Stewardship Officer

**Job Purpose**
Contribute to the provision of an excellent donor experience by implementing and developing a structured programme of stewardship and recognition for all donors to the University, supporting the long-term maintenance of strong relationships with a particular emphasis on scholarships and student support.

**Main Duties**
1. Oversee the administration of donor funded scholarships ensuring the monies are correctly managed, scholarships are awarded and reports forwarded to donors. This will include management of the distribution of the Scholarship Fund and briefing and servicing the Scholarships Award Committees
2. Support the negotiation of gift agreements between academic colleagues and donors, using knowledge of scholarships gift management to balance donors’ wishes and the capacity of the University to deliver them. Attend meetings with prospective donors to provide such advice.
3. Provide advice to fundraising colleagues, to Colleges and Schools and to other university colleagues on the establishment and administration of scholarships. This will include the drafting of terms to comply with equal opportunity and data protection regulations and managing expectations on what can be delivered for the level and nature of gift.
4. Use the University’s alumni and donor database (Raiser’s Edge) and a specially designed scholarship database to track and record relationships with scholarship donors, ensuring a complete record of the relationship is maintained. Interrogate the database to provide reports on numbers and characteristics of the community of scholarship donors.
5. Working within a stewardship framework, develop stewardship communications for all donors with a particular emphasis on scholarship donors. This will involve content creation for use in print and digital channels to effectively communicate the impact of giving. This will include the capturing an editing of simple videos.
6. Working with relevant fundraising and relationship development staff, create and develop customised, long-term stewardship plans for major scholarship donors. This will include coordinating the involvement of academic and other senior University staff in demonstrating impact and ensuring that donors are treated consistently and appropriately.
7. Liaise with the External Relations Business Support team to ensure the University’s Scholarship Database is accurate and up to date with conditions and terms of award so that scholarship opportunities provided by donors are promoted to student beneficiaries.
8. Build relationships with teams across the University who award scholarships, building knowledge of priority needs and opportunities and how scholarships can address them. Use this information to provide advice to major gift and regular giving fundraisers to inform solicitations and telephone, direct mail and other appeals.
9. Work with gift management staff to ensure scholarship gifts are correctly allocated to the appropriate fund.
10. Use the University’s alumni and donor database (Raiser’s Edge) to maintain records on scholarship donors and their gifts, ensuring a complete record of the relationship is maintained. Interrogate the database to provide reports on scholarship donors and stewardship activity.
11. Participate fully as a member of the Development & Alumni and External Relations teams, ensuring strong links and good working relationships.
12. Be prepared to undertake projects appropriate to the grade of the role but that might fall outside its direct remit of as the line manager, Director and/or Vice Principal External Relations may advise.

**Knowledge, Qualifications, Skills and Experience**

**Knowledge/ Qualifications**

**Essential**:

A1
**Either**: Broad vocational experience, acquired through a combination of job related vocational training and considerable on-the-job experience, demonstrating development through involvement in a series of progressively more demanding relevant work/roles.
**Or**: Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 8 (Scottish Vocational Qualification level 4, Higher National Diploma) or equivalent, and experience of personal development in a similar role.
A2 Understanding of the principles of student support and of the role of scholarships
A3 Understanding of the principles of fundraising at all levels from regular giving to major gifts including regulatory (e.g Data Protection) and legal requirements.
A4 Understanding of and belief in the importance of universities and why they merit philanthropic support.

**Desirable**:

B1 Knowledge of the tax and regulatory environment for fundraising and charitable giving

**Skills**

**Essential**:

C1 Strong administrative skills with ability to interpret and synthesise information and design and operate efficient processes and procedures
C2 Excellent accuracy and attention to detail with good editing skills.
C3 Proven ability to work pro-actively, manage a varied workload using initiative to prioritise tas