Assistant Director, Direct Marketing Solicitations (HR Title: Digital Marketing Specialist II) chez Southern Methodist University

Salary Range: 

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Department:

Development and External Affairs (DEA) supports SMU by securing funding for University priorities; by promoting meaningful involvement in the life and work of the University; by heightening international, national, state and local awareness of SMU; and by supporting the enrollment of a diverse and able student body.

DEA comprises the offices of Office of the Vice President, Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, Development Services, Program Services and Donor Relations, Marketing and Communications, Principal and Major Gifts, and School and Project Development.

SMU continues to leverage the benefits from the largest fund-raising campaign in its history to achieve dramatic increases in academic quality and impact.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

The Assistant Director for Direct Marketing Solicitations oversees and executes all activity for SMU's school and unit-focused direct mail, email, social/digital, paid-event and stewardship strategies to ensure alignment with DEA's goals of increasing annual revenue & participation among SMU's more than 150K alumni, parents & friends. 

Partnering with the Director, AD will write/revise solicitation and engagement copy, work with vendors to produce assets or mailings and use technology to execute strategy (i.e., Salesforce marketing cloud, Cvent, social media, etc.). 

The role collaborates with SMU colleagues and external vendors to build and optimize successful annual fundraising plans that improve donor retention and upgrades to annual fund designations. Produce regular reports for leadership and stakeholders and suggest/support optimizations for prospect segmentation & YOY process improvements.

Essential Functions:

• Multi-channel solicitation management: Collaborate with the Director to manage and execute detailed, highly-segmented multi-channel mail and email mass solicitation campaigns. Coordinate copy, data and assets for mail, email, social media, event registration and text channels. Manage layout, proofing and approval processes with AGAR, school/unit, and DEA marketing and communications teams. Execute and send solicitations via Salesforce Marketing cloud according to the marketing calendar. Work with vendors for mail process. Use event registration system to build and launch appropriate event registrations that include charitable giving opportunities as part of the registration process. Create requested online giving forms & source codes. Coordinate landing pages/web asset, as needed.
   

• Liaison to schools and units: Act as the primary point of contact for school and unit colleagues in need of services. Build annual timelines to ensure alignment with AGAR & DEA engagement and fundraising priorities. Manage day-to-day aspects of relationships with school/unit colleagues. Gather and prepare information from school/unit sources to enhance solicitation copy & support alignment with their areas' specific goals, calendars and priorities each year. Inform colleagues of university-wide priorities and solicitations in an effort to coordinate messages and audiences to reduce overlap. Work with Director to set mass marketing annual fundraising goals and metrics for each school/unit. 
   

• Content Writing and Coordination: Write or produce concise, coordinated content for select school-based mail, email, text and event registration efforts. Suggest content that integrates messages for social/digital channels, posting if needed. Collaborate with MarCom, schools/units, AGAR and outside vendors to ensure outbound content meets University style and standards. Provide design/content recommendations and feedback on theme, layouts and imagery.
   

• Data Management and Reporting: Work with the alumni data manager to develop accurately segmented prospect lists for mail solicitations, stewardship & event invites. Conduct extensive audits to ensure valid & accurate data upload. Conduct ongoing data quality checks and verify gifts and pledges from all channel efforts are properly coded and attributed to efforts. Run and archive regular activity reports to monitor results of all solicitation campaigns & present findings to stakeholders. Using data extensions in Salesforce Marketing Cloud, regularly audit journey performance and responses to optimize processes moving forward. Audit findings against YOY comparisons, using data analysis tools and reports to gain clear insight on donor behavior. 
   

• Strategic Development and Optimization: Support the strategic development and execution of SFMC solicitation journeys. Use school/unit-specific activity to design and implement multi-channel engagement tactics that seamlessly integrate with current department's priorities. If needed, build and support crowdfunding initiatives using additional platform to aid specific fundraising plans/goals. Create and manage individual giving micro-sites, as needed, for specific school/unit designations. Produce regular progress reports for distribution to school and unit colleagues and DEA leadership, providing YOY analysis and suggesting options for further optimization that improves solicitation results and increases annual giving. Attend strategy sessions and data analytics meetings, benchmarking with colleagues for best practices and opportunities to optimize activity.  
   

• Other duties as assigned, including supporting department colleagues with general solicitations, SMU Giving Day, stewardship and alumni engagement activity.
   

• Occasional evening and/or weekend work for signature alumni event weekends and SMU Giving Day is required. 

Education and Experience:

Bachelor’s degree is required. A degree in Marketing, Communications, or Business is preferred. 

A minimum of two years of work experience is required. Experience in direct marketing, annual giving, or sales is also required.

Experience executing mass emails using large email automation platforms is required. Experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising is highly preferred. Experience executing print mail, point-of-sale and/or direct marketing campaigns desired.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to foster productive internal and external relationships. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills, with an eye toward solicitation-focused copy for print, email and digital channels.

Candidate must have strong proofreading and editing skills. Must have a strong focus on attention to detail and accuracy. Strong data auditing and analysis skills are essential.

Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational, planning, and time management skills. Strong project management skills are essential. 

Candidate must have a strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel and Outlook. Must also have a working knowledge of Adobe suite.

Experience with CRM systems and data management is required, Blackbaud or Salesforce CRM is highly preferred. Salesforce Marketing Cloud, desired.

Experience with project management software is a plus. Cvent or event registration software experience, desired.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

• Sit for long periods of time
• Bend
• Handle objects (dexterity)
• Push/Pull
• Work in confined quarters

Deadline to Apply:

Open until filled

Priority consideration may be give to submissions received by October 30, 2025

EEO Statement

SMU is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

Benefits:

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.

The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.