Associate Director

Special Instructions to Applicants:

All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:
Reporting to the Director of Marketing and Donor Growth (Annual Giving), the Associate Director, School and Unit Marketing (Annual Giving) is a forward-thinking, highly innovative strategic partner who collaborates across teams at Rice University to execute sophisticated, university-wide direct marketing fundraising strategies. This position is crucial in implementing a unified, pan-Rice approach to annual giving by incorporating schools and units into holistic fundraising efforts. This role will be responsible for fostering meaningful relationships with school and unit partners, understanding their individual fundraising priorities and donor bases, and guiding direct marketing fundraising efforts to ensure progress toward institutional goals.

The ideal candidate is a relationship-builder and strategic annual giving leader passionate about leveraging modern fundraising and marketing practices in support of higher education. This person thrives in a collaborative environment and is a hands-on contributor who enjoys developing powerful digital and direct marketing fundraising campaigns.

Workplace Requirements:
This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime. 

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 2+ years of related experience in development, direct marketing, digital marketing, communications, or a related field
  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted

Skills:

• Proven track record of building relationships and developing strategic partnerships
• Ability to develop and initiate new strategies
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills and interpersonal skills, with a focus on strategy and relationship building
• Demonstrated ability to engage with senior academic or administrative leaders with professionalism and confidence
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite
• Advanced data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules
• Adept at problem-solving, creating contingency plans, and handling issues when necessary
• Excellent client service orientation
• Strong ability to understand customer needs and show good judgment and diplomacy
• Experience creating and implementing complex, multi-channel fundraising marketing campaigns

Preferences:

• Advanced degree preferred
• Three to five years of annual giving experience at an institution of higher education or nonprofit organization
• Experience using digital strategies and channels such as SEO, display ads, retargeting ads, email marketing, chatbots, automation, SMS, crowdfunding, etc., in fundraising campaigns
• Experience using generative or predictive artificial intelligence to develop marketing or fundraising strategies
• Knowledge of digital fundraising trends and emerging technologies
• Knowledge of project management fundamentals and the ability to influence across teams
• Strong familiarity with fundraising technology, including CRMs and platforms such as GiveCampus
• Ability to think strategically, work collaboratively, prioritize, and create and follow processes
• Ability to collaborate with staff members, students, and campus partners in an organized way to carry out the multitude of background details essential in a successful annual giving campaign
• Ability to demonstrate good judgment in dynamic situations
• Ability to analyze data and make data-driven decisions

Essential Functions:

• In partnership with the Director of Marketing and Donor Growth (Annual Giving), develops and oversees assigned direct marketing and fundraising campaigns. Tracks and analyzes results of each campaign and suggests innovations for future projects to continuously grow the donor base
• Serves as an annual giving expert and liaises with Alumni Relations and campus partners. Ensures best and emerging practices are incorporated into engagement and solicitations across campus areas
• Collaborates with school-based major gift officers and Deans to align efforts and maximize the impact of existing partnerships
• Plans and executes annual giving strategies for individual schools, units, or campus partners
• Collaborates closely with the Marketing and Communications team in the Development and Alumni Relations division, as well as the Development Information Services team and the Development Research and Analysis team, on all fundraising projects and campaigns
• Works closely with other colleagues in Development and Alumni Relations to align program goals with the overall philanthropic goals of the university
• Collaborates with team members to review and analyze project results and make recommendations for strategy enhancements. Shares results with internal and external constituencies, as needed
• Attends training and professional growth opportunities to stay up to date on the latest fundraising trends, technologies, strategies, and practices. Makes recommendations for implementing new ideas as appropriate
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions:

• Open office environment
• Occasional travel to conferences
• Some weekend and evening work hours are required
• Provide exceptional customer service to all constituents, colleagues, and partners
• Requires contact within the university at all levels, including upper-level administration, in person, in meetings, in writing, and by telephone
• Requires contact outside the university with alumni, parents, and friends of Rice University, often in person, with follow-up by phone or in writing

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or [email protected] for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.