Development Operations & Communications Coordinator

Description

Who We Are:

Are you ready to work at a dynamic institution that believes in higher education with lower obstacles? Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (now known as Franklin Cummings Tech) is a nationally accredited non-profit, technical college serving Massachusetts. The college was seeded in 1791 with funds from the estate of Benjamin Franklin given to the City of Boston to proliferate access to apprenticeship and entrepreneurship. Today, that legacy has evolved into an accredited college that delivers accessible tech and trade education to level the playing field for aspiring talent.

With a mission to deliver transformative technical and trade education that leads to economic advancement, Franklin Cummings Tech offers a unique mix of certificates and degrees that appeal to enterprising students from Eastern Massachusetts and respond to employer demand for a well-prepared workforce. Intentional partnerships with the industries we serve coupled with high graduation and job placement rates, recently attracted the largest philanthropic gift in the history of the college from the Cummings Foundation, helping to spur incredible growth in the past four years.

Franklin Cummings Tech educates more than 1,000 learners annually across three student types: 1) certificate and degree seekers, 2) continuing education enrollees, and 3) early college students. As evidence that our mission holds resonance student enrollment is up and Fall 2027 applications have soared 16% year over year. 

We seek optimistic, data-informed, and dedicated colleagues who are eager to increase student success outcomes and boost total enrollment to 1,500 learners by 2030. Join us in this mission-driven work. 

Position Summary:

The Development Operations & Communications Coordinator is a full-time role dedicated to enhancing donor engagement and advancing fundraising goals for the college. Responsibilities include creating compelling fundraising appeals and digital communications, conducting donor and prospect research, managing development CRM records, and coordinating event logistics. The coordinator collaborates across the development team and college leadership to deliver high-quality donor-facing materials and ensure successful campus events.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

The following duties are representative of the work performed in this position. Other duties may be assigned based on organizational needs.

Communications & Creative Design

• Create fundraising appeals from start to finish, including drafting content, formatting emails in Constant Contact, and selecting target audiences.
• Create, schedule, and monitor social media posts across platforms to support development activities, preparing analytical reports on engagement and reach.
• Design and edit promotional graphics in Canva for events, appeals, sponsorship recognition, stewardship and other communication channels.
• Create and maintain webpages as needed for the development website.
• Develop PowerPoint presentations to communicate the institutions programs and future plans to donors.
• Create targeted communications for alumni engagement and analyze resulting participation data.

Donor Intelligence & Materials Preparation

• Conduct research on donors and prospects to create comprehensive profiles for leadership prior to events, meetings, and donor tours.
• Utilize college databases to effectively prepare data used in funding proposal LOIs and applications as well as stewardship and grant reports.
• Draft and prepare reports, one-pagers, research summaries, and donor-facing materials upon request.

Development Operations & Database Support

• Assist with general event preparation by coordinating event logistics, timelines, guest communications, material production, event follow-up tasks, and stakeholder approvals to ensure a seamless experience.
• Provide operational support by entering contact reports into the CRM (currently DonorPerfect moving to Jenzabar), performing data entry, and maintaining database accuracy.
• Provide general administrative and project assistance to the supervisor and other team members.

Requirements

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, Business Administration, Information Technology or a closely related field. (Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.)
• 1–2 years of relevant experience in event coordination, administrative support, or digital communications.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Communication Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with a demonstrated ability to draft engaging fundraising appeals, social media posts, and alumni communications.
• Multi-Channel Communications: Fluency in creating and posting content across social media and email marketing platforms with experience targeting messages to different audience segments.
• Technology & Software Proficiency: Hands-on experience with graphic design software (Canva), email marketing platforms (Constant Contact), and standard file-sharing tools (SharePoint).
• Database Management: Basic proficiency in entering and validating data within donor databases or CRM systems (such as DonorPerfect or Jenzabar).
• Organizational & Analytical Skills: Strong organizational skills to track grant deadlines and RFPs, coordinate multiple event timelines, and analyze social media and engagement metrics.
• Interpersonal Skills: Ability to build relationships and work collaboratively with internal team members, college leadership, and external guests or donors.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience working in higher education development, fundraising, or non-profit administration.
• Demonstrated familiarity or advanced experience using DonorPerfect (DPO) and Jenzabar software.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to sit, stand, and walk for extended periods, particularly when assisting with events and donor tours on campus.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 25 pounds occasionally to transport event materials, signage, and supplies.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment and mobile devices or digital cameras to capture event media.
• Ability to respond to operational needs outside of normal working hours, including occasional evenings or weekends, to support scheduled events.

Work Environment:

This position operates primarily in a professional office environment, with regular presence on campus required to assist with in-person events and donor tours. Occasional evening or weekend availability is required to support events. The College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and applicable state law.

Employee Expectations:

All employees are expected to support the college’s student-centered mission, contribute to institutional growth and innovation, and collaborate across departments to improve student recruitment, retention, graduation, and career placement outcomes.

Our college is an in-person institution. Campus presence is the default expectation for all employees. In-person presence remains the expectation and the standard for all staff. Flex arrangements are a discretionary privilege, not a right, and may be modified or discontinued if it is determined that flex arrangements are diminishing service quality, team cohesion, or responsiveness to students, external partners, and colleagues. The student experience and fidelity of institutional operations take priority over individual schedule preferences.

The salary for this position is $60,000-$80,000 DOE. 

Please note: Franklin Cummings Tech cannot provide visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States on an ongoing basis without sponsorship to be considered for this position at Franklin Cummings Tech.

Franklin Cummings Tech is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, or veteran status.