Assistant Director, Stewardship and Donor Relations

The University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) Office of Philanthropy seeks a Stewardship Officer to lead donor relations, recognition programs, and strategic stewardship initiatives that strengthen long-term philanthropic engagement. This role ensures that UMB delivers a best-in-class donor experience aligned with national CASE standards and institutional priorities. This position reports to the Principal Gift Officer of the University of Maryland Baltimore Central Philanthropy.

The Stewardship Officer manages donor communications, reporting, and recognition activities, while coordinating special events, place-based initiatives, and gift focused collaboration with University System of Maryland (USM) institutions. The position requires strong judgment, exceptional communication skills, and the ability to manage high visibility projects. The role also plays a key part in supporting principal gift strategy by identifying, researching, and tracking high-capacity prospects whose engagement may advance UMB’s top philanthropic priorities.

The Stewardship Officer also supports stewardship and reporting activities associated with the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF), a State of Maryland matching program that leverages private philanthropic support to establish endowed research positions and advance scientific and technical research excellence across Maryland higher education institutions.

UMB offers a comprehensive benefits package that prioritizes wellness, work/life balance, and professional development, along with additional exciting perks that employees can take advantage of. This position participates in a retirement program (pension or optional retirement plan/ORP) that must be selected and is effective on your date of hire. Exempt regular staff receive a generous PAID leave package that includes over 4 weeks of vacation accrued each year, 15 paid holidays, 3 personal leave, unlimited accrual of sick time, and comprehensive health insurance;

professional learning and development programs; tuition remission for employees and their dependents at any University System of Maryland school; and flexible work schedules and teleworking options (if applicable per job).

UMB is a public university and constituent institution of the University System of Maryland. All employees are expected to work primarily physically within the State of Maryland.

• Lead UMB’s high-level donor stewardship and recognition programs, ensuring alignment with national best practices.
• Develop and implement stewardship plans for principal gift donors, endowed funds, and major philanthropic partners.
• Plan and execute high-profile donor stewardship and recognition events.
• Support stewardship components of place-based philanthropic initiatives that emphasize UMB’s impact on Baltimore and Maryland.
• Collaborate with other institutions in the University System of Maryland (USM) and the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) on shared stewardship strategies and multi-institution donor recognition.
• Produce donor communications, including impact reports, acknowledgments, and donor stories.
• Maintain stewardship policies, naming guidelines, and compliance with State of Maryland and USM standards.
• Track donor engagement metrics and prepare reports to inform fundraising strategy.
• Partner with development officers, leadership, and communications teams to ensure consistent donor centered messaging.
• Conduct proactive research to identify emerging principal gift prospects, including analysis of giving patterns, engagement indicators, and capacity data.
• Prepare briefing materials, donor profiles, and strategic insights to support the Principal Gift Officer’s cultivation and solicitation activities.
• Monitor stewardship interactions for principal level donors to surface opportunities for deeper engagement or strategic intervention.
• Coordinate stewardship, reporting, recognition, and donor communications for Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF)-supported endowed professorships, research chairs, and related research initiatives.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Bachelor’s degree.

Five…