Director, Philanthropy Engagement & Communications (Hybrid)

Organizational Unit: IIE Organization -> IIE US -> PhilanthropySchedule: Full TimeEducation: Bachelor's DegreeLocation: New York NY - New York, NY 10007 US (Primary)Travel: Less than 10%Job Description:

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is hiring a Director, Philanthropy Engagement & Communications. We invite you to join a team united by our mission to help people and organizations forge brighter futures through educational exchange and lifelong learning. Working at IIE is more than just a job; its a chance to make an impact. To collaborate with a passionate team, grow your skills, and contribute to programs that change lives around the world.Learn more about IIE and our culture here.If you are a job seeker in need of an accommodation to navigate our careers site or apply for one of our jobs, please click here to learn more.

Job SummaryThe Director, Philanthropy Engagement & Communications, is a key leader on the Philanthropy team. This person will devise, generate, and implement strategic, integrated marketing, communications, engagement, and stewardship plans to effectively engage donors and key stakeholders. This position will deliver a superb donor experience and lead major communications initiatives and donor relations strategies, including the design, planning, and execution of a portfolio of annual events, highlighted by IIE's centerpiece signature event. The Director will shape and safeguard the organization's philanthropic brand, messaging, and donor value proposition, guiding engagement efforts in response to global educational crises. This position will deliver gift acknowledgment, recognition, and reporting with the goal of increasing donor satisfaction, retention, growth, and lead generation. The Philanthropy team is a tight-knit, collaborative, can-do team. We move fast and take the donor experience seriously.

Essential Functions

• Partner closely with philanthropy leadership and frontline fundraising staff to develop donor engagement strategies that advance cultivation, solicitation, retention, and philanthropic revenue growth.
• Provide strategic leadership for donor engagement and communications functions, including management of staff, consultants, budgets, and cross-departmental initiatives.
• Use donor data, analytics, and constituent insights to evaluate engagement strategies, measure outcomes, and continuously improve donor experiences.
• Lead integrated donor communications across print, digital, web, social media, and emerging platforms.
• Collaborate with institutional leadership, program teams, and external partners to develop compelling impact narratives and donor-facing materials.
• Create customized donor engagement strategies, both short-term and long-term, to enhance donor retention and giving. These strategies should take into account donor performance and the life cycle of different donor groups.
• Analyze donor interests, demographics, and preferences to coordinate segmentation plans with other team members and partners for meaningful engagement and impact reports.
• Establish strategic objectives that align with the priorities of the department, division, and organization, ensuring that successful campaigns meet budgetary expectations.
• Plan, implement, and evaluate the annual suite of events which may include a high-visibility fundraising event that is a key producer of unrestricted philanthropic revenue.
• Plan and execute stewardship and cultivation events throughout the year. With advice and help from IIE program colleagues, develop the content and flow of event programs and recruits speakers.
• Maintain files of governing documents for each endowment and coordinate with program staff to ensure that the use of funds matches donor intent. Act as liaison to departments responsible for the investment and spending of endowed funds, with responsibility for disseminating information to all relevant parties in a timely an