Southern Methodist University
Assistant Director, Direct Marketing Solicitations (HR Title: Digital Marketing
Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas, United States, 75215
Job Description – Assistant Director, Direct Marketing Solicitations (Digital Marketing Specialist II)
Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications.
About SMU SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high‑achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.
SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.
Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest‑growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.
SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.
About the Department Development and External Affairs (DEA) supports SMU by securing funding for University priorities; promoting meaningful involvement in the life and work of the University; heightening international, national, state and local awareness of SMU; and supporting the enrollment of a diverse and able student body.
SMU continues to leverage the benefits from the largest fundraising campaign in its history to achieve dramatic increases in academic quality and impact.
About the Position This role is an on‑campus, in‑person position. The Assistant Director for Direct Marketing Solicitations oversees and executes all activity for SMU’s school and unit‑focused direct mail, email, social/digital, paid‑event and stewardship strategies to ensure alignment with DEA’s goals of increasing annual revenue and participation among SMU’s more than 150 000 alumni, parents & friends.
Partnering with the Director, AD will write/revise solicitation and engagement copy, work with vendors to produce assets or mailings and use technology to execute strategy (Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Cvent, social media, etc.).
The role collaborates with SMU colleagues and external vendors to build and optimize successful annual fundraising plans that improve donor retention and upgrades to annual fund designations. Produce regular reports for leadership and stakeholders and suggest/support optimizations for prospect segmentation & YOY process improvements.
Essential Functions
Multi‑channel solicitation management: collaborate with the Director to manage and execute detailed, highly‑segmented multi‑channel mail and email mass solicitation campaigns; coordinate copy, data and assets for mail, email, social media, event registration and text channels; manage layout, proofing and approval processes with AGAR, school/unit, and DEA marketing and communications teams; execute and send solicitations via Salesforce Marketing Cloud and work with vendors for mail process; use event registration system to launch registrations that include charitable giving opportunities; create requested online giving forms & source codes; coordinate landing pages/web assets.
Liaison to schools and units: act as the primary point of contact for school and unit colleagues in need of services; build annual timelines to ensure alignment with AGAR & DEA engagement and fundraising priorities; manage day‑to‑day aspects of relationships with school/unit colleagues; gather and prepare information from school/unit sources to enhance solicitation copy; inform colleagues of university‑wide priorities and solicitations to coordinate messages and audiences; work with Director to set mass marketing annual fundraising goals and metrics for each school/unit.
Content writing and coordination: write or produce concise, coordinated content for select school‑based mail, email, text and event registration efforts; suggest content that integrates messages for social/digital channels; collaborate with MarCom, schools/units, AGAR and outside vendors to ensure outbound content meets University style and standards; provide design/content recommendations and feedback on theme, layouts and imagery.
Data management and reporting: work with the alumni data manager to develop accurately segmented prospect lists for mail solicitations, stewardship & event invites; conduct extensive audits to ensure valid & accurate data upload; conduct ongoing data quality checks and verify gifts and pledges from all channel efforts are properly coded and attributed; run and archive regular activity reports to monitor results of all solicitation campaigns & present findings to stakeholders; use Salesforce Marketing Cloud extensions to audit journey performance and responses to optimize processes; audit findings against YOY comparisons, using data analysis tools and reports to gain clear insight on donor behavior.
Strategic development and optimization: support the strategic development and execution of SFMC solicitation journeys; use school/unit‑specific activity to design and implement multi‑channel engagement tactics that seamlessly integrate with current department’s priorities; build and support crowdfunding initiatives using additional platform to aid specific fundraising plans/goals; create and manage individual giving micro‑sites, as needed, for specific school/unit designations; produce regular progress reports for distribution to school and unit colleagues and DEA leadership, providing YOY analysis and suggesting options for further optimization; attend strategy sessions and data analytics meetings to benchmark best practices.
Other duties as assigned, including supporting department colleagues with general solicitations, SMU Giving Day, stewardship and alumni engagement activity.
Occasional evening and/or weekend work for signature alumni event weekends and SMU Giving Day is required.
Qualifications Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree is required. A degree in Marketing, Communications, or Business is preferred. A minimum of two years of work experience is required. Experience in direct marketing, annual giving, or sales is also required. Experience executing mass emails using large email automation platforms is required. Experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising is highly preferred. Experience executing print mail, point‑of‑sale and/or direct marketing campaigns desired.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, ability to foster productive internal and external relationships; strong written communication skills with an eye toward solicitation‑focused copy; strong proofreading and editing skills; keen focus on attention to detail and accuracy; strong data auditing and analysis skills; strong problem‑solving skills; strong organizational, planning, and time management skills; strong project management skills; working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Adobe suite; experience with CRM systems and data management is required, Blackbaud or Salesforce CRM is highly preferred; Salesforce Marketing Cloud desired; experience with project management software is a plus; Cvent or event registration software experience desired.
Physical and Environmental Demands
Sit for long periods of time.
Handle objects (dexterity).
Push/Pull.
Work in confined quarters.
Deadline to Apply Priority consideration may be given to submissions received by October 30, 2025.
