As our Development Program Manager, you'll be the driving force behind donor engagement strategies that support our College's mission and strategic goals. You'll cultivate meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, and potential donors while managing comprehensive stewardship efforts, volunteer programs, and signature events that strengthen our donor community.
Position Number: S80025
This position is a Grade: 9 - 40 with an approximate salary range of $55,200-$67,180 and is subject to change based on experience, skills and qualifications.
Key Accountabilities:
• Lead and coordinate fundraising initiatives, including annual giving, special campaigns, and donor solicitation efforts.
• Develop and execute personalized fundraising strategies for college prospects.
• Pipeline Management -Support college portfolio and pipeline support for the College Advancement team and front line gift officers, including periodic portfolio reviews, recording contacts, etc.
• Visit scheduling and preparation - Assist College Development team in scheduling prospect visits. Includes developing prospect lists using a variety of sources, including CRM, statistical analysis, AlumniFinder, Linkedin, regional and industry publications.
• Create and implement effective donor stewardship strategies to ensure donor recognition and retention.
• Coordinate the creation of customized stewardship reports, gift acknowledgment, and recognition opportunities for donors.
• Plan and execute donor recognition events, including donor receptions, VIP gatherings, and exclusive alumni activities.
• Work with the Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) marketing and communications team and the College’s Marcom teams to develop materials (newsletters, impact reports, websites, etc.) that showcase college alumni and philanthropic opportunities and impact.
• Organize and oversee development-related events for alumni, parents and friends of the College.
• Manage logistics, guest lists, and program content for development events, ensuring that each aligns with the college’s university’s overall development goals.
• Collaborate with other teams in DAR (e.g., alumni relations, marcom, events) to ensure seamless event execution and maximize donor engagement.
• Work closely with the advancement services team to track donor information, fundraising progress, and engagement metrics.
• Use the donor database to monitor the progress of giving campaigns and produce regular reports on fundraising results.
• Analyze donor trends and feedback to inform future fundraising strategies and identify areas for improvement.
Qualifications:
• Bachelor's Degree in Higher Education, Nonprofit Management, Business, or a related field preferred
• Three to five years of related work experience
• Experience with major gift fundraising, grants, or capital campaigns
• Familiarity with the specific fundraising landscape in higher education, including alumni relations and parent engagement
• Ability to thrive in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, managing multiple priorities simultaneously
• Strong understanding of fundraising principles, donor relations, and stewardship strategies
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft compelling messages and engage donors at all levels
• Event planning and project management experience, with a track record of successfully executing events
• Ability to work effectively with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, including faculty, staff, alumni, and community partners
• Proficiency with fundraising software (e.g., Blackbaud, Raiser’s Edge, or similar CRM tools) and MS Office Suite
Lehigh University is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate. We are committed to a culturally and intellectually diverse community and we seek qualified candidates to contribute to the university’s mission. Lehigh University offers a comprehensive and family friendly benefits package which includes but is not limited to Health Care, Retirement and Educational benefits. Information can be found on our website.
Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing an accommodation for any part of the interview or hiring process may contact Lehigh's Accommodations Specialist.
• The duties of this position may allow the employee to work partially remote as deemed appropriate by their supervisor.
Successful completion of standard background checks including but not limited to: social security verification, education verification, national criminal background checks, motor vehicle checks, PATCH, FBI fingerprinting, Child Abuse Clearance and credit history based upon the requirements of the position.
Only complete applications will be considered therefore please complete the application in its entirety. Once the posting is removed from the website applications may no longer be allowed to be completed.
