Assistant Director of Operations

Department

Lab School Alumni Relations & Development

About the Department

At the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, students in Nursery through Grade 12 experience a world-class educational journey. Founded in 1896 by John Dewey as a place for educators to develop and explore novel approaches to pedagogy and curriculum, Lab continues to provide excitement and imagination in learning to this day. Academic rigor, experiential learning, and intellectual discourse are hallmarks of a Lab education. Lab educators are recognized for excellence in teaching and pride themselves on innovation in the classroom. Students in every grade have access to unparalleled resources, and all members of the Lab community benefit by partnerships and connections with the University of Chicago. Families who choose Lab care deeply about curiosity, inquiry, and creativity.

No less than scholarship, Lab’s mission prioritizes honoring diversity and exhibiting kindness. We are committed to building and supporting a teaching and learning community where young people see aspects of their backgrounds and identities reflected around them, where they feel a deep sense of belonging, and where they discover and use their voices to full effect. Today, 53-59 percent of Lab’s student body are students of color. Families report speaking nearly 40 different languages in their homes. Approximately 60 percent of Lab families are also affiliated with the University of Chicago. Half of our families live in Hyde Park, and the rest come from across Chicago, the suburbs, and northwestern Indiana. Inclusion is a fundamental value at Lab, such that we celebrate every facet of community members’ identities, and even where we disagree, we emphasize respect, civility, and maintaining a spirit of community.

Lab seeks the finest employees to join our vibrant learning community. We employ people with a wide range of skills and training in many different disciplines, who have in common a love of learning and the wish to inspire that same love of learning in young people. We seek candidates for employment who thrive in an educational environment. We provide a great professional home for those committed to collaboration, ongoing personal and professional growth, and cultivating positive relationships. In turn, we strive to ensure that Lab is a joyful, welcoming, and inspiring place to work. Through our connection to the University, faculty, staff, and administrators enjoy benefits and opportunities that would be nearly impossible to match in any other environment.

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Operations, Stewardship and Communications at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (Lab) provides high-level strategic, administrative, and project support for alumni relations and development efforts at the Laboratory Schools, helping advance team priorities and annual fundraising goals. It involves coordinating donor stewardship, alumni engagement, volunteer activities, and cultivation efforts. This position also manages a wide range of communications, including donor acknowledgments, stewardship reports, presentations, briefing materials, and other internal and external correspondence. A major responsibility is maintaining accurate constituent and donor records through systems such as Salesforce and PowerSchool, while also analyzing fundraising and engagement data to produce reports, dashboards, and other materials that inform planning and decision-making. This position also helps plan and execute meetings and events, improves workflows and operational practices, supports scheduling and office management tasks, and participates in professional development to strengthen advancement knowledge and effectiveness.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic, administrative, and project support for the Laboratory Schools alumni relations and development function, independently managing assigned activities and advancing team priorities.
• Coordinates and supports fundraising, stewardship, alumni engagement, cultivation, and volunteer activities in support of annual goals and long-term campaign success.
• Cultivates and maintains relationships with donors, alumni, volunteers, advisory council members, and other key constituents; responds to inquiries and supports ongoing engagement strategies.
• Drafts, edits, and manages correspondence and related materials, including donor acknowledgments, annual stewardship reports, leadership communications, presentations, briefing materials, solicitation/support materials, and other internal and external communications.
• Coordinates record-keeping within Lab ARD in partnership with Lab’s advancement services. This includes, but is not limited to, becoming a proficient database/resource user of Salesforce, PowerSchool and any other platform required to maintain accurate constituent and donor records, tracking giving history and demographic information, fulfilling query/report requests, and ensuring data integrity.
• Analyzes and interprets fundraising and engagement data; prepares reports, dashboards, spreadsheets, graphs, charts, and presentations to support strategic planning, performance tracking, and decision-making.
• Supports gift administration by preparing gift documentation, coordinating with Lab Finance and central Advancement gift processing, tracking pledge and fund activity, and assisting with stewardship reporting and donor acknowledgments.
• Assists with prospect research and fundraising strategy by gathering background information, identifying prospective donors or sponsors, and helping prepare solicitation, grant, and campaign materials.
• Partners to plan, coordinate, and execute meetings and events, including donor cultivation events, donor appreciation activities, advisory council meetings, staff meetings, annual giving efforts, and other strategic engagement programs; manages logistics, vendors, and collaboration with campus partners and volunteers.
• Develops, documents, and improves procedures, workflows, and operational practices to enhance team effectiveness, cross-departmental coordination, and compliance with institutional policies and applicable regulations.
• Participates in professional development opportunities to strengthen job knowledge, institutional partnerships, and advancement best practices.
• Proof-reads written materials for ARD’s external audiences.
• Assists the Director of ARD with the scheduling of meetings within ARD, the University and within the Laboratory Schools broader community.
• Assists with office functions, as assigned, including the filing of ARD documents, expense and travel reports as well as budget monitoring. 
• Has a deep understanding of fundraising operations for a school or department of the University. Participates in the development of fundraising goals, policies and short and long-term strategies. Assesses, analyzes and evaluates fundraising programs, specialized projects or major events.
• Identifies, cultivates and solicits major prospects. Designs strategies for cultivating participation.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Competencies

• Superior written communication skills.
• Create and execute annual strategic plans. 
• Outstanding interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Work on own initiative, develop rapport, and work well with others.
• Handle multiple tasks simultaneously and accurately under strict deadlines. 
• Thrive in a fast-paced office environment. 
• Background with fundraising databases and reporting tools.

​Working Conditions

• Hybrid office environment with occasional nights, mornings and weekends for events.
• Travel to campus for Lab Schools business. 
• Work evenings, early mornings and weekends. 

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Alumni Relations & Development

Role Impact

Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$63,000.00 - $73,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.