Director, Strategic Initiatives

• Manage the Senior Vice President's special projects and donor outreach
• Coordinate with faculty, staff, students, families, alumni, donors, the public, external agencies, and internal constituencies on behalf of the SVP and university
• Collaborate with university administrative and academic leadership
• Serve as a resource and liaison for the SVP's donor portfolio, vice presidents, deans, faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni, donors, and Congregation of the Mission communities
• Coordinate divisional planning and priorities as a high-level project manager
• Develop project plans, track progress, maintain schedules, and hold the leadership team accountable for results
• Coordinate Board of Trustees Philanthropy Committee meetings, communications, events, and trustee participation
• Analyze reports, research, and other content to develop presentations and materials for the Philanthropy Committee, Board of Trustees, and President's Office
• Create and manage business processes, including campaign development processes
• Assist the SVP with policy and strategy development
• Conduct proposal writing, including pre-proposals and design elements for significant gift asks
• Develop and execute communications for the university
• Oversee administration of the SVP office
• Ensure philanthropic commitments are made by Board of Trustees members and coordinate fundraising activity
• Work with financial planners and stakeholders to ensure commitments are made and gifts are closed
• Manage the SVP's calendar, schedule meetings, arrange travel, prepare expense reports, and reconcile pro-card expenses

Requirements

• Baccalaureate degree, required
• Minimum of 5 years progressive development experience including involvement in campaign planning and execution for academic institutions
• Excellent communications skills, coupled with strong writing and presentation skills
• Experience building and communicating campaign strategies
• Significant experience working with volunteers and volunteer groups
• Sound organizational ability, a high degree of energy creativity and initiative
• Strong organizational and analytical skills with ability to initiate, analyze, monitor, evaluate and advance strategic plans and programs
• Demonstrated ability to develop good working relationships with internal and external constituency groups
• Discretion and an ability to interact with high-level donors
• Ability to project the unique aims and values of DePaul University and its donors and alumni
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities and meet challenging and changing deadlines
• Demonstrated ability to develop plans, support implementation of programs, manage and implement change
• Ability to maintain highly confidential information on a variety of sensitive subjects
• Resume and cover letter required
• Employment contingent on passing a background check

Core Competencies

Demonstrates strong project management capabilities, including campaign planning and execution, while effectively communicating with diverse internal and external stakeholders. Exhibits excellent organizational, analytical, and writing skills to support strategic initiatives and donor engagement.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Project Management
• Campaign Planning
• Excellent Communication Skills
• Donor Engagement
• Organizational Skills

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Proposal Writing
• Campaign Development
• Strategic Planning
• Data Analysis
• Presentation Development

Soft Skills

• Interpersonal Skills
• Creativity
• Initiative
• Discretion
• Relationship Building

Certifications & Qualifications

• Baccalaureate Degree

Industry Keywords

• Philanthropy
• Higher Education
• Volunteer Management
• Fundraising
• Board of Trustees