Assistant Director of Development

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement the Assistant Director will manage a portfolio of discovery prospects and annual donors to achieve short-term fundraising objectives. The Assistant Director will be responsible for discovering engaging soliciting and stewarding high-level leadership annual donors with the long-term objective of developing a robust pipeline of enthusiastic qualified prospects prepared to make a major gift investment. The Assistant Director of Development will play an important role in strengthening Widener Universitys future major gift pipeline.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (including but not limited to):

Essential Duties:

• Actively manage a portfolio of consistent annual donors with potential for increased giving and engagement.
• Demonstrate upward movement within the portfolio to include increasing gift amounts multi-year commitments and deeper programmatic involvement.
• Collaborate with the Associate Vice President for Development and Alumni Engagement to determine next steps for prospects capable of $25000 commitments including continued management with guidance partnership with a senior gift officer or referral to a major gift officer portfolio.
• Contribute to fundraising results by soliciting annual gifts and leadership-level annual gifts.
• Serve as an early relationship and stewardship manager for donors who will be solicited in the future for $25000 or more gifts.
• Collaborate effectively with stewardship annual giving alumni engagement major gifts and data management colleagues to ensure quality donor experiences.

Core Skill Areas and Competencies:

Prospect Discovery and Qualification

• Demonstrated curiosity and analytical thinking to identify philanthropic potential and donor motivation.
• Ability to conduct meaningful discovery conversations that reveal values interests and readiness to engage.
• Skill in assessing giving patterns engagement indicators and capacity signals to inform next steps.
• Comfort initiating outreach with previously unassigned or lightly engaged donors and prospects.

Early-Stage Donor Relationship Development

• Ability to build rapport and trust with alumni parents and friends through thoughtful donor-centered engagement.
• Strong interpersonal skills including empathy active listening and adaptability across diverse audiences.
• Capacity to move donors from transactional giving toward deeper connection and philanthropic purpose.

Portfolio Management and Accountability

• Emerging ability to manage a portfolio of annual donors in a strategic intentional manner.
• Skill in prioritizing outreach and engagement based on donor behavior and institutional priorities.
• Sense of ownership and accountability for donor experience and engagement outcomes.

Communication and Mission-Based Messaging

• Strong written and verbal communication skills tailored to donor interests and readiness.
• Ability to articulate Widener Universitys mission strategic priorities and impact in accessible compelling ways.
• Storytelling ability that connects philanthropy to student success academic excellence and institutional transformation.

Collaboration and Organizational Awareness

• Ability to collaborate effectively with Advancement colleagues and campus partners.
• Openness to learning how faculty deans and administrators contribute to donor engagement.
• Willingness to seek guidance feedback and mentorship from senior development professionals.

Secondary Responsibilities:

• Support departmental initiatives events and projects that advance University Advancement goals including but not limited to:
• Management of the Student Philanthropy Council.
• Alumni communications and newsletters.
• Management of student workers.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned or directed to support departmental needs and align with the mission of University Advancement and Widener University.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (education/training and experience required):

Required:

• Bachelors Degree.
• Two (2) years of experience in fundraising and/or alumni engagement. An equivalent combination of experience and education may be considered.
• Ability to establish rapport quickly with donors.
• Demonstrated organizational and communication skills with ability to work with and motivate other development professionals and volunteers.
• Ability to clearly articulate the mission vision and values of the University.
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively within a team environment.
• Value trust accountability discretion honesty and teamwork.

Preferred:

• Experience using Blackbaud Raisers Edge NXT ThankView and Give Campus.
• Experience in project management.
• Understanding of database management gift processing and donor relations.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR UNUSUAL HOURS:

• Ability and willingness to travel to ensure successful volunteer activities and cultivation efforts.
• Ability and willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends required.
• Ability to stand for long periods of time at campus events presentations or other related events.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race religion color national origin age sex sexual orientation disability status or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Widener University is committed to fostering an inclusive community in which faculty staff and students from a variety of backgrounds cultures and personal experiences are welcomed and can are an equal opportunity employer and are committed to providing equal educational and employment opportunities for all persons without regard to age color national origin race religion disability veteran status sex sexual orientation gender identity genetic information or status as a protected veteran.

Some positions may be eligible for a hybrid or remote work arrangement that may include a partially or fully remote work location consistent with Wideners Flexible Work policy.

Widener University an independent metropolitan doctoral-intensive university connects curricula to social issues through civic engagement. Dynamic teaching active scholarship personal attention and experiential learning are key components of the Widener Experience. Located in Chester PA Wideners main campus is nestled between Philadelphia PA and Wilmington DE with Law Schools located in both Harrisburg and Wilmington. For more information about the university please visit our website at .

EOE M/F/V/D