Associate Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations at University of Tennessee System in Knoxville, TN

Job description

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc (UTFI) invites applications and nominations to fill the position of Associate Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations for the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture. Reporting to the Senior Director of Engagement and Advancement Services, the Associate Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations is responsible for leading a comprehensive, donor- centered stewardship and donor experience strategy that recognizes philanthropic support, demonstrates the impact of giving, communicates meaningful outcomes to varied audiences, and advances donors from first gift through long-term engagement. This role will develop, implement, and assess the UTIA-wide stewardship plan in consultation with Advancement leadership, ensuring alignment with campaign priorities, institutional goals, and industry best practices. Working collaboratively with Academic Departments, Central Campus Units, Alumni and Annual Giving, Principal-Gift Partners, and Communications, the position will deliver a coordinated stewardship infrastructure that strengthens donor satisfaction, retention, and lifelong philanthropic engagement. Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to: Donor Stewardship Programs & Recognition: Creates and manages specialized stewardship and recognition opportunities for Institute donors and segmented donor groups, using creative, donor-centered practices and appropriate technology. Oversees donor-focused activities and materials, including virtual and in-person events, giving societies, campus visits, birthday cards, customized stewardship materials, and recognition signage. Leads stewardship for shared campaigns with UTK, including Big Orange Give, Big Orange Family Campaign, and Senior Impact, in collaboration with the Assistant Director for Annual Giving. Also directs scholarship stewardship and student gratitude initiatives, developing strategies that engage students, faculty, and alumni through thank-you-letter timelines, storytelling, and stewardship touchpoints. Stewardship Planning, Reporting, & Impact Communications: Coordinates the annual UTIA endowment report and other stewardship and impact reports, managing content gathering, editing, quality review, approvals, design direction, production, and distribution. Leads the endowment reporting process from start to finish, including timeline management and campus-wide collaboration. Manages financial summaries for stewardship materials in partnership with Communications and Advancement colleagues. Establishes reporting standards and evaluates processes to improve the timeliness, quality, scalability, and clarity of donor impact communications. Acknowledgement & Stewardship Program Management: Leads the gift acknowledgment process in line with the gift-matrix strategy, including segmentation, messaging, and coordination with UTIA academic units. Maintains stewardship portfolio information and coordinates reporting and workflow across ACE/Salesforce, DASH, ThankView , Marketing Cloud, and related systems, partnering with Advancement Services to resolve data issues. Evaluates stewardship workflows, systems, and donor experience practices, then recommends and implements improvements that increase efficiency, consistency, and effectiveness. Trains Advancement staff and campus partners on approved stewardship processes in DASH, ACE, and OnBase while maintaining collaborative relationships that support a consistent donor experience. Required Education and Experience The candidate who fills the Associate Director of Stewardship and Donor Relations position is required to have: Bachelor’s degree 4+ years of progressive work experience in stewardship, donor relations or a closely related field. Superior organizational and project-management skills Excellent written and oral communication Strong attention to detail; and the ability to synthesize information and compose clear, effective materials Demonstrated ability to manage multip