Employment

Key Responsibilities

Advancement Leadership and Benefactor Relations

1. Develop and implement an annual advancement plan, in consultation with the President, that supports the College’s strategic priorities and Catholic mission.
2. Cultivate and sustain relationships with current and prospective benefactors by communicating the religious, educational, and apostolic mission of Aquinas College and encouraging philanthropic support of that mission.
3. Support the President’s advancement work by preparing prospect information, coordinating benefactor engagement, managing follow-up, and ensuring timely completion of next steps.
4. Develop proposals, cases for support, reports, and other mission-centered materials that communicate the Catholic, Dominican, and educational mission of Aquinas College and invite philanthropic partnership.
5. Ensure that fundraising, gift acceptance, acknowledgements, recognition, and stewardship activities comply with institutional policies and faithfully support the College’s Catholic mission.
6. Coordinate benefactor visits, meetings, events, invitations, materials, follow-up, and stewardship activities, including small gatherings, campus visits, liturgical celebrations, the Gratitude Mass and Lunch, and other mission-centered stewardship opportunities.

Communications Leadership

1. Develop and manage an institutional communications plan aligned with the President’s priorities, the College’s strategic goals, advancement objectives, and Catholic mission.
2. Serve as the principal writer and editor for major institutional communications, including advancement materials, alumni communications, web and social-media content, publications, reports, and strategic announcements.
3. Ensure that all institutional communications faithfully represent the Catholic and Dominican mission of Aquinas College and meet standards for accuracy, clarity, consistency, audience appropriateness, and mission alignment.
4. Direct the editorial content, publication schedules, and review processes for the College’s magazine, newsletters, website, social media, and other print and digital communications.
5. Collaborate with College leadership in promoting Catholic intellectual formation, evangelization, and other mission-focused initiatives through strategic communications.
6.  Coordinate communications during sensitive or significant institutional matters under the direction of the President.

Alumni Relations and Engagement

1. Develop and implement an annual alumni-relations program that strengthens communication, engagement, service, philanthropic support, and commitment to the Catholic and Dominican mission of Aquinas College.
2. Maintain accurate alumni records, including contact information, educational history, engagement activity, communication preferences, and other data.
3. Create regular alumni communications, including alumni stories, updates, appeals, surveys, and engagement opportunities.
4. Plan and implement alumni events and initiatives in collaboration with College staff and volunteers.
5. Identify and cultivate alumni as ambassadors, volunteers, speakers, benefactors, and participants in the spiritual, educational, charitable, and apostolic life of the College.

Data, Database, and Reporting

1. Oversee the integrity, organization, security, and effective use of advancement and alumni databases.
2. Prepare and analyze reports to support fundraising, alumni engagement, strategic planning, and decision-making.
3. Coordinate gift reconciliations and maintain appropriate financial controls in collaboration with accounting personnel.
4. Establish procedures, training, and safeguards to ensure data accuracy, confidentiality, and appropriate use of constituent information.

Cross-Functional Coordination

1. Provide direction, priorities, deadlines, and quality standards for staff supporting communications, advancement, alumni relations, and related events.
2. Coordinate effectively with College personnel to support advancement, communications, and engagement objectives.
3. Engage outside vendors, consultants, printers, designers, photographers, or other specialists within approved budgets and contracting procedures.
4. Provide guidance to employees, contractors, and vendors regarding the faithful representation of the College’s Catholic mission and identity in communications, advancement materials, and public-facing initiatives.

Qualifications

• Practicing Catholic in good standing whose manner of life is consistent with the teachings of the Catholic Church and who can faithfully support, articulate, and advance the Catholic mission of Aquinas College.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced education or relevant professional development desirable.
• Demonstrated experience in advancement, fundraising, communications, alumni relations, nonprofit leadership, or a related field.
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences, including benefactors, alumni, Board members, faculty, staff, and community partners.
• Demonstrated ability to articulate Catholic educational principles and institutional mission to diverse audiences.
• Strong leadership, strategic-thinking, organizational, and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and bring initiatives to completion.
• Proficiency with advancement databases, spreadsheets, reporting tools, data analysis, and related office technologies.
• Ability to analyze advancement and engagement data and present clear recommendations to leadership.
• Availability for occasional evening, weekend, and off-site responsibilities.