Director, Donor Experience

Post Date
1/19/2026

Expiration Date
1/29/2026

Details:
Salary:$120,000 - $140,000

Brief Description of Duties:
The Director, Donor Experience elevates the Donor Experience team’s mission by leading the strategy, planning, and execution of a comprehensive donor stewardship and recognition program. The Director will be a creative and visionary leader who serves as the university’s subject matter expert for this area, responsible for designing and managing a unified campus-wide vision for donor experience, overseeing stewardship communications and reporting, and ensuring meaningful engagement and recognition of donors at all levels. They will partner closely with Advancement leadership, development officers, Advancement Constituent Experience and Marketing and Communications colleagues, and campus partners to support Stony Brook University Advancement’s goals.


Strategy Development & Project Management:
Partner with Advancement leadership and cross-campus stakeholders to define and lead strategic initiatives that elevate the donor experience. Design and implement a university-wide framework for donor recognition and stewardship, ensuring best-in-class standards for personalized donor engagement, communications, and impact reporting. Projects will include, but are not limited to: developing endowment, beneficiary and impact reports; designing customized, innovative donor stewardship strategies; overseeing digital and physical recognition programs; executing campaign-related stewardship efforts; partnering with Annual Giving on stewardship and reporting to increase donor retention; collaborating with Advancement Events on donor event strategies; and optimizing donor data and analytics systems.

Relationship Management:
Develop and strengthen strategic partnerships with internal and external stakeholders, Advancement leadership, campus partners, and key donors by fostering trust, collaboration, and transparent communication.

Leadership:
Manage and supervise a high-performing Donor Experience team, setting clear priorities and supporting professional growth. Set clear priorities, foster professional growth, and cultivate a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation. Implement team-wide strategies, define best practices, and adopt emerging technologies to advance donor engagement outcomes. Ensure all donor experience initiatives are aligned with institutional advancement goals and are responsive to the evolving expectations of donors.

Growth/Development:
Participate in leadership development programs offered by organizations or educational institutions to enhance strategic thinking and leadership skills.

Other duties as assigned.


Qualifications:
Required Qualifications (as evidenced by an attached resume):
Bachelor's degree (foreign equivalent or higher). Five (5) years of full-time experience in donor experience, donor relations, stewardship, fundraising, alumni engagement, and/or related work. Experience in higher education, a non-profit and/or large hospital system.

Preferred Qualifications:
At least one (1) year of team management experience. Experience developing and managing donor recognition and stewardship strategies. Experience with creating donor-focused content such as acknowledgments, impact reports, and/or campaign materials. Experience using fundraising databases or CRM systems.

Employer:
Stony Brook University

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