Development Manager - Annual Giving

Te Rōpū Pāpori | Engagement
Located in Ōtautahi | Christchurch, Aotearoa | New Zealand

• Full-time (37.5 hours per week)
• Permanent position
• Generous annual leave provisions and professional development opportunities

Kia hiwa rā, kia hiwa rā!
He hiahia, he pūkenga nōu ki te mahi a te Development Manager? Nāia te pōwhiri nā Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha kia tono mai i te tūranga nei.

Āu Mahi | What You Will Do
The Development Manager - Annual Giving is a dynamic and deadline-driven role responsible for writing, developing and executing strategies to secure annual donations from alumni, staff and community members. You will be responsible for content creation, planning and implementation of the annual calendar of fundraising activities. For example, utilising direct mail, email, peer-to-peer, events, and digital platforms to ensure the University of Canterbury's fundraising efforts are optimised and effective.

This critical role requires extensive coordination with a variety of stakeholders, including faculties, departments, and external vendors, to write compelling stories, build strong relationships, and ensure efficient and timely delivery of fundraising campaigns. You will analyse campaign performance, manage budgets, and continuously improve fundraising practices to meet revenue targets and grow alumni participation and donor retention rates.

As a key member of the Advancement team, you will contribute to major initiatives that secure the future of UC's fundraising success, supporting the university's vision to deliver mana-enhancing outcomes for students and the wider community.

Mōu | Who You Are
The successful candidate will be a self-motivated and highly organised writer with strong communication and planning skills. You will bring:

• At least five years' experience in non-profits, fundraising, journalism, communications or related fields.
• Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills - vital to success in this role
• Experience in writing compelling content and tailoring culturally appropriate messages for diverse audiences.
• Proven success in leading projects from concept to implementation with minimal direction, managing multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to coordinate effectively across various stakeholders and departments.

• Familiarity with digital and print project management, including working with CRM databases (such as Raiser's Edge), email platforms, and social media tools.

• Competence in donor segmentation, data analysis, and using insights to drive decisions and improve campaign outcomes.

• An alignment with our organisation's values and culture, promoting a positive and inclusive work environment, is essential.

Mahi Ngātahi | Who You Will Work With
You will work within the Advancement team, collaborating closely with the Associate Director of Advancement, Donor Relations Officer, alumni relations officers, major gift officers, and colleagues across faculties and service units. This role is central to building strong relationships and aligning messaging to enhance UC's fundraising efforts.

Ngā Painga o UC | Why UC
Ngā Uara | Our Values of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga and tiakitanga guide our decisions and behaviour and provide a roadmap for how we do things at UC, affirming our commitment to pastoral care and support for our ākonga and staff. They challenge and inspire us to be the best we can, and make UC a great place to work and study. For more info on Ngā Uara | Our Values visit us here.

We are committed to accessible higher education, service to the community and the encouragement of talent without barriers of distance, wealth, class, gender or ethnicity. The University explicitly aims to produce graduates and support staff who are engaged with their communities, empowered to act for good and determined to make a difference in the world.

We offer a range of fantastic benefits including flexible work practices, study opportunities and generous superannuation and leave provisions. For more information, please visit us: https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/about-uc/work-at-uc/benefits-working-uc . For more information about Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury, please visit https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/

The closing date for this position is: 29 June 2025 (midnight, NZ time)
Please note, applications will be reviewed as they are received, and interviews may take place before the closing date.

The salary for this position sits within the General Staff Collective Agreement and is a Band 5 - $93,906 - $114,619. Appointable salary is dependent on skills and experience.

Pēhea te tono mai | How You Apply
Applications for this position must be submitted via our careers website and should include a cover letter, resume. As this role requires a highly competent writer, please include the following materials to demonstrate your ability to craft original compelling copy:

• Communication plan for the annual appeal (may be fictional)
• Writing sample (must be recent and professionally developed for work or job-related purposes)

Please note that we do not accept applications by email, however we are happy to answer your queries in relation to the application process, please forward these to [email protected]

You must have Aotearoa New Zealand or Australian citizenship/permanent residency or hold a valid NZ work visa to be considered for this role.