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Director of Advancement Communications

Employer
Occidental College
Location
Los Angeles, California
Salary
Commensurate with Experience
Date posted
Nov 11, 2022

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Marketing & Communications and Institutional Advancement

The Office of Marketing & Communications (OMC) tells the stories of Occidental College. We elevate the College and its mission by partnering with the campus community to chronicle the achievements of our students, faculty and alumni.

We communicate to external audiences such as prospective students, alumni, parents, institutions and media and internal audiences such as faculty, students, and staff.  Above all, we develop and implement effective communication strategies in order to support academic and administrative functions of the College and support the College’s mission and strategic plans.   

One of the Director of Advancement Communications' first opportunities will be to partner closely with a dynamic and growing Institutional Advancement team in the final year of the College’s first comprehensive campaign in more than two decades. The Oxy Campaign For Good celebrated the attainment of its initial fundraising goal of $225 million last spring at the Inauguration of President Harry J. Elam, Jr. In the final year of the Campaign, we seek to further engage donors and volunteers in support of leading priorities that include building the College’s endowment for financial aid, the renovation of the Norris Chemistry Building, the thriving Music and Media Arts & Culture departments, and growth of the Oxy Fund’s annual giving program.
 

Summary of Responsibilities

Reporting to the Vice President for Marketing and Communications and working in close partnership with the Vice President of Institutional Advancement and the Associate Vice President of Institutional Advancement, the Director of Advancement Communications will play a critical role in the design and implementation of all fundraising communications, including activity in the final year of the current comprehensive campaign and in the development and execution of subsequent campaigns.

The Director is the lead liaison and partner from the OMC with Institutional Advancement. They are responsible for advising and leading, depending on the initiative, advancement marketing efforts. This includes the design of  a multi-year campaign communications strategy as well as individual annual strategies that advance the philanthropic goals of Occidental College.

The Director will work with internal and external creative partners to develop on- and off-line communications to help Occidental achieve ambitious participation, fundraising, and visibility goals.  Additionally, they will collaborate with members across the Institutional Advancement team to recognize high impact donor and volunteer support, deepen alumni and parent engagement, and to fulfill the philanthropic potential of constituencies in support of the College’s mission. Duties include, but are not limited to; messaging strategy, campaign planning, content creation and distribution, analysis of results, and strategic event communications.
 

Essential Functions

The following statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by an individual assigned to this job. Other duties may be assigned.

  • Develop and execute annual strategic campaign communications plans for Institutional Advancement and the College in close partnership with the Marketing and Communications department.
  • Lead content creation and audience outreach to support the philanthropic goals of the College. This includes campaign branding, case statement development, written and video storytelling, print and digital communications, surveys, digital and print annual giving solicitations, and event programming.
  • Develop creative briefs for each campaign project/priority.
  • Educate frontline fundraisers and the entire Institutional Advancement team on all campaign communication strategies and provide the tools to engage with donors and volunteers.
  • In partnership with the Campaign Team, develop a campaign communications stewardship plan to appropriately thank donors and volunteers at all levels. This includes major gift announcements throughout the year, as well as yearly reports, such as the Contributors Report and Annual Report.
  • Serve as a key leader within the Campaign Events Team to plan and implement experiences which cultivate and steward donors and volunteers. This includes development of messaging objectives, creative experience, and audience pre- and post-event outreach. 
  • Support the President and College leadership on strategic communications efforts which engage the Oxy alumni and parent communities.  Play a lead role in advising on the engagement of tactical implementation of the President’s voice throughout our marketing and communications plan.
  • Partner with in-house content developers (design, web, photographer, writers) and any outside creative firm(s) to develop content and collateral when necessary.
  • Provide support and guidance on marketing and communications across all IA departments as needed, including Major and Principal Giving, Planned Giving, the Oxy Fund, and Alumni and Parent Engagement.
  • In partnership with Oxy Fund and Advancement Communications colleagues, develop marketing strategies and content for the College's annual giving day, Day For Oxy.
  • Serve as liaison between Institutional Advancement and the Office of Marketing and Communications.

Required Skills & Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree, preferably in marketing or communications.
  • 5+ years of related work experience in marketing and communications; ideally in fundraising or philanthropy.
  • Experience working with senior administrators and volunteers such as deans, faculty, program directors, and members of the Board of Trustees or campaign committees.
  • Experience developing multi-year and single-year fundraising/campaign communication plans and strategies.
  • Proven track record in developing campaign and fundraising-related communications – both online and offline.
  • Experienced at setting strategic goals and objectives, tracking progress toward those goals and objectives, and reporting on that progress.
  • Excellent writing (from copy to correspondence to strategic documents and briefs) and presentational skills.
  • Comfortable and conversant with digital and social media, with an understanding of their use in philanthropic marketing, stewardship, and communications.
  • Demonstrated success at motivating creative teams (internal and external) to develop effective, on-target communications in a timely manner that instill pride and inspire action among the target audience.
  • A self-starter who prides themself on their ability to take the initiative and has an entrepreneurial spirit.
  • Diplomatic, sensitive to organizational dynamics and demands, creative, flexible, and persuasive.
     

About Occidental College

Founded in 1887, Occidental is a nationally recognized, private college of the liberal arts and sciences, dedicated to providing a gifted and diverse group of students with a total educational experience of the highest quality -- one that prepares them for leadership in an increasingly complex, interdependent and pluralistic world.

What makes Occidental special?  An intellectually rigorous academic environment. Small classroom settings where students collaborate with professors and their peers while pursuing or discovering their passion. A beautiful residential campus that offers students hands-on engagement with the cultural and intellectual resources of Los Angeles.  A community open to stimulating conversation and divergent points of view. Some 2,100 students from 46 states and 28 countries choose from 41 majors and minors and participate in one the country’s top undergraduate research programs. Oxy students routinely win top awards and fellowships; its first Rhodes Scholar was named in 1907. Dedicated to excellence and equity, Occidental also is one of the country’s most economically diverse campuses, according to the New York Times. Some 71 percent of Oxy students receive some form of financial aid; 20 percent are Pell Grant recipients; and 19 percent are the first in their family to attend college.
 

Application Instrucions

Please submit a resume and cover letter explaining how your qualifications meet the requirements of the position to resumes@oxy.edu
 

Additional Information

Occidental is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not unlawfully discriminate against employees or applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, breastfeeding or related medical condition, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic characteristic or information, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law. Occidental is strongly committed to increasing the diversity of the campus community and the curriculum, and to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and just environment within which students, staff, administrators, and faculty thrive. Candidates who can contribute to this goal through their work are encouraged to identify their strengths and experiences in this area. Individuals advancing the College’s strategic equity and justice goals and those from groups whose underrepresentation in the field are particularly encouraged to apply.

Salary is commensurate with experience and qualifications. A comprehensive benefits package is available that includes: excellent health, dental, life, and retirement benefits; tuition benefits for the employee, spouse, domestic partner, and dependents; additional extras including use of gym facilities and the College Library. For a detailed description of benefits, please visit https://www.oxy.edu/offices-services/human-resources/benefits-information.

All qualified applicants will be considered for employment, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

Occidental College is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with qualifying disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation because of a disability for any part of the application or employment process, please contact Human Resources (hr@oxy.edu).

As a condition of hire for a staff position and for appointment to a faculty position, Occidental College requires that all candidates who have received a conditional offer of employment complete an application form (if they have not already done so) and consent to a background check. Satisfactory completion of a background check, along with pre-employment verifications and references are required as a condition of employment, but only as permitted by federal, state, and local law, including the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

 

 

 

 

 

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