Public Relations Director jobs in Montana

Administrator:   Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations

Preferred Experience:   5 years’ experience in higher education corporate and foundation fundraising, with a proven track record of success in grant receipt and grant management

Education Required:  Baccalaureate Degree in a related field

Overtime Status:  Exempt; not eligible for overtime

FTE and Benefits:  1.0 FTE; eligible for full employment benefits

Preferred Start Date:  June 1, 2024

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations (“Director”) for the Montana State University Alumni Foundation (“Alumni Foundation”) is responsible for managing a portfolio of corporate and foundation funders in support of Montana State University (“University”) and the Alumni Foundation, ensuring that the University’s relationship with this constituent group translates into maximum philanthropic support for the University. The primary activities for this position will be the identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of corporate and foundation prospects. The Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations reports to the Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations.

PRIMARY DUTIES:

• Directly engage corporate and foundation executives, administrators, program officers and other professionals.
• Directly engage with Montana State University faculty and staff to determine programs, projects, and research appropriate for funding, funder prospects, as well as proposal and report development.
• Write, edit, and/or coordinate competitive letters of intent, full proposals, and compelling stewardship reports.
• Research potential foundation and corporate funders whose giving interests align with the funding needs of the University, its students, and its faculty.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Cultivate, solicit, and provide stewardship for charitable gifts from corporate and foundation prospects in the range of $25,000 and higher to provide support for the priorities of the University, including student, faculty, capital, program, and unrestricted support.
2. Research potential corporate and foundation funders whose giving interests align with the funding needs of the University, its students, and its faculty.
3. Maintain current knowledge of corporate and foundation interests and actively seek to match them with University plans and priorities.
4. Engage in all aspects of proposal development, including research, writing, editing, budget development, and submission, in collaboration with the Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations and University faculty and staff. 
5. Steward gifts and grants from corporations and foundations, including coordinating, editing, and preparing corporate and foundation gift and grant reports; writing acknowledgement letters on behalf of Corporate and Foundation Relations and campus faculty and administrators; and so on.
6. Coordinate with relevant University departments and Alumni Foundation professionals and manage strategic approaches to specific corporate and foundation prospects, maintaining a record of all interactions, and monitoring and reporting on corporate and foundation activity.
7. Host campus visits by corporate and foundation representatives and participate in and/or arrange visits to foundations for Alumni Foundation and University leadership.
8. Track corporate and foundation relations activities, including research requests, pending proposals, grant reports, proposal and report deadlines, and maintain a record of all interactions, in accordance with established policies.
9. Affect and maintain a professional, proactive, positive, highly collaborative, and performance-centric work environment.
10. Other duties, as assigned by the Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations.

Duties and responsibilities are subject to change.

SPECIAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Demonstrated exceptional written and oral communication skills. Demonstrated ability in proposal and report writing.
2. Outstanding organization skills with the ability to prioritize multiple tasks while achieving a high level of accuracy and meeting strict deadlines.
3. Proven ability to communicate effectively and persuasively through verbal and written means with a diverse corporate and foundation contact base, University leadership partners, Alumni Foundation leadership and peers, and so on.
4. Proven success and comfort in a deadline-driven environment.
5. Excellent interpersonal skills.
6. Ability to strategize and organize complex projects and plans to deliver results.
7. Results-oriented, quality-driven and team-oriented.
8. Excellent personal computer skills and proficiency with technology, including experience using online databases and other sources to locate financial and philanthropic information.
9. Driven and hard-working; proven success and comfort in a deadline-driven environment.
10. Solid understanding of development techniques and systems based on past experience and performance.
11. Passion and enthusiasm for Montana State University and the mission of the Alumni Foundation, as well as familiarity working with a higher education institution.
12. Ability to travel when needed.
13. Valid Montana driver’s license or the ability to obtain a Montana driver’s license within 90 days of employment.

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, a resume, and three professional references online. Recruitment will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The MSU Alumni Foundation is an equal employment opportunity employer who believes that diversity, equity and inclusion allow us to better serve our students and communities and are critical to supporting the mission of Montana State University as a land grant institution.