Salary Range: Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

Job Summary: 

The Assistant Director for Direct Marketing solicitations oversees and executes the day-to-day activity for all direct marketing solicitations, including those for direct mail, email and phonathon, ensuring alignment with the overarching goal of increasing annual revenue and donor participation among alumni, parents and other supporters.

The AD will serve as the liaison to Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL), SMU’s call center vendor, coordinating all efforts for phone and text and will work with other vendors, as appropriate, to oversee and execute mail and email solicitations.

Partnering with the Associate Director, AD will write solicitation copy for these channels and collaborate with essential SMU colleagues to optimize fundraising success and increase engagement among key constituencies.

Essential Functions: 

• Collaborate with Assoc. Dir. to expertly manage and execute detailed, highly-segmented multi-channel mail and email mass solicitation campaigns (min. of 20 mailings and 100 emails) for audiences up to 130K in support of annual fundraising priorities. This includes coordinating copy, data and assets for mail, email, phone and text channels. Collaborate with AGAR colleagues and DEA marketing and communications teams to manage layout, proofing and approval processes and execute/send solicitations via mail and email channels in accordance to marketing calendar’s direction. Maintain relationship with print vendor to facilitate mail execution. Suggest content that integrates solicitation messages for social/digital and peer channels.
• Manage all day-to-day aspects of the relationship with cell center vendor providing phone/text solicitation and engagement services. Oversee and coordinate solicitation and engagement strategies and schedules. Ensure all strategy and execution is closely aligned with AGAR and DEA engagement and fundraising priorities, timelines and goals. Maintain ongoing contact with on-site call center manager to recruit and retain a diverse staff of up to 40 student callers, execute student training, monitor/replenish needed assets, scripts and materials, & receive daily activity reports. Monitor and analyze ongoing call and text results and suggest adjustments to solicitation tactics as appropriate to supervisor to maximize call center performance.
• Work with Alumni Data Manager to develop accurately segmented prospect lists (up to 130K records) for phone, text, email and mail solicitations, conducting extensive audits to ensure their valid and accurate upload. Conduct ongoing data quality checks; verify gifts and pledges from all channel efforts are recorded properly and follow-up steps are executed in an accurate and timely manner. Ensure data and preferences gleaned from channels are continually updated in CRM.
• In consultation with Associate Director and AGAR staff, gather and prepare information from university sources (including specific schools and units) to enhance solicitation copy. Develop and write concise, coordinated, solicitation copy for mail, email, phone and text solicitation efforts that effectively motivates alumni, students, parents, faculty/staff & friends to make gifts to desired funds. Work with DEA’s Marketing & Communications team, AGAR Content Creator, colleagues and other vendors to ensure all outbound content meets University style and standards. Write or collaborate with SMU team members on social and digital copy that compliments solicitations and share relevant data with additional colleagues to support any follow-up that may further compliment each solicitation effort. Provide design/content recommendations and feedback on layouts and imagery.
• Run regular activity reports that monitor results of all solicitation campaigns through mail, phone, email, text. These may include CRM or platform based or Excel-produced reports and analysis. Make reports available in shared drive for timely common access. Provide recommendations to Assoc. Director for ways to improve solicitation results and increase alumni giving so that this individual may advise colleagues with data-driven suggestions to further their fundraising efforts.
• Other duties as assigned

Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in Marketing, Business, Communications, Public relations, or Journalism
• A minimum of one year of professional work experience is required.
• Experience executing print mail, point-of-sale and/or direct marketing campaigns is strongly preferred. Solid knowledge and experience in the print production or email marketing process is desirable. Experience in sales, marketing or nonprofit fundraising is plus.
• Experience with RNL or similar call center management is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills with the ability to foster productive relationships both internally and external. Must also demonstrate strong writing skills with an eye toward solicitation-focused copy for print, email, phone and digital channels, required. Strong proofreading and editing skills are required. A strong focus on attention to detail and accuracy is essential.
• Candidate must possess strong organizational, planning and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities. Must also demonstrate the ability to work in a deadline driven, fast-paced environment. Strong project management skills are essential.
• Candidate must have strong problem solving skills with the ability to identify, analyze problems and devise solutions. Strong analytical skills to effectively gather and analyze data are preferred.
• Candidate must possess a strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Experience with email service providers such as Emma, is highly preferred. Experience with Asana, AirTable, or other project management software is a plus. Experience with CRM platforms, ideally Blackbaud CRM or similar tools, as well as a working knowledge of Adobe suite is a plus.

Deadline to Apply: 

• June 11, 2021
• Priority consideration may be given to submissions received by June 4, 2021.

EEO Statement: 

SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, [email protected].