Associate Director

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Associate Director, Wharton Fund

Job Profile Title

Annual Giving Officer B

Job Description Summary

Wharton School Overview
Founded in 1881 as the world’s first collegiate business school, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is shaping the future of business by incubating ideas, driving insights, and creating leaders who change the world. With campuses in both Philadelphia and San Francisco, Wharton has over 850 staff, a faculty population of more than 235 renowned professors, and 5,000 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students. Each year 13,000 professionals from around the world advance their careers through Wharton Executive Education’s individual, company-customized, and online programs. More than 104,000 Wharton alumni form a powerful global network of leaders who transform business every day. Wharton is home to a dynamic community of staff, bringing a wide range of skills, experiences, and perspectives. To learn more, visit www.wharton.upenn.edu.

The Associate Director is responsible for the fundraising and engagement of Wharton School graduate alumni from students to nine years out. The position will contribute to achieving annual Wharton Fund cash and participation goals. They will have their own portfolio of Young Franklin Society members ($1,000+ to the Wharton Fund). They will be responsible for the management of two Reunion classes who conduct peer to peer solicitation among their classmates. This role also manages the Alumni Fellows, a group of second year MBA students that conduct their class gift, where participation is the goal. Frequent travel is expected to visit assigned alumni since the position is one of the key fundraisers for that alumni population.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Responsible for personally soliciting Wharton Fund prospects at the Young Franklin ($1,000+) and Benjamin Franklin Society level ($2,500+) as well as visiting 100-125 prospects/donors.
• Responsible for the full time MBA class gift. This includes but is not limited to recruiting MBA student leaders, instilling a culture of philanthropy with this group, coordinating programming, and working with colleagues in MBA student affairs. The leaders will become a core part of the first reunion committee. 
• Work with Alumni Relations colleagues to recruit fundraising volunteers in two reunion years; manage those volunteers making sure they are trained and current in the use of the volunteer database; assign 10-20 classmates for these volunteers to solicit and oversee their progress; update the volunteers regularly regarding class progress towards goals.
• Achieve annual Wharton Fund cash and participation goals through proactive donor outreach, solicitation, stewardship, and relationship management activities designed to increase both philanthropic revenue and donor engagement.
• Identify and qualify prospective major gift donors through research, outreach, and relationship assessment, providing major gift colleagues with well-vetted prospects positioned for strategic cultivation and solicitation.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage relationships with alumni, volunteers, and high-capacity donors, with a focus on engagement and long-term pipeline development.
• Proven skill in frontline fundraising or sales, including the ability to confidently solicit gifts and meet or exceed performance goals.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage diverse stakeholders, including senior-level and international alumni.
• Excellent organizational and project management abilities, including managing multiple priorities, tracking progress toward goals, and using data to inform strategy.
• Ability to work independently with sound judgment while collaborating effectively across teams, including partnership with Alumni Relations and development colleagues.
• Experience working with CRM or fundraising databases (e.g., Salesforce, Blackbaud, or similar), including data entry, reporting, and prospect tracking.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook), with the ability to manage communications and analyze data.
• Ability to analyze reports and donor data to inform outreach strategies and track progress toward fundraising goals.
• Comfort using digital tools to support volunteer management, communications, and engagement efforts.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Wharton School

Pay Range

$65,628.00 - $75,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours:Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay