Senior Director, Advancement Communications

Senior Director, Advancement Communications

Join to apply for the Senior Director, Advancement Communications role at Wayne State University
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This range is provided by Wayne State University. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

$/yr – $/yr

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Senior Director, Advancement Communications at its Detroit campus location. Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, offering a high‑quality education and a deep‑rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion.

Strategic leader for the Division of Development and Alumni Affairs advancement communications team. In collaboration with division and university leadership, develop and oversee communication and marketing strategies that build awareness, inspire generosity, and activate involvement within the university’s community of alumni and donors.

• Provide strategic communication expertise to achieve university annual and campaign fundraising and engagement goals.
• Lead andBeat out the advancement communication team, creating and approving major and principal gift proposals, case statements, impact reports, stewardship messaging, omni‑channel planned and annual giving marketing, audience segmentation, lead generation and editorial content development.
• Analyze data to inform and formulate collaborative strategies that increase the quality, frequency and focus of alumni and donor communication.
• Coordinate and negotiate priorities, project needs and workload alignment for campaigns and annual goals.
• Ensure cohesive branding and consistent messaging across all communication materials and platforms.
• Supervise staff: recruit, interview, hire, train, coach, evaluate, and sure job duties are met; foster a collegial and productive work environment.
• Write, edit and contribute to complex, time‑sensitive materials requiring interaction with campus departments.
• Manage the unit’s annual budget, including expense projections, approvals and compliance monitoring.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, preferably in English or journalism;
  Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience: Minimum seven (7) years in advancement communication and marketing, including proposal writing, fundraising collateral, and communications planning; minimum four (4) years managing personnel in an advancement, higher‑education, or non‑profit environment.
• Comprehensive knowledge of university policies and procedures; experience in higher‑education fundraising preferred.
• Proficient in Associated Press style, data‑driven marketing strategies, and corporate branding.
• Strong analytical, presentation, collaboration, communication, editing, leadership, learning agility, planning, teamwork and technical skills.

Wayne State welcomes applications from persons with disabilities and veterans. Wayne State is an equal opportunity employer and will conduct background checks as required by university policy.