Director, Philanthropic Communications

Summary

The Director of Philanthropic Communications is a writing/editing and leader position within the Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs (OAAA) that imagines, creates and produces a variety of written traditional fundraising communication materials to inspire donor support for Baylor College of Medicine. This includes writing cases for support, proposals, and grants and writing for areas that support institutional giving priorities within the OAAA, such as major gift prospects, corporate partnerships, alumni affairs and planned giving. In addition to writing, the Director role will have publication-ready editing and final proofreading responsibilities for select types of communications working with the Senior Director of Philanthropic Communications. The Director role will lead a team dedicated to traditional fundraising communication efforts and will work collaboratively with other team members dedicated to philanthropic marketing and communication efforts. This position reports to the Senior Director of Philanthropic Communications.

The Office of Advancement and Alumni Affairs recognizes the importance of work-life balance. This position has the opportunity to work from home partially as part of our hybrid remote/on-site work arrangement.

As part of the OAAA team, you will inspire donors and Baylor alumni to give through a variety of ways to advance the College's priorities across four mission areas: healthcare, education, research and community.

OAAA activities encompass fund development - at all levels up to major gifts - alumni relations, philanthropic communications, corporate relations and volunteer programs. You'll also play a mission-critical role in Baylor's quest to power the future of health, from helping secure funding for cutting-edge cancer research to obtaining scholarships for aspiring physicians, health professionals and scientists. Our success depends on attracting, promoting and retaining top-notch talent like you.

OAAA is committed to Baylor's values of respect, integrity, creativity, teamwork and excellence. We strive to maintain a welcoming and supportive environment where you can apply and grow your talents and skills in support of our vision of improving health through science, scholarship and innovation. To go far, we must go together. Consider joining Baylor College of Medicine and its 120-year legacy of caring for Houston, the state of Texas and the world.

Internal title is Manager, Communications; working title is Director, Philanthropic Communications.

Job Duties

• Provide thoughtful leadership, coaching, guidance and delegation to team members and ensures high quality and accurate deliverables. Provide direction and feedback on strategic, persuasive and tailored communications.
• Research, write and edit traditional fundraising communications materials like cases for support, gift proposals, grants and donor presentations and other select print and digital communication pieces, employing storytelling and development-standard practices.
• Lead process of submission of grant solicitations through online portals, as necessary, according to the funder’s specs, requirements and timeline.
• Assume a writing beat portfolio of College divisions and departments along with other team writers, developing subject-matter expertise in assigned beat areas.
• Serve as a publication-ready editor and proofreader for traditional donor communication working with the Senior Director, editing for fact, grammar, punctuation, AP Style, tightness and storytelling clarity, and provide editorial suggestions on copy produced by team.
• Make changes and edits accurately to existing pieces, often incorporating changes from multiple parties simultaneously.
• Internalize and evangelize across the OAAA team brand, style and messaging guidelines with the rest of the writing team.
• Schedule, manage and conduct interviews with internal and external constituents, as appropriate, to effectively tell the College’s story.
• Provide thought leadership for process improvement in OAAA writing and editing in partnership with the Senior Director.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• Four years of relevant experience.
  
  

Department Specific Criteria

• Four years of experience in non-profit development writing and editing
• Experience leading/managing at team
• Demonstrated ability in editing copy for AP Style, grammar, punctuation and storytelling techniques
• Demonstrated track record with respect to detail orientation and accuracy
• Experience in leading a team in philanthropic communications
• Meticulous, organized and detail-oriented approach to work
• Demonstrated success working as a member of a team and developing effective working relationships with staff
• Ability to prioritize, coordinate and manage own work and make recommendations to the senior director to solve problems independently, effectively and creatively
• Ability to work well under pressure
• Skilled in nonprofit and development writing and editing, with a knowledge of communication and marketing best practices
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a strong attention to detail
• Ability to write and edit compelling, clear, and accurate content for diverse audiences
• Strong interview skill and an ability to easily interact with diverse subjects
• Ability to adapt writing style (voice, length and tone, for example) to satisfy different objectives
• Skilled in and ability to research content and generate effective copy through interviews, internet resources
• Expert in AP style; strong adherence to grammar, spelling and punctuation rules
• Skilled in helping translate copy ideas into visuals working with the OAAA design team
• Must be a self-motivated, highly organized leader
  
  

Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.

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