Reporting to the Director, Alumni Programs, the responsibilities of the Assistant Director, Alumni Programs (Careers and Lifelong Learning) include developing and delivering programs and resources that establish, strengthen and support career and lifelong learning engagement. The Assistant Director will create annual and long-term engagement strategies for professional development programming and communication and will develop relationships with campus partners to encourage program participation, mentorship and collaboration.

Under the direction of the Executive Director, Rice Annual Fund, the Assistant Director, Telefund will provide leadership of the Rice Annual Fund’s year-round telefund program. The primary purpose of the telefund is to increase the annual number of undergraduate alumni donors to Rice and unrestricted dollars to the Rice Annual Fund. This is achieved by recruiting, training, and managing a staff of student callers to cultivate, solicit, and steward Rice constituents through the telefund’s direct marketing channels. Channels include phone, text, mail, and digital engagement. The Assistant Director, Telefund will use results from analyses and best practices to guide the team on various strategies that will lead to success in increasing donor acquisition and retention. The Assistant Director, Telefund must have the ability work collaboratively with division partners and to successfully direct staff members and students to carry out the multitude of tasks essential in a year-round telefund program. The role requires some evening and weekend hours.

Under the supervision of the Associate Director, Marketing and Production, the Marketing and Production Specialist manages the planning, implementation and production of a variety of projects for the Development and Alumni Relations division requiring creative services from the Communications team. Projects may include but are not limited to print, email, web, social media and video. The marketing and production specialist works closely with internal writers, web developers, graphic designers and a production team, as well as with external communications vendors (design firms, printers, mail houses, etc.) and campus constituents (Rice Public Affairs, academic schools, etc.) to ensure that projects are completed efficiently, on time and at the highest level of quality.

The Digital Content Specialist is responsible for developing, monitoring and maintaining digital content (primarily social media and email marketing) for Rice’s Development and Alumni Relations division. This includes working with in-house writers, designers and web staff to produce visually striking and user-friendly digital content. The Digital Content Specialist will manage website content in a content management system, monitor social channels and engage with and answer questions from alumni online, and collaborate with division partners and creative staff to execute multichannel digital marketing campaigns. The Digital Content Specialist also will consistently gather and monitor metrics to identify trends, make recommendations, and devise digital marketing strategies. Day-to-day responsibilities of the Digital Content Specialist will be focused on building, testing and executing major organic and paid social media marketing campaigns efficiently and expertly, supporting a wide range of high-volume messages. The position will also support marketing and communications team members in executing new and existing messaging strategies.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Communications, the Development Writer works collaboratively with a team of writers, designers, communications professionals and fundraising staff to develop persuasive case prospectuses and proposals, craft presidential correspondence, interview stakeholders and donors, write compelling stories and marketing content and complete other communication projects as time allows. Finally, the Development Writer serves as a point person for creative decisions on select assignments, which may include leading brainstorming sessions with division partners, pitching concepts, organizing planning sessions and working collaboratively on strategy and goals.

Under the leadership of the Director of Corporate Relations, the Corporate Data and Research Analyst will serve as a business analyst/consultant to the Corporate Relations team as part of the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations (OCFR). The analyst will engage with various campus partners involved with data information systems to conduct extensive analytical evaluations of Rice’s corporate partner participation and giving with the goal of augmenting a holistic corporate relations strategy at Rice. Through collaboration among the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations, Development and Alumni Relations, the Office of Research, the Enterprise Data and Business Intelligence department and across the larger university, the Corporate Data and Research Analyst will continue the effort of building and maintaining the pipeline for holistic corporate relations data. The analyst will help to define, produce and mine accurate data systems designed to support Rice’s efforts to build effective corporate partnerships. The Corporate Data and Research Analyst will conduct independent research focused on current and prospective corporate partners to stay informed of market trends, glean industry updates and help identify companies whose business goals best complement Rice’s strengths. The analyst will use results from analyses to guide the team on various strategies that will lead to success in increasing corporate engagement at Rice University.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Communications, the Marketing Writer works within the Development and Alumni Relations Communications department to provide strong writing, editing, marketing and creative concepting in support of the Rice Annual Fund and other divisional priorities. A central function of the writer is to provide high quality creative direction and content for annual giving collateral in partnership with the Rice Annual Fund direct marketing team. This includes working closely with fundraising staff, graphic designers, production staff, web designers and others to accomplish robust, segmented marketing campaigns spanning print, email, web, social media, video and more.

Under the leadership of the Director of Strategic Analytics, the Associate Director of Strategic Analytics will serve as a premier business analyst/consultant to the Rice Annual Fund team and will partner with the Development Information Services team to implement systems allowing for extensive analytical evaluation of Rice’s undergraduate alumni participation and unrestricted giving through the Annual Fund. The associate director will be responsible for conducting analyses to guide the Annual Fund team on various strategies that will lead to success in increasing undergraduate alumni participation and the overall fundraising effort of the Rice Annual Fund. This includes the development of an integrated marketing and communications strategy and plan for tracking direct marketing results.

As a member of the development research and analysis team, this position works closely with front-line fundraisers to broaden the University's prospect base and to maximize the University's philanthropic capacity. The development research analyst collaborates with a wide variety of regional and school-based development officers to facilitate elevated engagement of prospects whose potential is maximized due to capacity or inclination. Using ethical and creative research techniques with a wide variety of biographical, organizational, and financial sources, the development research analyst provides high-level description and analysis on alumni, parents, friends, and occasionally corporations and foundations.

