Donor Relations Manager

Job no: 0052752
Location: Parkville
Role type: Full-time, Continuing
Department: Advancement
Salary: UOM 8 – $115,137 – $124,622 p.a. plus 17% super

• Develop and deliver tailored stewardship and engagement activities for a portfolio of major and principal gift donors.
• Join a growing team that fosters collaboration and a culture of inclusion
• Brilliant benefits and a flexible hybrid work environment! 

About the Role
The Donor Relations Manager will play a pivotal role in implementing the institution’s Donor Relations strategy. Focused on major and principal gift stewardship for donors supporting scholarships, Indigenous projects, Museums and Collections and other initiatives, this position will collaborate extensively across departments to develop and deliver tailored engagement activities, fostering donor loyalty and retention. With a strong emphasis on strategic planning and communication, the Manager will contribute to shaping the university’s messaging and donor engagement initiatives, ensuring a consistent and impactful experience for all philanthropic supporters.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Management and delivery of bespoke donor relations to a portfolio of donors, providing relevant, meaningful, and engaging donor experiences, including gift acknowledgment, communications, engagement, impact reporting and evaluation.
• Working with Principal Gifts fundraisers to develop and implement meaningful donor experiences for the University’s most significant donors.
• Design and deliver a range of donor experiences and communications to deepen their connection to the University and connect them with the impact of their giving.

Who we are looking for
The ideal candidate will have exceptional written communication and interpersonal skills, necessary for engaging with various stakeholders such as donors, volunteers, and friends of the university. This role demands meticulous attention to detail and high accuracy standards, alongside strategic thinking, and adept stakeholder management abilities to navigate complex stakeholder groups effectively.

You will also have:

• Experience in the delivery of donor, membership, loyalty or stakeholder relations programs
• Demonstrated ability to formulate, develop and implement ideas to achieve outcomes that nurture and deepen relationships with donors / members / stakeholders / clients.
• A strong understanding of and demonstrated track record of working with complex CRMs

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements please refer to the attached PD.

To ensure the University continues to provide a safe environment for everyone, this position requires the incumbent to hold a current and valid Working with Children Check.

This role requires current valid work rights for Australia.

Your new team – Advancement
The Advancement Office at the University of Melbourne facilitates relationships between the institution and its alumni, friends, and benefactors. It manages programs related to alumni and fundraising, collaborating with faculties and other administrative areas. The office led the Believe Campaign, which concluded in 2021 after 14 years. The campaign engaged over 100,000 alumni and raised $1.17 billion, making it one of Australia’s largest philanthropic endeavors. These funds will support 34 professorial chairs, with 25 of them being long-term investments. Following the Believe Campaign’s success, the university is now launching an eight-year program to further invest in Advancement efforts.

What we offer you!
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services, and discounts on graduate courses. For more information check out our benefits page!

The University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn .   

Be yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences, and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity.  First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities, and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality, and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact Kim Groizard at [email protected] , with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled “Reasonable Adjustments Request”.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture, and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.

For further information, including our 2023-2027 Indigenous strategy please visit -https://about.unimelb.edu.au/reconciliation/murmuk-djerring

Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents: 

• Resume
• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience

If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Susan Bradley via email at [email protected] , ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.

Position Description