Development Associate

21-Apr-2024

Harvard Kennedy School

64447BR

Job Summary

This Development Associate works closely within the HKS Fund team to identify, cultivate, and solicit annual and major gift donors for gifts of $1,000-$100,000.  The Development Associate coordinates cultivation and solicitation activities and strategies, manages programmatic activities for assigned portfolios, and manages portfolio information including identification, tracking, and updating relevant data.

Position Description

This position contributes to meeting and exceeding department revenue goals by developing and executing prospect strategies, cultivating, and stewarding prospects and donors and directly soliciting gifts.

• Manages a 500+ person prospect pool of mainly alumni leadership giving donors within specific regions and spread throughout the globe, with a focus of raising annual gifts between $1,000 and $100,000.
• Develops appropriate cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies to enhance retention, grow revenue, and improve donor advancement. Will be required to meet set individual revenue and moves management goals.
• Makes a minimum of 80-100 face-to-face visits and contacts entire portfolio each year. Qualifies, progresses, and cultivates newly identified prospects and evaluates major gift potential and next steps.
• Manages alumni volunteers in reunion and non-reunion classes, overseeing volunteer training, class fundraising strategy, and the logistics involved with volunteer solicitations.
• Responsible for working closely with HKS Fund staff to solicit reunion prospects and execute on annual reunion fundraising strategy.
• As needed, utilizes email, digital, and phone outreach to meaningfully contact prospects outside of typical travel areas.
• Creates customized and personalized donor communications materials and touchpoints to help nurture and strengthen mid-level donors’ relationships with the Kennedy School.
• Researches and prepares background information and drafts high level strategy briefings for faculty, senior administrators, and volunteers. Drafts other correspondence and communications as required.
• Works with senior staff to strategize and plan development trips.  May coordinate any or all aspects of development travel including prospect identification, scheduling, logistics, travel arrangements, event logistics, briefings, staffing and follow-up correspondence.
• May staff faculty or senior administrators in meetings with donors and represent Alumni Relations and Resource Development at events, meetings, and 1:1 appointments. Coordinates briefings and follow-up correspondence.  Prepares contact reports and enters them in the development database.
• Tracks prospects in the assigned portfolio, developing strategies and moves and ensuring that assignments are up to date and all activities are documented.
• Manages research needs for assigned portfolio by completing research or by assigning research to the University Research Team when appropriate.
• Works with the Communications staff to ensure talking points are written for the Dean or other senior administrators for speaking engagements.
• As a member of the Alumni Relations and Development Office team, takes on critical project work as needed.  This might include working on planning efforts, development committee meetings or events, drafting reports and presentations, or writing proposals.
• Performs other responsibilities upon request, as needed, with or without accommodation. 
• The above covers the most significant responsibilities of this position.  It does not, however, exclude other duties, the inclusion of which would be in conformity with the level of the position

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and 3 or more years of related experience.

Additional Qualifications and Skills

• Excellent communications skills, oral and written
• Prior development experience and a demonstrated experience in solicitations strongly preferred
• Basic understanding of fundraising needed, as well as a desire to learn more.
• Ability to manage a busy office with competing demands; not easily flustered nor easily overwhelmed by a high volume of activity and projects. 
• Integrity and trust with a demonstrated ability to manage highly confidential information
• Ability to problem solve
• Ability to work with a diverse constituency required
• Ability to analyze and explain data
• Strong knowledge of MS Office and ability to learn new software quickly
• Ability to work nights and weekends and to travel as required are a must
• The ideal candidate is action oriented with an ability to deal with ambiguity; has composure, comfort around higher management; possesses sound judgement and decision making quality, integrity and trust, interpersonal savvy, listening, planning, written communications, learning on the fly, organizing, peer relationships, personal learning

Additional Information

Learn more about our work culture and see yourself at Harvard Kennedy School.

We regret that the Harvard Kennedy School does not provide visa sponsorship.

Harvard University requires pre-employment reference and background checks. 

Harvard University is committed to supporting a healthy, sustainable learning and working environment.

This is a hybrid position based on our campus in Cambridge, MA.  As a campus-based institution, we place a high value on the in-person experience, cross-team collaboration, and strong community building in order to create a vibrant campus for our students, faculty, staff, and research fellows. The position is required to work in-person on campus a minimum of three days per week during the academic year. Specific days and schedule will be determined between you and your manager.

The health of our workforce is a priority for Harvard University. With that in mind, we strongly encourage all employees to be up-to-date on CDC-recommended vaccines.

Salary Range: $66,200 - $108,200
Note: Starting salaries typically fall in the lower half of the salary range; however, they are ultimately determined by the scope of the position, the candidate's relevant experience, and internal equity. 

Work Format Details

This is a hybrid position that is based in Massachusetts. Additional details will be discussed during the interview process. All remote work must be performed within one of the Harvard Registered Payroll States, which currently includes Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, Washington, and California (CA for exempt positions only). Certain visa types and funding sources may limit work location. Individuals must meet work location sponsorship requirements prior to employment.

Benefits

We invite you to visit Harvard's Total Rewards website (https://hr.harvard.edu/totalrewards ) to learn more about our outstanding benefits package, which may include:

• Paid Time Off: 3-4 weeks of accrued vacation time per year (3 weeks for support staff and 4 weeks for administrative/professional staff), 12 accrued sick days per year, 12.5 holidays plus a Winter Recess in December/January, 3 personal days per year (prorated based on date of hire), and up to 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents who are primary care givers.
• Health and Welfare: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision benefits, disability and life insurance programs, along with voluntary benefits. Most coverage begins as of your start date.
• Work/Life and Wellness: Child and elder/adult care resources including on campus childcare centers, Employee Assistance Program, and wellness programs related to stress management, nutrition, meditation, and more.
• Retirement: University-funded retirement plan with contributions from 5% to 15% of eligible compensation, based on age and earnings with full vesting after 3 years of service.
• Tuition Assistance Program: Competitive program including $40 per class at the Harvard Extension School and reduced tuition through other participating Harvard graduate schools.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Program that provides 75% to 90% reimbursement up to $5,250 per calendar year for eligible courses taken at other accredited institutions.
• Professional Development: Programs and classes at little or no cost, including through the Harvard Center for Workplace Development and LinkedIn Learning.
• Commuting and Transportation: Various commuter options handled through the Parking Office, including discounted parking, half-priced public transportation passes and pre-tax transit passes, biking benefits, and more.
• Harvard Facilities Access, Discounts and Perks: Access to Harvard athletic and fitness facilities, libraries, campus events, credit union, and more, as well as discounts to various types of services (legal, financial, etc.) and cultural and leisure activities throughout metro-Boston.

Job Function

Alumni Affairs and Development

Department Office Location

USA - MA - Cambridge

Job Code

300056 Development Professional

Work Format

Hybrid (partially on-site, partially remote)

Department

Alumni Relations & Resource Development

Union

00 - Non Union, Exempt or Temporary

Pre-Employment Screening

Education, Identity

Commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging

At Harvard Kennedy School, fostering a diverse and inclusive community where everyone feels they belong is a matter of basic fairness consistent with our core values as an institution. It is also essential to our mission of improving public policy and leadership—because recruiting the best people and creating an environment where they can thrive make us better at what we do, because we learn more from people with different perspectives, and because we work in diverse groups and serve diverse societies.

Learn more about Harvard Kennedy School’s commitment to Diversity Equity, and Anti-Racism.

EEO Statement

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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