Development Specialist

Overview

The Development Specialist is responsible for supporting the overall fundraising strategy within the Development Team at Bumpers College. The person in this role will assist with cultivating relationships with donors, partners, and sponsors by managing efforts to create and execute donor-centered touchpoints, including thank-you letters, personalized correspondence, impact updates, stewardship cadences, and post-visit follow-up communications for frontline fundraisers. The position also supports Bumpers College development staff and dean in generating gifts and sponsorship by providing stewardship tools, event planning and support, and coordinated outreach to strengthen donor engagement college wide.

The Development Specialist will coordinate and assist with the execution of donor stewardship and engagement events such as tailgates, dinners, receptions, and happy hours, managing logistics from concept through on-site execution. The role also oversees the creation, inventory, and distribution of stewardship materials in partnership with communications teams. Additionally, the position assists in research to identify potential donors as well as with administrative duties, including expense reporting, gift tracking, data entry, calendar management, and record keeping.

The Development Specialist serves as the primary coordinator for the Dean’s Advisory Council, managing meeting logistics, communications, agendas, and follow-up. The position also supports the Bumpers Alumni Society’s activities, engagement, and events as directed by the Bumpers College Director of Development.

• Drafts and manages donor correspondence, including thank-you letters, impact updates, event follow-ups, and post-visit communications for fundraisers.
• Plans and executes stewardship events (tailgates, dinners, receptions, happy hours), with responsibility for overseeing setup, event flow, and post-event wrap-up.
• Supports college leadership and development team with coordinated stewardship efforts.
• Manages creation, inventory, and distribution of stewardship materials in collaboration with communications partners.
• Performs research and administrative tasks, including expense reporting, gift processing, and maintaining accurate donor data and records.
• Coordinates the Bumpers College Dean’s Advisory Council.

This role is essential to cultivating a strong culture of gratitude and enhancing the donor experience throughout Bumpers College. The Development Specialist also works collaboratively with development staff in other colleges and with the UA System Division of Agriculture to support a donor-centric mission that strengthens relationships and generates revenue-producing resources for the college and the university.

Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education
• Demonstrated experience providing administrative support to senior personnel with frequent travel, requiring a high degree of organization, coordination, and attention to detail
• Demonstrated experience drafting professional correspondence
• Demonstrated experience supporting the planning and execution of events

• Extensive experience providing high-level administrative support to senior personnel with complex and frequent travel, including proactive calendar management and independent follow-through
• Advanced experience drafting, editing, and managing professional correspondence, with demonstrated attention to tone, accuracy, and presentation
• Demonstrated experience independently coordinating and managing events, including planning, logistics, on-site execution, and post-event follow-up
• Demonstrated experience working in a fundraising, development, or nonprofit environment, with exposure to donor relations, stewardship, or external engagement
• Demonstrated familiarity with the external stakeholders served by the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food, and Life Sciences, including alumni, donors, industry…