The American Association of Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) is a global membership organization dedicated to advancing the vitality and democratic purposes of undergraduate liberal education. Through our programs and events, publications and research, public advocacy and campus-based projects, AAC&U serves as a catalyst and facilitator for innovations that improve educational quality and equity and that support the success of all students. In addition to accredited public and private, two-year and four-year colleges and universities and state higher education systems and agencies throughout the United States, our membership includes degree-granting higher education institutions in more than twenty-five countries as well as other organizations and individuals. To learn more, visit www.aacu.org.
The Advancement Associate works collaboratively with the Director of Advancement to execute activities affiliated with AAC&U’s advancement portfolio related to sponsorships, partnerships and fundraising. Within those areas, the Advancement Associate plays a key role in the development of new and support of existing sponsor and partner relationships. The Advancement Associate also liaises with internal offices and external vendors to support the development, execution, and fulfillment of sponsor and partner agreements.
This position, in collaboration with the Director of Advancement, is critical for ensuring sponsor, partner and donor acquisition, engagement, satisfaction, and retention by paying close attention to details, delivering high quality experiences, communicating thoughtfully, and building trust. This position reports to the Director of Advancement.
PRIORITIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Assist in identifying, qualifying and soliciting sponsors, partners, and donors;
Serve as the main point of contact for sponsors related to event and contract details and logistics ;
Track and manage all outgoing invoices to sponsors and all incoming sponsorship payments;
Create comprehensive sponsorship proposals for prospective sponsors and partners and develop sponsorship agreements;
Manage Advancement email inbox and respond to all messages promptly;
Draft detailed documents for and manage communications with event sponsors;
Develop and manage advancement project management processes and communication plans; provide recommendations on process improvement;
Co-lead or lead prospective and current sponsor meetings;
Assist in strategic planning and goal setting related to advancement; establish well-defined metrics for success and work collaboratively to meet those goals;
Serve as an onsite and virtual point of contact for details and logistics for all events that incorporate sponsor participation (e.g., Annual Meeting, conferences, institutes, webinars);
Manage data input and data integrity related to Advancement functions, including collaboration with database and finance staff to ensure Advancement’s financial processing procedures are up-to-date, accurate, and representative of what cross-functional teams need;
Serve as the main point of contact for sponsor advertisements in AAC&U News and Liberal Education, including coordination with the Office of Communications and Public Affairs; and
Other duties as assigned.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Bachelor’s degree preferred
At least two-three years of work experience
Experience in sales, marketing, fundraising, development, or other directly relevant area, preferably in higher education or the nonprofit sector.
Proficiency working with Microsoft Office applications, project management software (e.g., Asana, Basecamp), file sharing platforms (e.g., Box, Google)
Experience working with databases and information management systems (e.g., iMIS, Salesforce, Nimble)
Proven track record of success in working independently, project management, relationship stewardship, and creative goal-setting
Strong organizational and project management skills
Ability to work both autonomously and collaboratively
Superb organizational skills and attention to detail
High ethical standards and ability to maintain confidentiality
Superior communication skills, written, and oral
Passion for cultivating both internal and external relationships
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Salary commensurate with experience; plus exceptional benefits. Please submit a résumé, a cover letter describing relevant work experience, and salary requirements to AAC&U, Attn: HR, 1818 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009, or to employment@aacu.org. The application review process will begin on September 29, 2023.
AAC&U believes that a broadly diverse staff is critical to achieving excellence as a national higher education association. We seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. We are fully committed to equal employment opportunity and compliance with the full range of fair employment practices and non-discrimination laws.
