Alumni and Supporter Engagement Officer

The Role and the Department 

The Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO) is responsible for coordinating philanthropy, alumni and supporter engagement, advancement services, and supporter communications on behalf of the University. DARO works with colleges, academic departments, research centres and institutes, wider student experience partners, and professional services departments (PSS) to engage over 230,000 alumni and supporters around the world. DARO is part of the Advancement division and along with both Marketing and Communications it collectively contributes to the enhancement of Durham University’s reputation as a globally outstanding, inclusive, and forward-looking institution.

In support of this global operation, the Alumni and Supporter Engagement (ASE) team are ultimately responsible for building and maintaining lifelong community connections, driving continuously higher levels of engagement, including providing opportunities and support for our alumni; managing volunteers and their contributions pan university; managing individual giving and fundraising appeals; and developing and delivering advancement communications initiatives. The ASE team consists of a dedicated team of Advancement professionals underpinning and complementing the vital work of DARO.

Individual Giving is part of ASE and focuses on the delivery of mass fundraising appeals to maximise participation from the alumni community. In doing so, we can raise funds to support projects across the University including student support initiatives, wider student experience programmes and research projects. The team has ambitious plans to grow income through a programme of telephone fund raising campaigns, digital and direct mail appeals and stewardship activities.

Key responsibilities of the Alumni and Supporter Engagement Officer (Individual Giving and Stewardship) include:

• Working with the Alumni and Supporter Engagement Manager (Individual Giving and Stewardship) to deliver mass fundraising and stewardship communications and events using a range of channels including mail, email, web and telephone.

• Leading the delivery of telephone fundraising appeals.

• Working closely with colleagues to ensure fundraising and stewardship activities support donor retention and acquisition aims.

• Gathering case studies, quotes and statistics for the purpose of developing impactful donor engagement materials.

This role will suit a candidate who is:

• Enthusiastic about fundraising and passionate about delivering an excellent donor experience.
• A strong communicator who can inspire others to support Durham.
• A skilled project manager with a creative approach to problem solving.

This is a hybrid role, with a minimum 2 days a week spent in our office in Durham and the remainder from home. Option to work in the office full time if preferred.

Advert information