Assistant Director of Donor Relations

The University of Virginia’s External Relations team is seeking a collaborative, creative, and highly organized professional to serve as Assistant Director of Donor Relations.

In this role, you’ll help create meaningful experiences that recognize the generosity of UVA donors and strengthen their connection to one of the nation's premier public universities. From personalized donor engagement strategies to signature events and strategic communications programs, your work will directly contribute to inspiring philanthropy and advancing UVA's mission.

The Assistant Director independently manages projects from concept through implementation and evaluation, coordinating timelines, data, vendors, and deliverables across multiple teams. In partnership with colleagues throughout the University, this position also curates personalized stewardship and engagement opportunities for principal and leadership-level donors, aligning those experiences with donor interests and institutional priorities.

If you enjoy managing projects, creating memorable experiences, developing engaging communications, and working with passionate colleagues who are committed to making a difference, we encourage you to apply.

• Create meaningful donor experiences that strengthen relationships and demonstrate philanthropic impact.
• Collaborate with talented professionals across UVA’s central advancement organization, 12 schools, and more than 25 University-related programs.
• Develop experience in donor stewardship, project management, communications, event planning, and data-informed engagement.
• Contribute ideas that improve programs, processes, technology, and the overall donor experience.
• Build a rewarding career at a mission-driven institution that supports professional growth, collaboration, and lifelong learning.

• Develop and implement donor recognition strategies in partnership with colleagues across the University.
• Monitor giving activity to identify eligible donors and manage recognition communications and stewardship touchpoints.
• Curate personalized stewardship and engagement opportunities for principal and leadership-level donors, ensuring a high-quality, donor-centered experience aligned with institutional priorities.
• Manage personalized and large-scale donor communications across multiple channels, including email, video, print, and digital engagement.
• Collaborate with vendors to source, produce, and deliver recognition items, ensuring quality, timely fulfillment, brand alignment, and accurate inventory management.
• Maintain accurate donor, communication, and project records in customer relationship management and project management systems.

• With support from the Director of Donor Relations, coordinate donor events and engagement experiences in partnership with Event Experiences and other University colleagues.
• Manage event plans, timelines, budgets, invitation lists, communications, and related deliverables.
• Coordinate data and information requests to support accurate invitation, registration, and attendance processes.
• Partner with designers, digital engagement colleagues, and other contributors to develop invitations, promotional materials, attendee communications, and event collateral.
• Support donor outreach, registration, staffing, volunteer coordination, and day-of-event execution.

• Independently manage assigned programs and projects from planning through implementation and evaluation.
• Coordinate timelines, deliverables, communications, and responsibilities across teams, vendors, and University partners.
• Use participation and engagement data, reports, dashboards, and project…