Reporting to an executive director of development, the senior director of development – athletics will plan, organize, and manage the development of complex major gift support for athletic fundraising priorities. Specific responsibilities include the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of major donor prospects capable of gifts at the $100K to $4.9M level. The senior director of development – athletics will work directly with the director of athletics, key prospects, and volunteers, preparing solicitation, cultivation, and stewardship strategies. This position will be responsible for developing and executing the fundraising strategy for a specific athletic campaign priority or in conjunction with the director of athletics.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Gift Planning, this gift planning team member will plan, organize and manage the discovery, cultivation, processing and administration of estate and trust gifts in support of Rice University. Specific responsibilities include the tracking of deceased donors’ estate and trust gifts through the probate process, about which Rice may or may not have advance knowledge, and collaborating with executors, probate attorneys, outside trustees and insurance claims and retirement plan administrators to accomplish the final disposition of these charitable planned gifts. The Director, Estate and Trust Administration will collaborate directly with the Treasurer’s Office, the Controller’s Office, the General Counsel and other university offices as needed and will also work with as an administrator in assistance to Rice Trust, Inc. in managing and providing information on matured charitable gift annuities and various charitable trusts for processing and closure. The Director, Estate and Trust Administration will work with deceased donors’ family members and friends in representing the initial face of Rice stewardship of these gifts, which may lead to further relationship development and additional gift cultivation. This role also will participate in consulting with the team and with Development and Alumni Relations staff about changes in charitable giving law and tax regulations, overseeing the CRM database and assisting in training on the CRM and other software, such as PG Calc and OnBase. This role may also include assisting in training of gift planning directors as well as overall for other gift officers, researchers, etc. across the Development and Alumni Relations division. This role may also carry a small portfolio of unit development officers for gift planning support as well as a small portfolio of donors.

The Staff Assistant provides overall administrative support for a group of individual gift major fundraisers on the Major Gifts team at Rice University. Typical duties include managing calendars, collecting data and producing periodic reports, assisting with data entry, arranging for travel and business meetings, and managing expense reports.  

Under the general supervision of the Senior Director of Development – Humanities, the Associate Director of Development will plan, organize and pipeline the development of leadership and major gift support for fundraising priorities in specific academic areas of Rice University. The Associate Director of Development will identify, qualify, cultivate, solicit and steward new leadership level prospects at the $2,500 to $99K+ level who have the long-term potential to give at the major gift ($100K+) level.

The Assistant Dean, External Relations will serve as the principal advisor to the Dean on all aspects of development, alumni relations and community engagement for the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Business (JGSB). In addition to being a member of the Dean’s cabinet, the Assistant Dean is the chief development officer for the school and provides strategic leadership for an advancement program that incorporates development and external relations goals. Reporting jointly to the Dean of JGSB and the Associate Vice President for Development, this position and a team of 12 directly support the Dean to engage donors and alumni and community volunteers to advance the School’s mission and priorities. The Assistant Dean will manage all aspects of the school’s external relations strategy and initiatives, including fundraising, alumni relations, volunteer management, annual giving, capital projects, stewardship, events and communications. The Assistant Dean serves as a member of the advancement leadership community at Rice University and will be expected to work collegially and in partnership with development colleagues and to develop strong relationships with central development personnel.

As a member of the Principal Gifts team, the Senior Director of Development – Principal Gifts is responsible for developing sophisticated cultivation and solicitation strategies for donor prospects rated at the $5 million level and higher leading to successful closure of principal gifts. Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Development, the Senior Director of Development – Principal Gifts works directly with the Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations (DAR), the President and other senior university officials (including deans and directors of academic units) to enhance Rice’s ability to partner with donors and potential donors in the Rice community and beyond. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated track record of securing principal gift commitments at the $5 million level and higher and of championing the strategic engagement, creativity and poise required to inspire and mobilize the aspirations of internal partners and prospective donors alike.

The Staff Assistant (Alumni Relations) provides overall administrative support for a group of alumni relations professionals at Rice University. Typical duties include managing calendars, collecting data and producing periodic reports, assisting with data entry, arranging for travel and business meetings and managing expense reports.

Under the general supervision of the Senior Director of Development Administration, the Administrative Specialist will be responsible for a variety of administrative and financial duties for the Development and Alumni Relations division. The Administrative Specialist will create and implement plans, processes and procedures to ensure the effective and efficient functionality of the division to support the success of strategic priorities. The Administrative Specialist will serve as one of two cost center managers in the division, with procurement, expenditure, budget and financial reporting oversight. The ideal candidate is creative, collaborative, detail oriented, open to new ideas, proficient in divisional administration and financial management, and comfortable working in a fast-paced environment managing multiple tasks.

Under the supervision of the associate director of events, the events specialist is responsible for managing the planning and execution of a portfolio of assigned events for the Development and Alumni Relations division that may include presidential events, development events such as those for cultivation and stewardship efforts, and alumni-focused events such as Homecoming, Families Weekend, Association of Rice Alumni Laureates, and regional engagement events. The primary job duties of this position include: contributing to the university’s fundraising and engagement efforts through the development of customized event strategies in collaboration with other teams on special event projects such as regional events for alumni, development campaigns, stewardship events, and events for the President’s Office; working with campus stakeholders to design and execute customized events in furtherance of their program goals; and developing and maintaining relationships with on-campus and off-campus vendors and coordinating with them for multiple events.