Associate Director of Direct Marketing and Analytics , University Development and Alumni Rela

The Associate Director of Direct Marketing and Analytics partners with the direct response marketing team to drive and execute multi-channel fundraising campaigns and programs for campus partners while delivering targeted analytics for both marketing and pipeline development activities. This position focuses on analyzing donor and engagement metrics to refine annual giving pipeline strategies and leads cross-functional fundraising efforts to secure $1M+ annually.

The First Review Date for this job is:
October 15, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

• Designs, develops, and through vendors and professional staff, implements multi-channel direct marketing donor solicitation strategies for campus clients including the Chancellor, Deans, the Library and Cal Athletics. Develops annual plans.
• Works with vendors, External Relations & Marketing Communication, Web Team, Gift Services, Digital Philanthropy, Fund Management, Advancement Information Services and Campus Partners to pilot new gift solicitations and support on-going solicitation strategies. Manages own portfolio of solicitation projects, yielding a minimum of one million dollars raised annually.
• Analyzes solicitation and client results to guide future solicitation strategy. Recommends program and annual strategic plan improvements,
• Manages and maintains strong campus client partnerships.

Strategic Philanthropic Leadership - 35%

• Evaluates fundraising programs using advanced population and statistical analysis methods to track engagement and giving trajectories, and key donor behaviors.
• Converts and translates these population insights and behavioral trends into actionable annual program and mass solicitation strategies and communication workflows.
• In partnership with Annual Programs staff and cross-functional stakeholders, establishes operational guidelines or business rules to execute and optimize these multi-channel, cross-functional campaigns.
• Ensures that predetermined fundraising goals are met and implements program activities to achieve these goals. For example, can establish key performance indicators and benchmarks, and develop executive-level dashboards to measure success across multiple annual giving channels.
• Results have a major impact on the overall goals of direct response marketing and pipeline development philanthropy programs.
• Develops and manages specialized fundraising and alumni engagement campaigns to identify, cultivate, solicit and steward prospects and donors to improve communication workflows and donor conversion rates across all annual program and direct response channels.

Staff and Vendor Management - 10%

• Leads or oversees the work of vendors, as well as professional and support staff involved in the implementation of multi-component fundraising programs and development of advanced analytics tools.

Institutional Representation - 5%

• May attend functions, meetings and serve on internal / external committees as a representative of the location, and to drive departmental vision and direction.

• Minimum of 4 years of fundraising experience, with a demonstrated understanding of development strategies, with a preference for knowledge of annual giving strategies, direct response marketing principles, pipeline development, and donor relations.
• Demonstrated experience in using advanced testing and piloting new solicitation strategies.
• Demonstrated ability to translate donor and prospect data into actionable fundraising strategies using advanced analytics concepts such as segmentation modeling, predictive analytics, and behavioral insights. Understands how technical teams (data engineers and analysts) use relational databases and tools such as SQL, Python, Tableau, and Excel to develop these concepts.
• Advanced working knowledge of all aspects of fundraising at the annual giving or leadership giving level within a complex, higher education institution, including current issues of concerns in higher education fundraising.
• Advanced knowledge of applicable laws, rules, regulations, policies, etc., especially in regards to data usage and fundraising practices.
• Demonstrated ability to use advanced written, oral and interpersonal communication skills, including political acumen, to establish and maintain good working relationships throughout the organization and with outside constituencies. Ability to make persuasive and compelling presentations of goals and…