individuals who are genuinely interested and engaged in their work will experience increased rewards, both intrinsic and extrinsic.We teach students how to get thoroughly involved in each stop of the career planning process.Know Yourself. Having a strong awareness of their interests, skills, strengths (and weaknesses), talents and values will help students make career decisions consistent with their true passions, thereby increasing the likelihood of success.Explore Options. At this stage, students cast a wide net, really looking at all the different career opportunities that might fit their talents and interests. As such, they’ll be better prepared to assess and make decisions about their future that align with their sense of self.Decide and Act. Engaging in internships and jobs will help students further understand their passions.

Schenectady, New York, USA
19 employees (1 in marketing)

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