Experience Manager

Position Summary:

The Experience Manager leads the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of engagement, stewardship, and recognition experiences that strengthen relationships between Fort Lewis College, the Fort Lewis College Foundation, and alumni, donors, volunteers, students, and community members. Reporting to the Director of Engagement and working closely with other Advancement colleagues, this position oversees events and engagement initiatives while leading donor stewardship efforts across Advancement.

This role is responsible for creating meaningful constituent experiences that promote a culture of philanthropy, connection, and service. The Experience Manager designs and implements consistent stewardship practices, leads donor recognition and celebration efforts, evaluates and enhances donor relations practices, and thoughtfully integrates volunteer engagement into the broader constituent experience. The position collaborates across Advancement and campus partners to deliver impactful events, stewardship communications, volunteer opportunities, and engagement strategies that support the philanthropic goals of the Fort Lewis College Foundation.

Job Description:

Constituent Experience and Event Management

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of events and engagement experiences that strengthen relationships among alumni, donors, volunteers, students, and community members and advance the mission of Fort Lewis College and the Fort Lewis College Foundation.
• Design and implement creative engagement opportunities that deepen constituent connection, increase participation, and promote a culture of philanthropy and service.
• Oversee event logistics and operations, including project plans, timelines, budgets, registration, vendor coordination, venue arrangements, catering, technology, and on-site execution for in-person and virtual events.
• Partner with Advancement colleagues and campus stakeholders to ensure events and engagement activities are strategically aligned, well-communicated, and effectively executed.
• Represent Advancement and the Foundation at key events and engagement activities, troubleshoot issues as needed, and ensure a high-quality constituent experience.
• Evaluate events and engagement initiatives using participation data, constituent feedback, and advancement outcomes to inform future planning and continuous improvement.

Donor Stewardship and Recognition

• Lead donor stewardship, recognition, and celebration efforts in partnership with the Director of Engagement and other Advancement colleagues.
• Design, implement, and maintain consistent donor stewardship practices across Fort Lewis College and the Fort Lewis College Foundation to ensure donors are thanked, recognized, informed, and connected to the impact of their giving.
• Evaluate and enhance current donor relations practices, including thank-you processes, acknowledgment and recognition efforts, donor events, stewardship communications, and impact reporting.
• Develop and manage stewardship timelines and touchpoints to support timely, strategic, and meaningful donor engagement throughout the year.
• Create and coordinate stewardship communications and experiences that express gratitude, demonstrate impact, and strengthen donor affinity for Fort Lewis College.
• Partner with Advancement colleagues, campus leadership, and campus partners to gather stories, outcomes, and impact information for use in donor stewardship materials and reports.
• Establish and maintain stewardship workflows, templates, and practices that support consistency, quality, and operational efficiency across donor relations activities.
• Identify opportunities to personalize donor recognition and stewardship based on giving level, interests, and engagement history.

Operations, Data, and Assessment

• Work with Advancement Services to utilize CRM tools and related systems to manage event registration, track participation and stewardship activity, maintain accurate constituent records, and support data integrity.
• Develop and maintain systems for tracking and assessing the effectiveness of events, stewardship efforts, volunteer engagement, and constituent experience initiatives.
• Use data, feedback, and outcomes to evaluate performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and inform future planning and strategy.
• Document and maintain procedures, workflows, templates, and project materials that support operational consistency and continuity.
• Contribute to cross-functional planning and collaboration across Advancement, the Foundation, campus departments, and leadership to support coordinated and high-impact constituent engagement.

Supervision

• Supervise and train student workers and other assigned support staff, including assigning projects, setting expectations, monitoring progress, and ensuring timely completion of tasks.
• Provide guidance and oversight to student employees supporting events, stewardship projects, communications, and other Advancement initiatives.

Other

• Maintains knowledge and awareness of digital accessibility including the American with Disabilities Act and Section 508.
• Produces and remediates digitally accessible materials in accordance with FLC standards.
• Perform other duties as assigned

Required Education, Specialized Skills and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or equivalent experience;
• Minimum of four years of professional experience in advancement, donor relations, stewardship, event planning, alumni engagement, volunteer management, fundraising, communications, marketing, or a related field;
• Demonstrated experience managing projects, programs, events, or initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and competing priorities;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop donor-facing and stewardship communications;
• Demonstrated outstanding customer service, relationship-building, and interpersonal skills;
• Strong organizational skills and extraordinary attention to detail;
• Experience working with CRM systems or customer-focused databases and using data to support planning, communication, and evaluation;
• Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, and improve processes, procedures, and operational standards;
• Ability to travel regularly and work evenings and weekends as needed for events and engagement activities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in donor relations, donor stewardship, advancement services, or fundraising in higher education or nonprofit settings;
• Working knowledge of fundraising strategy and donor stewardship best practices;
• Experience designing and implementing donor recognition, stewardship communications, or impact reporting;
• Experience creating and implementing standard operating procedures, workflows, or protocols;
• Experience coordinating volunteer engagement programs;
• Familiarity with Fort Lewis College’s culture, mission, and/or alumni network.

