Executive Director of Advancement Communications
Caltech is a world-renowned science and engineering institute that marshals some of the world's brightest minds and most innovative tools to address fundamental scientific questions. We thrive on finding and cultivating talented people who are passionate about what they do. Join us and be a part of the diverse Caltech community.
Job Summary
The division of Advancement and Alumni Relations (AAR) connects the people who share and support Caltech's mission and values to ensure that the Institute has the resources it needs to achieve its aspirations and sustain its excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. Break Through: The Caltech Campaign concluded on September 30, 2021, as the most successful fundraising initiative in the Institute's history. Campaign donors invested an impressive $3.4 billion, making Caltech the smallest university in terms of alumni, students, and faculty to successfully complete a campaign of this magnitude.
The Executive Director of Advancement Communications will be a strategic adviser to the Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations.
Reporting to the Assistant Vice President of Philanthropic Initiatives and Stewardship, and working closely with the Vice President for Advancement and Alumni Relations and senior leadership, the Executive Director will oversee and manage the overall strategy, planning, and implementation of marketing and communications to support philanthropic and engagement priorities within AAR. As AAR's lead communications strategist, the Executive Director will ensure a consistent voice and visual branding across the organization, with responsibility for the development of philanthropic messages ranging from fundraising case statements to complex proposals to donor and impact stories disseminated via digital, print, multimedia, and social media platforms. In addition, the Executive Director will drive AAR marketing and earned-media strategies to broaden support and engagement by effectively leveraging the impact of philanthropy that advances Caltech's unparalleled teaching and research mission.
The division of Advancement and Alumni Relations (AAR) connects the people who share and support Caltech's mission and values to ensure that the Institute has the resources it needs to achieve its aspirations and sustain its excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. Break Through: The Caltech Campaign concluded on September 30, 2021, as the most successful fundraising initiative in the Institute's history. Campaign donors invested an impressive $3.4 billion, making Caltech the smallest university in terms of alumni, students, and faculty to successfully complete a campaign of this magnitude.
Job Duties
- In consultation with advancement leadership, develop, implement, and monitor all philanthropy-related communications, donor storytelling, content strategy, and digital marketing and communications plans to support diverse fundraising initiatives for target audiences through a multi-channel approach that drives engagement and participation.
- Lead and manage a team of communications professionals who play a key role in developing proposals, cases for support, pitch decks, gift announcements, impact stories, videos, and other resources to engage individuals with the potential to make annual, major, and transformative gifts.
- Supervise day-to-day staff assignments, ensuring a balanced workflow to meet deadlines while supporting positive team development.
- Leverage the strategic use of external partners such as freelance writers, consultants, photographers, designers, and temporary staff.
- Serve as an executive communications adviser to the Vice President and other advancement leaders, helping to shape strategic initiatives and communications; on occasion, develop presentations, talking points, and/or remarks for the Vice President.
- Provide both strategic and hands-on production-level work, effectively serving as a consultant/marketing agency for internal departments.
- Develop a process to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of communications projects to support continuous improvement and creativity.
- Work across the organization as appropriate; collaborate with the Caltech Alumni Association, Annual Fund, Caltech Associates, Stewardship, and Gift Planning teams to disseminate key messages through diverse channels.
- Organize and lead an AAR Communicators Council to enhance coordination and ensure consistent messaging and branding throughout the division.
- Under the direction of the Vice President, collaborate with the Office of Strategic Communications on selected Institutional projects to ensure that advancement communications complement Institute communications and incorporate branding and identity guidelines as well as tone and voice standards.
- Serve on the AAR managers team, participating in leadership and quarterly planning meetings and facilitating strategic communications across the division.
Basic Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree with 6+ years of experience in marketing or communications, including developing and executing high-level marketing and communications plans.
- Proven experience in leading fundraising communications, marketing, and creative services team or teams.
- Experience developing marketing/communications plans for a major fundraising campaign.
- Experience creating a variety of target audience-centric communications materials and familiarity with brand/identity development, integrated communications programs, digital communications, and effective graphic design.
- Expertise in core marketing principles, strategies, and best practices, as well as in marketing and communications media.
- Excellent writing and presentation skills.
- Excellent organizational and planning skills.
- Proven ability to bring discipline and organization to the work while being flexible and open to the unexpected.
- Proven track record managing personnel, programs, and budgets.
- Comprehensive knowledge of every step in the communications and marketing materials production process to guide staff, outside vendors, and teammates in creating outstanding products.
- Ability to inspire others, foster cross-divisional collaboration, and manage by influence across a diverse organization.
- Ability to give guidance, share and receive constructive feedback, and integrate varying points of view.
- Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and juggle multiple demands in a complex and fast-paced work environment.
- The highest standards of professional and personal behavior, excellent judgment, and the ability to treat confidential information with discretion.
- Demonstrated ability to practice and adhere to organizational values.
Preferred Qualifications
- Advanced degree in the communications-intensive discipline.
- Recognized (via awards, publications, etc.) by peers for excellence in advancement communications.