Job Title: University Development Communications Assistant
Classification: C4
Department: University Development
Updated: November 2021

Job Summary

This role is a vital part of the Development Communications team, creating engaging communications to enhance the donor experience and attract new donors to Grand Valley State University. This position plays an important role in facilitating the project process for the team as a whole, and leading project management for specific projects as assigned. These projects include print and digital communications, delivered via direct mail, email, online, social media, and live event channels. The position also includes responsibility for administrative support for the team and interaction with student team members.

Essential Functions

• Acts with a high degree of independence while leading and facilitating communications projects including print, email, web, and video projects that attract and retain donors to GVSU.
• Facilitates and organizes content for print and digital communications that illustrate donor impact.
• Assists with managing multiple projects at different stages of development in alignment with the specifications and deadlines of internal and external customers and maintains good internal customer relationships.
• Initiates, communicates, and maintains relationships with vendors overseeing quality and adherence to timing and budgets.
• Creates purchase orders in Internet Native Banner for communication projects as needed.
• Compiles and logically formats statistical data and reports. Maintains, processes and manipulates data on a personal computer using word processing, database, and spreadsheet applications.
• Documents and maintains department processes, including, but not limited to, daily tasks, data collection, reporting, and policies and procedures.
• Receives information and requests from diverse publics, both internal and external to the University, and determines the appropriate way to handle.
• Processes and maintains all information in a confidential and professional manner.
• Creates, maintains, and updates files and record keeping systems; paper and/or computerized.
• Mentors, trains, and helps oversee student employees.
• Provides administrative support for the Communications team. This may include such tasks as meeting set up and preparation, video shoot scheduling, travel arrangements, and other clerical tasks for the team as assigned.
• Shares in clerical/administrative support for the development department as required.
• Other duties as assigned.

Non-Essential Functions:

Not Applicable.

Required Qualifications

• High school graduate or equivalent.
• Minimum of four years of relevant work experience.
• Demonstrated administrative and organizational skills.
• Experience with various computer software applications such as Microsoft Office and/or equivalent.
• Data entry experience.
• Typing and spelling competency with grammar and proofreading skills. 
• Possess strong verbal and written communication skills. 
• Demonstrated experience to successfully provide quality customer service.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully work independently, organize own work and coordinate work activities of others.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully coordinate large projects. 
• Demonstrated experience to successfully handle multiple demands effectively.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully organize and prioritize workload.
• Demonstrated experience to successfully navigate challenging situations in the workplace, while using good judgment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in communications or related field.
• Experience in a fast-paced marketing communications environment.
• Communications project management experience.
• Content creation including demonstrated communications writing expertise.
• Experience in development for a non-profit organization.
• Demonstrated technical comfort and experience to successfully use the Microsoft and Adobe suite products, donor/customer databases, web content management systems, and email distribution systems.

Supervision Received

Receives minimal supervision from a designated supervisor. Much of the work is self-initiated. Person is expected to function with considerable independence and apply appropriate policies and procedures within the assigned area of responsibility.

Supervision Exercised

Hire, train, schedule and coordinate the work of student employees and may act as lead worker to PSS staff members within the department/unit/division.

Physical Demands

• To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. Must have the physical stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• The information contained in this job description is for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (A.D.A) and is not an exhaustive list of the duties performed for this position. Additional duties are performed by the individuals currently holding this position and additional duties may be assigned.

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