Reports To / Supervisory Responsibility:

This position reports to the Director of Engagement. This position supervises student workers.

Work Environment and Physical Demands

• Travel and evening/weekend work up is expected to be 20% to 50%, with flextime during regular working hours.
• Office setting with moderate noise levels.
• Fast-paced and dynamic environment requiring adaptability, collaboration, discretion, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period of time.
• Light to moderate lifting is required.

Travel:

Travel is required up to 50% of the time in this role including travel for regional and national engagement, as well as conference travel as deemed appropriate. Weekend and evening obligations are also required.

FLSA Status/ Position Type/Expected Hours of Work/ and Salary Range:

• Exempt
• Full Time
• Permanent
• Full Year
• Typical Work hours are 8am to 5pm Mountain Time Monday to Friday, with evening and weekend work based on event schedules. Schedules will be determined in collaboration with the Director of Engagement.

Compensation

The salary range is $62,000 to $69,000, plus a comprehensive benefits package.

Application Process
A complete application packet includes:

• ​Cover letter addressing interest and qualifications for the position
• Resume
• Names and contact information for three current, professional references

Application materials received by 11:59 PM on August 9, 2026, will receive full consideration.

The successful candidate will be required to submit official transcripts

and pass a background check.

About Fort Lewis College:

On a sage-brushed mesa overlooking downtown Durango and the La Plata Mountains, Fort Lewis College is Southwest Colorado’s premier public undergraduate research institution. With more than half of the 3,300 students identifying as people of color, FLC’s academic programming and campus life thrive on nurturing safe, diverse spaces for intellectual exploration and helping people achieve their career goals. A Native American-serving, Non-Tribal Institution, FLC is committed to promoting economic development in neighboring tribal communities and connecting students with the education they need to be the change in the world they want to see. Degree programs span the arts, business, education, health sciences, humanities, and social and natural sciences. Coursework builds on the natural, cultural, and historical resources found around the Four Corners region. Students work closely with faculty on research projects with real-world implications. Like the mountain town it resides in, FLC promotes a culture of work-life balance for students, faculty, and staff. Skyhawks enjoy unparalleled access to a healthy outdoor lifestyle thanks to 300 days of sunshine a year and more than 300 miles of hiking and biking trails in and around Durango

Notice to Prospective Employees:
 The Fort Lewis College is required by the Clery Act of 1990 to notify prospective employees, current employees, students and applicants where to access our Campus Security Report.  The report is updated and published annually in accordance with the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, Federal Student Right-to-Know, the Federal Drug-free Schools and Campuses Act of 1989. This report contains information about:

• Fort Lewis College's alcohol and other drug policy

• Sexual assault policy

• Campus security policies

• Campus/community resources

• The Colorado Riot Offense Statute restriction on enrollment

• Where to find registered sex offender information

• Crime statistics for the previous three calendar years

• Reporting crimes

 
 The Campus Security Report can be accessed in two ways:
By going to the internet website at:   www.fortlewis.edu/AnnualSecurityReport Fort Lewis College Student Affairs Office will also provide a paper copy of the annual security report upon request.   You can reach them at (970) 247-7331.

Equal Opportunity
Fort Lewis College does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, color, religion, national origin, sex*, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, family or domestic status, political beliefs, veteran status, pregnancy, or genetic information. Accordingly, equal opportunity for employment shall be extended to all persons. The College shall promote equal opportunity, equal treatment, and affirmative action efforts to increase the diversity of students, faculty, and staff. The College is dedicated to building a culturally diverse and pluralistic faculty and staff committed to teaching and working in a multicultural environment. To file a report, get resources, read policies, or make an appointment, See www.fortlewis.edu/CARE.

Discrimination Questions?

Office of Compliance and Community Standards
David Pirrone, Director of Compliance
210 Berndt Hall
1000 Rim Drive
Durango, Colorado 81301
(970) 247-7182 [email protected]

Questions about Title IX sex discrimination?    
Office of the Title IX Coordinator
Madeleine Gillman, Assistant Director of Compliance and Title IX Coordinator
210 Berndt Hall
1000 Rim Drive
Durango, Colorado 81301
(970) 247-7049 [email protected]

Information about Fort Lewis College’s alcohol and drug policy, sexual assault policy, campus security policies, campus crime statistics, fire safety procedures and fire statistics, and campus/community resources can be found in the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. Hard copies are available upon request.

* Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Part 106 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) prohibit discrimination on the basis of sex, including in admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and CFR 106 to Fort Lewis College may be directed to FLC's Title IX Coordinator and/or to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of Education.

ADAA Accommodations
Any person with a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) may be provided a reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to complete an employment assessment. To request an accommodation, please contact Kristin Polens by phone 970-247-7459 or email [email protected] at least five business days before the assessment date to allow us to evaluate your request and prepare for the accommodation. You may be asked to provide additional information, including medical documentation, regarding functional limitations and type of accommodation needed. Please ensure that you have this information available well in advance of the assessment date.