Position Summary / Purpose
The Senior Development Assistant provides high-level administrative, operational, and development support to the Senior Executive Director for Transformational & Principal Gifts, to the Director of Gift Planning, and to the Senior Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations. This role helps to facilitate and coordinate principal giving, planned giving, and corporate/foundation gift initiatives by managing workflows, tracking donor engagement, assisting with gift documentation, producing constituent communications, and ensuring smooth coordination among stakeholders. The Senior Development Assistant is a key facilitator in helping the team deliver personalized, timely, and effective stewardship and solicitation efforts.

Major Duties & Responsibilities
Administrative & Operational Support

• Provide calendar coordination, travel booking, meeting preparation, and logistical support for the Senior Executive Director, Director of Gift Planning, and Senior Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations.
• Serve as a point of contact for internal and external stakeholders, screening calls, reading correspondence, drafting responses, and handling sensitive communications.
• Maintain and organize electronic and paper files (including gift agreements, stewardship records, correspondence, reports) to ensure accuracy, confidentiality, and accessibility.
• Assist with budget tracking, expense reporting, procurement, and reimbursements for the team.
• Coordinate meeting logistics (in person and virtual) such as booking rooms, setting up technology, preparing agendas, and distributing materials.

Gift & Donor Support

• Assist with gift planning support: coordinate with legal, finance, and external advisors to gather necessary information for estate/planned gifts, track timelines, maintain pipeline documentation, and prepare donor-facing materials.
• Maintain and update donor records and gift tracking systems (e.g. Raiser's Edge, or the university's chosen CRM) for principal, planned, and corporate/foundation gifts; generate routine and ad hoc reports.
• Help compile briefing materials, background profiles, and donor dossiers to assist gift officers in cultivation and solicitation.

Coordination & Collaboration

• Help coordinate events, meetings, site visits, and donor engagement activities related to major, planned, and corporate/foundation gift initiatives.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues on cross-team projects (e.g. annual reporting, campaign planning, donor communications).

Additional Responsibilities

• Stay informed about best practices and regulations in gift planning, corporate/foundation giving, tax law developments, and philanthropy trends.
• Perform other duties as assigned to further the success of the Development team and University advancement goals.

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) preferred.
• Minimum of 2-4 years of professional administrative or development support experience, preferably in higher education, nonprofit, or advancement settings.
• Experience working with gift tracking or donor database systems (e.g. Raiser's Edge, Blackbaud, Advance, etc.).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; ability to prepare polished correspondence, reports, and donor materials.
• High level of discretion, judgment, and professionalism; ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and familiarity with virtual meeting platforms.

Expected Hiring Range: $54,800 to $60,250

Pay Transparency Disclosure:
The compensation for this position will be determined based on factors that include available budget, internal equity, and the selected candidate's qualifications, experience, education, and other job-related credentials. This range represents Clark University's good-faith estimate of the expected hiring range at the time of posting consistent with Clark's compensation philosophy and internal alignment.

At Clark University we believe that diversity of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds leads to a more innovative and productive work environment. We welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to join our team and contribute their unique ideas to help us achieve our goals.

Clark University offers a generous benefit package for full and, if applicable, part-time employees that include; paid time off, generous retirement plan, group health and dental insurance, life insurance, and tuition, along with use of many campus amenities. For a complete list of benefits for eligible employees visit here.

To review the Clark University Police Department Annual Security and Fire Safety Report visit here.

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About Clark University

Founded in 1887, Clark University is a liberal arts-based research university committed toscholarship and inquiry that addresses social and human imperatives on a global basis. It is the place where Robert Goddard invented the modern rocket, where Sigmund Freud delivered his only lectures in the United States, and where current students stake their claim to the Clark motto, “Challenge Convention, Change Our World,” which is the rallying cry that inspires our community every day. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, Clark University educates its undergraduate and graduate students to be imaginative and contributing citizens of the world, and to advance the frontiers of knowledge and understanding through rigorous scholarship and creative effort. The University’s engages students in such areas as biology, chemistry, economics, geography, psychology, urban education, management, environmental science and policy, Holocaust and genocide studies, and international development and social change. Clark University’s pioneering model of higher education, LEEP (Liberation Education and Effective Practice) compels undergraduate students to thrive in authentic world and workplace settings, and prepares them for lives and careers of consequence.

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