Development Coordinator

This is a provisional classification. Formal regular review classification procedures may be initiated at any time by the incumbent or supervisor after the incumbent has worked a minimum of six months in the role.

Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose‑driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.

Dalhousie University’s Office of Advancement is responsible for all fundraising and alumni engagement activities across the university. A team of advancement professionals cultivate relationships with alumni, partners, and friends of the university and work with donors to help them achieve personal fulfilment through philanthropic investment. Dalhousie donors commit in aggregate over $70 million each year in the interest of supporting student success, scientific research, and community impact.

Reporting to a Senior/Executive Director of Development, the Development Coordinators are key administrative partners to frontline fundraisers, supporting the solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship of prospects and donors. They play a central role in keeping fundraising activity organized, proactive, and donor focused. The work will combine coordination, communication, and administrative expertise in a fast‑paced, collaborative environment.

• Work closely with the Senior/Executive Director of Development and the Development staff on the team to support the planning and execution of comprehensive fundraising strategies. This may include creating customized briefing notes, donor engagement and communication materials, maintaining moves management for key prospects, and proactively managing the team’s calendar of stewardship activities and other team priorities.
• Apply understanding of donor interests and priorities to create high‑quality, customized written materials including stewardship reports and engagement plans.
• Facilitate gift agreements with stakeholders according to policy and procedures.
• Assist with proposal development, production, and collateral materials, showing strong attention to detail relating to both content and visual formatting.
• Lead the planning and execution of donors and alumni events, including logistics, guest coordination, on‑site support, and post‑event follow‑up. This may include local travel and occasional evening and weekend work.

The successful applicant will be eligible for hybrid work (combination of in‑person work on campus and remote work from within Nova Scotia) as agreed by all parties based on operational requirements and university guidelines.

• Undergraduate degree with three years’ experience in administration, fundraising, business development, professional sales, marketing, communications, or other relationship‑intensive work.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and stay highly organized.
• Strong writing and editing skills with the ability to clearly demonstrate alignment between a project’s goals and the needs of the end user and attention to detail.
• A proactive self‑starter with the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with the team.
• High proficiency in MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

• Experience working in a post‑secondary environment.
• Familiarity with Canva, or other design tools.

The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in Dalhousie’s core and leadership competencies, in particular:

• Respect & Inclusion
• Adaptability
• Knowledge & Thinking Skills
• Communication
• Service

Dalhousie University supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Our total compensation package includes a defined benefit pension plan, health and dental plans, a health spending account, an employee and family assistance program and a tuition assistance program.