Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425?acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

The Swarthmore Office of Advancement manages the College's relationship with its alumni, families, and friends to further Swarthmore's commitment to intellectual rigor and creativity, nurturing of student confidence and curiosity, production of new knowledge, and inclusive excellence, among other goals. Advancement works closely with the President, faculty, and senior colleagues to foster positive and productive relationships that not only accelerate the objectives of the College but also represent meaningful and beneficial engagement for the Swarthmore community.

The Office of Advancement manages and maintains alumni, family, and friend records; engages constituents in the life of the College in a variety of ways, contexts, and over time; provides and supports meaningful volunteering opportunities; and partners with the President and Board of Managers to share information about the College and raise critical philanthropic support for the College's priorities and new initiatives. Advancement ensures that alumni and donors are appropriately recognized and informed about the impact of their service and contributions, and manages all gift acceptance and stewardship.

The opportunity:

The Marketing Assistant provides essential administrative and logistical support across the Advancement Marketing team. This role supports the coordination and production of fundraising materials, stewardship communications, digital campaigns, and operational tasks to help ensure the smooth execution of marketing initiatives. In addition, they support the Student Philanthropy Ambassador program. Through this work, the assistant contributes to the College’s efforts to foster meaningful relationships with alumni and donors in support of its mission. 

Essential Responsibilities

Communication and Campaign Support

• Assist with the coordination and execution of print, digital, and texting campaigns, ensuring timely updates, consistency, and brand alignment.
• Prepare and distribute select donor stewardship communications.
• Coordinate collateral and design requests with internal partners and College Communications.
• Track campaign timelines, status, and deliverables.
• Organize images, assets, and source content for use across platforms.
• Assist with website content updates and event postings.

Student Program Oversight

• Support the Student Philanthropy Ambassadors program in collaboration with the Senior Associate Director of Class Year and Reunion Giving.
• Assist with recruiting, interviewing, hiring, onboarding, and supporting oversight of up to 10 student philanthropy ambassadors.

Administrative and Operational Support

• Respond to constituent inquiries received via the general marketing email inbox, providing high-quality service and resolving issues independently when possible.
• Schedule meetings, prepare agendas, take meeting notes, and manage follow-up actions.
• Monitor and reconcile purchasing card activity, oversee vendor contracts, and invoicing.
• Manages the organization and inventory of marketing materials, supplies, and promotional items.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Co-supervises up to 10 student workers

Who you are:

You are an organized, detail-oriented, and collaborative team player. You are a strong communicator who believes in the value of higher education, has a curiosity to learn, and is adaptable.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• A minimum of one (1) year of relevant work experience in marketing, communications, project coordination, non-profit, or higher education advancement.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple projects, timelines, and priorities effectively.
• Strong communication skills with special emphasis on ability to connect and engage with a broad constituency in both written and oral communications.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team setting.
• Skill in dealing with people, using tact and diplomacy, and the ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality. Strong customer service skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, and comfort learning new technology and platforms.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience working in a higher education or nonprofit setting.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with an uploaded resume by June 27, 2025. Applications received after this date may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled.

The market range for this position is $25.00 to $31.00 per hour, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.

PA Criminal Clearance Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

Preview our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

2025 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

About Swarthmore College

Since its founding in 1864, Swarthmore College has given students the knowledge, insight, skills, and experience to become leaders for the common good. Offering a liberal arts and engineering curriculum, the College is private, yet open to all regardless of financial need. It is also decidedly global in outlook, drawing students from around the world and all 50 states. The diversity of perspectives represented by Swarthmore students, faculty, and staff - including different viewpoints, identities, and histories - contributes to the community's strong sense of open dialogue and engagement with ideas and issues.

Connections working at Swarthmore College