Associate Director, Annual Giving & Operations

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How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

Job Summary

The Associate Director of Annual Giving & Operations is responsible for executing annual giving strategies focused on donor acquisition, retention, and growth to support the goals and initiatives of the Development team. This position also supports data integrity efforts, reconciliation, and reporting in the Paciolan and DART systems used by the Athletic Department. The Development team prioritizes collaboration and communication in order to achieve the highest levels of both efficiency and effectiveness.

Responsibilities*

Annual Giving (65%)

• Provide insight and ideas to enhance Annual Giving programing.
• Build donor relationships with a goal of soliciting new annual gifts, retaining contributions or growing current gifts.
• Support donor inquiries and priority point review requests
• Assist Donor Relations team to execute on stewardship strategy for Annual Giving donors.
• Collaboration of the Michigan Athletics Priority Point Program in collaboration with Development Operations team.
• Partner with Athletics Major Gift Officers to identify, qualify, and cultivate new donor leads-coordinating prospect discovery, outreach strategies, and seamless handoffs to drive additional donations.
• Assist in managing development team inbox focusing on providing high level customer service and answering donor questions regarding how to make a gift, giving history, stewardship and engagement opportunities, Priority Point totals, etc.
• Act on behalf of Michigan Athletics as requested in handling inquiries of highly sensitive & confidential nature. Respond to inquiries from within the department, from the campus community, and from our external constituency.
• Expand and grow ELEVATE fund initiatives including driving awareness and providing marketing opportunities for all teams.
• Serve as a liaison for sport specific giving initiatives, game day opportunities and crowd funding campaigns.
  
  

Operations (25%)

• Performs ongoing data and process audits to ensure data integrity is maintained between the Paciolan and DART systems
• Open and connect new gift account activity between DART, Paciolan, and the General Ledger
• Manages gift tracker and pledge reminders; evaluates process annually to seek out inefficiencies
• Responsible for reconciling Gifts and Records log to DART to ensure all gifts are recorded correctly in DART
• Oversees the tracking of suite contracts and gift agreements, renewal cycles and payments
• Develop and maintain lists of current season ticket holders and donors
• Independently run on-going and ad-hoc complex reports from DART, Business Objects and Paciolan
  
  

Project/Liaison Work (10%)

• Participate in Athletic Department events as appropriate.
• Represent athletic department, development team, or annual giving team on various committees, working groups and special projects.
• Perform other duties and special projects as required or assigned.
  
  

Required Qualifications*

• Experience in Business Administration, Sports Administration, Accounting, Finance or related field. At least two to three years of experience working in development or ticketing. Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to interact with multiple patrons in a positive and productive manner while maintaining integrity and adhering to the compliance rules of the NCAA, Big Ten, and University of Michigan Athletic Department.
• Strong organizational skills, analytical skills, and attention to detail.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and effectively determine when information needs to be advanced to other decision makers.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and priorities and meet challenging and changing deadlines.
• Ability to work in a fast paced, ever-changing environment, with the ability to effectively adapt and be flexible.
• Proficient in Excel, Word and various analytics software.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a positive, team oriented environment.
• Must exhibit a high level of energy, enthusiasm, initiative and passion for providing outstanding customer service to Michigan Athletic patrons.
• Must possess and maintain the highest integrity and ethical standards.
• Works in a positive, collaborative, and effective manner with all leaders, team members, and customers of the department.
  
  

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

Additional Information

Benefits

In addition to a career filled with purpose and opportunity, The University of Michigan offers a comprehensive benefits package to help you stay well, protect yourself and your family and plan for a secure future. Benefits include:

Generous time off

A retirement plan that provides two-for-one matching contributions with immediate vesting

Many choices for comprehensive health insurance

Life insurance

Long-term disability coverage

Flexible spending accounts for healthcare and dependent care expenses

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

All applications for this position must be received by (enter the date).

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Job Opening ID

280297

Working Title

Associate Director, Annual Giving & Operations

Job Title

Anl Giving/Alumni Rel Asst Dir

Work Location

Ann Arbor Campus

Ann Arbor, MI

Modes of Work

Onsite

Full/Part Time

Full-Time

Regular/Temporary

Regular

FLSA Status

Exempt

Organizational Group

Intercolleg Athletic

Department

Athletics

Posting Begin/End Date

7/17/2026 - 7/24/2026

Salary

$60,000.00 - $65,000.00

Career Interest

Development/Institutional Advancement