Job Description

About University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation

Established in 2003, the   University of Massachusetts Amherst Foundation (UMAF), a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, exists to raise philanthropic funds in support of the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s mission and highest aspirations. Located on the Amherst campus and wholly dedicated to supporting the University’s mission, UMAF is a separately governed nonprofit organization with its own health, wellness, and retirement benefits. UMAF serves the University of Massachusetts Amherst community by serving as a best practices resource for fundraising strategy and implementation. 

About the role

Reporting to the Senior Director, Content Development, the Senior Content Writer creates and contributes to the development of alumni and donor communications across a variety of channels in alignment with the UMAF’s strategic fundraising and engagement priorities. In collaboration with members of the Marketing Communications team (MarCom), the Senior Content Writer produces original content, including both digital and printed collateral for the university’s capital campaign, donor profiles, impact stories and reports, fundraising priority sell sheets, donor proposals, and website content. The writer also edits existing content for both development and alumni channels in collaboration with UMAF colleagues in annual giving, donor relations, and major gifts. The Senior Content Writer will play an important role in helping the Senior Director develop and maintain a library of messaging and talking points that can be adapted by fundraisers for donor conversations, presentations, and solicitations.

Location : This is a full-time hybrid position and is open to employees in select US states: Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire.

What you'll do

• Collaborate with the Senior Director, Content Development and other members of the Marketing and Communications team to implement communications strategies that raise awareness of campaign priorities, alumni engagement and volunteer opportunities, and overarching fundraising goals.
• Write and/or edit compelling digital and print communications that encourage alumni involvement and increased philanthropy by showcasing UMass Amherst’s academic and research strengths and its dynamic student experience.
• Develop ideas for impact stories and donor profiles to be featured in the UMAF Newsletter and campaign website; interview subjects and write copy; and collaborate with others in MarCom to share these stories across channels.
• Develop strong knowledge of the upcoming campaign’s three foundational commitments and the fundraising priorities of each school and college within this framework in order to create messaging, templates, and donor proposals for use by fundraisers.
• Research and develop suggested remarks for members of the administration and high-level volunteers, with a focus on fundraising and volunteer engagement.  
• Support the MarCom team in ensuring that communications at all levels follow the correct branding, editorial style, and grammar conventions for the university, the foundation, the campaign, and the schools and colleges.

Other Duties as Assigned (10%)

• UMAF is building and growing, and this position will support those efforts with other duties and projects as assigned from time to time.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in journalism, English, communications, or related field. 
• A minimum of five (5) years of writing experience in journalism, communications, marketing, or related field. Experience in higher education preferred.  
• Exceptional written and oral communications skills; demonstrated persuasive writing skills.
• Experience with writing for diverse audiences across multiple communications channels. 
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with stakeholders at varying levels of authority and communicate key messages in alignment with overarching communications strategy.   
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to set and meet deadlines while maintaining high standards of accuracy and quality.  
• Ability to problem solve and deal diplomatically with challenging issues and situations. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in writing proposals to donors or producing grant applications is desirable but not required.

Note: We’re passionate about building a diverse team. If your experience is close, but not an exact match, please consider applying. Experience comes in many forms, and skills are transferable. We know that diverse teams make better decisions and deliver better results, which is why we’re committed to adding new perspectives and encourage everyone to apply. 

BENEFITS

• 20 vacation days, 12 holidays, 12 sick days, 5 personal days, and 2 office closure days.
• 4-day summer work week.
• 401(k) plan. You contribute 5% and receive a 10% match.
• Health insurance packages for medical, dental, and vision.
• 16 weeks of paid parental leave to use within 1 year of childbirth. An additional 6 weeks available for the birthing parent. Part-time work for full-time pay for the first 4 weeks post parental leave.
• Learn more about our benefits .

Proposed Annual Salary Range:
$84,000 - $91,000

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION  

At the UMass Amherst Foundation, we understand the value that diversity, equity, and inclusion bring to our workplace, our constituents, and our community. View our DEI Statement here  

We welcome and value diversity in all its forms and recognize that a diverse and inclusive team strengthens our work and advances our mission. We recognize that the benefits of a diverse team are fully realized when people of all races, gender identities, ages, ethnicities, cultural heritages and nationalities; educational backgrounds; religious and political beliefs; sexual orientations; abilities; and socioeconomic and veteran status are valued, respected, and included at every level. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact careers@uma-foundation.org to request accommodation.

OUR VALUES (S.T.E.W.A.R.D.S)

UMAF is committed to building a team with these shared values:   

Service : We focus on the needs of others above ourselves and support our colleagues when they need help. 

Trust, Transparency, and Teamwork: We value honesty, trustworthiness, and open communication. Our colleagues can count on us for support. 

Excellence: We pursue excellence in all that we do – each time, and learn and grow as a team. 

Wellness : Our work culture provides flexibility and empowers individuals. 

Accountability : We accept full responsibility for our decisions, actions, and results. 

Respect: We respect each other and celebrate our different ideas, strengths, interests, and cultural backgrounds. 

Donor-Centric:  We find intersections between donor’s experiences and values, and our organization’s priorities and funding needs. 

Synergy:  We connect, communicate, and collaborate within teams, and across functions to enhance our effectiveness and impact. 

Questions regarding the position or anything else related to careers with UMAF may be directed to the People & Culture team at careers@uma-foundation.org  

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