Advancement Specialist

POSITION SUMMARY: 

The American Council on Education (ACE) is the major coordinating body for the nation's colleges and universities. ACE is a membership organization that mobilizes the higher education community to shape effective public policy and foster innovative, high-quality practices. With a diverse base of member institutions, ACE represents nearly 1,700 college and university presidents and executives, serving as the only major higher education association to represent all types of U.S. accredited, degree-granting institutions. ACE's mission includes serving 280 minority serving institutions, 25,000 higher education professionals, and 7.7 million students enrolled in colleges and universities. ACE membership extends to all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and 21 other countries.

The Advancement Specialist assists with development and fundraising activities in the Advancement department. Reporting to the Director of Advancement, the Specialist will independently handle assigned projects providing analysis, research and substantive feedback to support project decisions. Responsibilities will include database management, prospect research, web content management, sponsor engagement, and office administration for the Advancement department. The Advancement Specialist works collaboratively with Advancement staff and staff across the Council on Annual Meeting Sponsorships & Exhibit Booths, Program Sponsorships, Individual Giving (Annual Funds) and Corporate Membership-related projects.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES OR TASKS:  

ACE Experience 

• Track all communications with sponsors and coordinates administrative activities for the ACE Experience sponsorship, exhibits and advertisement.
• Play a role in brainstorming, and drafting marketing materials for advancement outreach.
• Ongoing research for the ACE Experience prospect list.
• Ensure all required documentation is received from sponsors and data is entered accurately into the CRM and event platform.
• Process online ACE Experience payments and refunds for sponsorships, advertisements, and exhibits.
• Coordinate with the Finance department to ensure all ACE Experience invoices are requested, sent, and payments are processed.  
• Play a key role with on-site ACE Experience operations to address sponsor and exhibitor needs.

Stewardship 

• Serve as point of contact for customer service-related matters for ACE Affiliate Members and ACE Experience sponsors, exhibitors, and individual fund donors. 
• Actively work to reduce the attrition rate of Affiliate members by ensuring regular contact is maintained with all members. 

Database Management 

• Manage contacts and data entry related to Advancement’s fundraising efforts.
• Update CRM database with data related to program, ACE Experience sponsorships/exhibits and Affiliate Membership Program.  
• Run queries and reports as necessary. 

Prospect Research 

• Independently conduct extensive research to identify and qualify corporate entities as viable prospects for Advancement to pursue funding.
• Maintain the Advancement prospect list.
• Monitor corporate industry news to remain abreast of trends and potential prospects.

Website & Social Media 

• Serve as the Advancement Content Manager for ACE’s website and update the Advancement web pages regularly to ensure accuracy.
• Monitor ACE’s program web pages to ensure proper visibility for sponsors. 
• Coordinate with the ACE web team to design new web pages as necessary.
• Create and design Advancement web pages that are used to provide visibility and recognition for ACE donors, such as the Thought Leadership Library web page and those related to the ACE Experience.

General Duties 

• Initiate processing of program and member invoices and, working cross-functionally, tracks program and membership payments. 
• Monitor and respond to inquiries in the Advancement email inbox daily.
• Play key role with Corporate Membership Program member induction, termination, invoicing, and management of member subscription benefits.
• Assist with other duties as necessary.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCY REQUIREMENTS: 

• 2 years of work history in an administrative support position. Demonstrated commitment to ACE’s values and mission, preferably including some experience in higher education.
• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• Experience in advancement/development/fundraising preferred
• Demonstrated interest in higher education or membership associations
• Excellent communication skills including written, verbal and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to interface well with all departments within ACE in a highly professional manner.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and professionally with ACE staff, directors, members of the organization, and industry vendors.
• Proficiency with MS Office products including Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Experience working with a customer relationship management (CRM) or other relational database.

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL EFFORT:

This is a hybrid position based in Washington, DC. Team members work onsite at our One Dupont Circle NW office three days per week (Tuesday through Thursday), with remote work on Mondays and Fridays.

TARGETED SALARY RANGE:

$63,000.00 - $75,000.00

HOW TO APPLY:

Please submit a resume and cover letter with your application for consideration.

BENEFITS OVERVIEW:

We offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package, including:

• Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• 403B with matching incentive + employer contribution
• Short term disability/Long term disability/Life insurance
• Generous PTO package
• Paid Parental Leave
• 13 paid holidays + week between Christmas Eve & New Years Off
• Professional Development Opportunities
• ....and more!

For a full summary of our benefits, please reach out to the Recruiting Team.

Please Note: ACE does not accept unsolicited resumes or candidate referrals from third-party recruiters or staffing agencies. Any resumes submitted without a prior signed agreement will be considered the property of ACE, and no fees will be paid.