Advancement Project Specialist

Company: Wabash College

Job Location:

Category: Development and Fundraising

Type: Full-Time

Wabash College, a liberal arts college for men, seeks faculty and staff who are committed to providing quality engagement with students, high levels of academic challenge and support, and meaningful experiences that prepare students for life and leadership among diverse populations around the globe.

The Advancement Project Specialist is an integral member of the Wabash College Advancement Office team and manages strategic projects for constituent engagement and major donor fundraising initiatives. The Project Specialist provides support for specified projects, strategic prospect management activities, and related traditional administrative functions that aim to achieve annual Advancement Office goals. The position requires a high-energy individual who can work independently as well as with a larger College Advancement team and with staff from across campus.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Special Projects and Strategic Prospect Management

• Budget Management. Lead comprehensive budget analysis, forecasting, variance reporting, and strategic financial planning across multiple Advancement Office areas.
• Internal Advancement Event and Meeting Management. Plan and execute complex internal Advancement Office events including staff retreats, Advancement and campaign planning meetings, new employee training and onboarding programs, and other planning sessions. Develop and implement comprehensive calendar management strategies, prioritizing appointments and coordinating complex scheduling across multiple stakeholders.
• Athletics Department Alumni Engagement. Partner with the Director of Athletics and the Director of Alumni and Affinity Group Engagement to plan and implement specialized alumni engagement events for various athletic teams (e.g., football, soccer, cross-country, basketball, baseball, etc.). Develop programs, schedules, and initiatives for these events that strive to better engage athletic team alumni with the College. Develop metrics to measure impact and annually assess movement of athletics alumni across engagement segments.
• Prospect Management and Major Gifts Pipeline Development. Create and implement strategic plans for the management of prospective major gifts donors through a broad range of proactive prospect identification and quantitative and qualitative analysis efforts. Work closely with the major gifts fundraising team to ensure prospect portfolios contain viable prospects for major gift support. Partner with the fundraising team in the creation of prospect and portfolio management strategies, and provide operational support as necessary.
• Data Screenings and Analysis. Collect and analyze data from wealth screenings and other resources to enhance the fundraising team's knowledge of constituents' philanthropic inclination and capacity. Lead analysis projects and expand use of external resources and tools such as predictive modeling and artificial intelligence as appropriate.
• Marketing and Communications Development. Design and develop sophisticated engagement and fundraising materials for special projects including digital content, print materials, and donor communications.
• Cross-Department Initiatives. Remain available to serve as project lead for College-wide initiatives that intersect with Advancement Office operations.

Related Administrative Support:

• Lead the management of Board of Trustee records and Advancement Committee meeting preparations. This includes providing quantitative analysis and synthesis of data and information to support executive decision-making processes.
• Partner with Stewardship and Events, Gift Processing, and others to implement strategic plans for 1832 Society and Kane Society stewardship programs, including donor communications
• Partner with Advancement leadership to create effective student employee work and oversight of student work in the Advancement Office.
• Develop, implement, and regularly monitor systems for managing sensitive donor records and planned and deferred gift documentation.
• Monitor the College's annual Charitable Registration process, benchmarking against compliance requirements across multiple jurisdictions and producing status reports on an annual basis.
• Other appropriate duties as assigned.

Requirements and Qualifications:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree preferred or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum 1-3 years of progressive experience in higher education or nonprofit environment preferred
• Demonstrated experience in project management and independent initiative

Essential Skills and Competencies

• Advanced proficiency in office software, database management, and emerging technologies
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to represent the institution professionally
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with capacity for independent decision-making
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with discretion
• Project management skills with proven ability to work autonomously on complex assignments
• Financial management and budget oversight capabilities

Benefits That Support You and Your Family

At Wabash, we believe supporting our employees means investing in their health, families, financial future, and professional growth. We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits program designed to support the overall well-being of our full-time employees. Benefits include:

• Medical Plan Options – Choose the coverage that works best for you:
  • A PPO plan with in-network and out-of-network flexibility
  • A High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with up to $1,400 in annual employer contributions to your Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Voluntary Dental and Vision Coverage
• Primary Care & Walk-In Clinic – Dedicated access for employees and eligible family members through our partnership with Franciscan Health
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) – Including Health Care, Limited Purpose, and Dependent Care options
• Employer-Paid Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance options
• Employer-Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Coverage
• Generous Parental Leave
• 403(b) Retirement Plan – 7% employer contribution plus up to an additional 3% employer match
• Tuition Remission and Tuition Exchange Programs
• Local and Community Discounts

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