Associate Director, Strategic Analytics

Position Summary

Under the leadership of the Director of Strategic Analytics, the Associate Director of Strategic Analytics will serve as a premier business analyst/consultant to the Rice Annual Fund team and will partner with the Development Information Services team to implement systems allowing for extensive analytical evaluation of Rice’s undergraduate alumni participation and unrestricted giving through the Annual Fund. The associate director will be responsible for conducting analyses to guide the Annual Fund team on various strategies that will lead to success in increasing undergraduate alumni participation and the overall fundraising effort of the Rice Annual Fund. This includes the development of an integrated marketing and communications strategy and plan for tracking direct marketing results.

The ideal candidate will be knowledgeable about industry standards, will understand potential business opportunities and their impact, will be able to collaborate with other departments within Development and Alumni Relations, and will be able to facilitate an ongoing dialog with constituents and stakeholders.

Essential Functions

• Plans and conducts analyses and studies of business processes, functions, organizations, and teams
• Interviews business leaders, stakeholders, staff, and subject matter experts to gain an understanding of their needs and objectives
• Advises supervisors, managers, and other business stakeholders on technical, systems, or process related topics
• Identifies, analyzes, creates, and recommends solutions to improve business processes and operations
• Designs and develops models and practices to support sound business decisions
• Participates in the design and modification of business and IT systems
• Creates and manages project plans, including change management and technical implementation
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions/Information

• Facilitates rigorous goal setting, monitors and evaluates ongoing results, and implements strategies to ensure success in meeting goals of increasing undergraduate alumni participation and the overall fundraising effort of the Rice Annual Fund
• Oversees the development of an integrated solicitation strategy and operating plan, including the tracking, analysis, and results reporting of all Rice Annual Fund solicitations across multiple communication channels (direct mail, email, phone)
• Collaborates with the Marketing & Communications team to implement and track strategic tests/targeting initiatives
• Identifies long term strategic analytics topics such as segments and behavior of donors, their propensity to use various giving channels and donor outcomes
• Studies, recommends, and implements new techniques to improve overall annual giving results and to increase average annual non-reunion gifts
• Is responsible for mining data, capturing insights, and creating a story that aligns with Rice Annual Fund positioning and messaging
• Designs, evaluates, recommends, and implements approved changes of forms and reports
• Collaborates with the Development Information Services team on reporting and data needs in support of stated goals
• Assists in recommending technical systems necessary to meet the strategic goals of unrestricted giving to Rice
• Tracks return on investment for specific programs within the Rice Annual Fund, in particular those associated with direct marketing initiatives
• Implements and maintains ongoing dialogue mechanisms with constituents/stakeholders (surveys, interviews, forums, focus groups) to improve the effectiveness of Rice Annual Fund fundraising
• Maintains knowledge of industry trends and standards in fundraising
• Serves as a premier business analyst/consultant to staff
• Has extensive contact with upper-level administration, alumni, parents, and friends of Rice, predominantly to report on analysis of past, current and future state of annual giving and alumni participation at the university
• Open office environment, long hours in front of a computer
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Three years of related experience in data analytics , data modeling, statistical modeling, analytics
• Skills Required
  • Proficient analytical skills to arrange information or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules
  • Problem sensitivity to know when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong; natural curiosity to understand the possible underlying issues and suggest potential mitigations
  • Active listening to give full attention to what is being said, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate
  • Proficient verbal and written communications skills including report preparation and presentation to gather information and share recommendation and outcome
  • Proficient document and specification skills to share information in a clear and concise manner

Substitutions

• No substitutions for education or experience allowed

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience
  • Working for an institution of higher education or non-profit organization, especially in fundraising or data analytics
  • Experience with Tableau or other data visualization tools
  • Some experience writing SQL queries
  • Has familiarity with marketing analytics, including A/B testing

• Skills
  • Has strong problem-solving skills and a curiosity for uncovering insights through data analysis
  • Demonstrates the ability to work well in a team environment
  • Displays good judgment in dynamic situations
  • Values attention to detail
  • Displays confidence as a mentor and collaborator
  • Utilizes strong time management skills
  • Has knowledge of fundraising database software concepts and related programs

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels, and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

Current Rice University COVID policies, which include vaccination, face mask, testing, gatherings, occupancy limits, and travel policies can be found here: https://coronavirus.rice.edu/policies