EEO Statement SMU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.
SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.
SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU’s retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.
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About SMU SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high‑achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.
SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.
Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest‑growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.
SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.
About the Department Development and External Affairs (DEA) supports SMU by securing funding for University priorities; promoting meaningful involvement in the life and work of the University; heightening international, national, state and local awareness of SMU; and supporting the enrollment of a diverse and able student body.
SMU continues to leverage the benefits from the largest fundraising campaign in its history to achieve dramatic increases in academic quality and impact.
About the Position This role is an on‑campus, in‑person position. The Assistant Director for Direct Marketing Solicitations oversees and executes all activity for SMU’s school and unit‑focused direct mail, email, social/digital, paid‑event and stewardship strategies to ensure alignment with DEA’s goals of increasing annual revenue and participation among SMU’s more than 150 000 alumni, parents & friends.
Partnering with the Director, AD will write/revise solicitation and engagement copy, work with vendors to produce assets or mailings and use technology to execute strategy (Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Cvent, social media, etc.).
The role collaborates with SMU colleagues and external vendors to build and optimize successful annual fundraising plans that improve donor retention and upgrades to annual fund designations. Produce regular reports for leadership and stakeholders and suggest/support optimizations for prospect segmentation & YOY process improvements.
Essential Functions
Multi‑channel solicitation management: collaborate with the Director to manage and execute detailed, highly‑segmented multi‑channel mail and email mass solicitation campaigns; coordinate copy, data and assets for mail, email, social media, event registration and text channels; manage layout, proofing and approval processes with AGAR, school/unit, and DEA marketing and communications teams; execute and send solicitations via Salesforce Marketing Cloud and work with vendors for mail process; use event registration system to launch registrations that include charitable giving opportunities; create requested online giving forms & source codes; coordinate landing pages/web assets.
Liaison to schools and units: act as the primary point of contact for school and unit colleagues in need of services; build annual timelines to ensure alignment with AGAR & DEA engagement and fundraising priorities; manage day‑to‑day aspects of relationships with school/unit colleagues; gather and prepare information from school/unit sources to enhance solicitation copy; inform colleagues of university‑wide priorities and solicitations to coordinate messages and audiences; work with Director to set mass marketing annual fundraising goals and metrics for each school/unit.
Content writing and coordination: write or produce concise, coordinated content for select school‑based mail, email, text and event registration efforts; suggest content that integrates messages for social/digital channels; collaborate with MarCom, schools/units, AGAR and outside vendors to ensure outbound content meets University style and standards; provide design/content recommendations and feedback on theme, layouts and imagery.
Data management and reporting: work with the alumni data manager to develop accurately segmented prospect lists for mail solicitations, stewardship & event invites; conduct extensive audits to ensure valid & accurate data upload; conduct ongoing data quality checks and verify gifts and pledges from all channel efforts are properly coded and attributed; run and archive regular activity reports to monitor results of all solicitation campaigns & present findings to stakeholders; use Salesforce Marketing Cloud extensions to audit journey performance and responses to optimize processes; audit findings against YOY comparisons, using data analysis tools and reports to gain clear insight on donor behavior.
Strategic development and optimization: support the strategic development and execution of SFMC solicitation journeys; use school/unit‑specific activity to design and implement multi‑channel engagement tactics that seamlessly integrate with current department’s priorities; build and support crowdfunding initiatives using additional platform to aid specific fundraising plans/goals; create and manage individual giving micro‑sites, as needed, for specific school/unit designations; produce regular progress reports for distribution to school and unit colleagues and DEA leadership, providing YOY analysis and suggesting options for further optimization; attend strategy sessions and data analytics meetings to benchmark best practices.
Other duties as assigned, including supporting department colleagues with general solicitations, SMU Giving Day, stewardship and alumni engagement activity.
Occasional evening and/or weekend work for signature alumni event weekends and SMU Giving Day is required.
Qualifications Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree is required. A degree in Marketing, Communications, or Business is preferred. A minimum of two years of work experience is required. Experience in direct marketing, annual giving, or sales is also required. Experience executing mass emails using large email automation platforms is required. Experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising is highly preferred. Experience executing print mail, point‑of‑sale and/or direct marketing campaigns desired.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: Demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, ability to foster productive internal and external relationships; strong written communication skills with an eye toward solicitation‑focused copy; strong proofreading and editing skills; keen focus on attention to detail and accuracy; strong data auditing and analysis skills; strong problem‑solving skills; strong organizational, planning, and time management skills; strong project management skills; working knowledge of Microsoft Office, Adobe suite; experience with CRM systems and data management is required, Blackbaud or Salesforce CRM is highly preferred; Salesforce Marketing Cloud desired; experience with project management software is a plus; Cvent or event registration software experience desired.
Physical and Environmental Demands
Sit for long periods of time.
Handle objects (dexterity).
Push/Pull.
Work in confined quarters.
Deadline to Apply Priority consideration may be given to submissions received by October 30, 2025.
EEO Statement SMU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.
SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.
SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU’s retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.
#J-18808-Ljbffr