Development Officer

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Development Officer

Job Profile Title

Annual Giving Officer A

Job Description Summary

The Development Officer is tasked with building a bridge between lower membership levels and major gifts. To that end, their most significant priorities include helping create new upper membership levels; leadership annual and major gift pipeline development; and stewardship and retention efforts for individuals giving $500 - $9,999 annually. This position is deeply collaborative as functions must be closely in sync with the Membership and Individual Giving programs.

The Development Officer is an early/mid-career professional who will contribute directly to strategies that help lift operational revenue generation. They should have an understanding of moves management; experience with a CRM (preferably Salesforce) and proficiency for data organization; a collaborative spirit; professional presence; and a self-directed approach to time management.

The ideal candidate will have the ability to think strategically, solve problems creatively, and be flexible in response to new information or opportunities. Excellent communication skills, both in person and in writing, are essential. The candidate can reliably and proactively manage a varied workload and has the time management skills necessary to meet deadlines. This role occasionally requires night or weekend work. A strong interest in music and a connection to WXPN’s impact on the arts and culture community in Philadelphia are highly valued.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities:

The Development Officer will help design and administer activities that directly influence upper membership growth as well as participate in the oversight of XPN’s Leadership Circle. This includes:  

Pipeline Development and Administration

• Help design and implement 2-3 new mid-level membership levels (between $500 - $1,499 annually), including communications strategy and benefits development.

• Manage the basic renewal cycle for a majority of leadership annual giving levels ($1,776 - $9,999 annually): solicit renewals, upgrades, and additional gifts on a regular basis.

• Work with the Individual Giving Officer to determine any blended asks or higher-level discussions.

• Identify and qualify select individuals who have capacity for a Challenge or Major Gift to neXtPN (non-operational fundraising priorities) and hand them off to the appropriate senior level fundraiser, typically the Individual Giving Officer.

• Execute a robust prospecting strategy using Donor Search, Salesforce reporting, and other resources to best identify appropriate efforts for donor acquisition and upgrades.

Stewardship and Donor Engagement

• Serve as the primary manager for Vinyl Club, XPN’s affinity group.

• Maintain a robust effort for acquisition and work with the programming liaison to develop an annual plan of vinyl drops, events, communications, and special activities. Ensure proper alignment with the Membership Manager.

• Maintain an appropriate level of communication with assigned XPN supporters via email, letters, phone, etc.  

• Collaborate with the Membership and Individual Giving teams to ensure proper stewardship of all donors in portfolio with impact-related reporting, thank you gifts, events, or tailored opportunities as appropriate.

• Support efforts related to the Reverb Society, WXPN’s stewardship group for Planned Giving donors, as identified by the Director of Development.

Collaboration and Team Participation

• Participate in Development events both on-site and off, in order to meet and engage with as many members as possible.

• Develop and maintain positive and productive working relationships with Development team members – in particular the Individual Giving Officer and Membership Manager – to ensure that solicitation and stewardship efforts are properly organized, aligned, efficient, and free of redundancy.

• Participate in the life of WXPN as a collaborative and invested partner.

• Contribute in meaningful ways to team meetings; solicit and offer encouragement and feedback; and serve as a positive and productive team player.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• BA/BS and 1-2 years of experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

• 3+ years in non-profit Development, Membership, or comparable non-profit work is preferred.

• Familiar with non-profit Development best practices and infrastructure, as well as the basics of public media.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

About WXPN:

WXPN is a nationally recognized leader in Triple A radio programming and the premier guide for discovering new and significant artists in rock, blues, roots, and folk. As the non-commercial, member-supported radio service of the University of Pennsylvania, WXPN offers handcrafted curation of broadcast and digital programming, events, and local music journalism.  WXPN produces World Cafe, public radio’s most popular program of popular music that is distributed by NPR to more than 200 U.S. radio stations, and the Peabody Award-winning Kids Corner. WXPN serves the greater Philadelphia area at 88.5 FM, the Lehigh Valley at 104.9 FM, Worton/Baltimore at 90.5 FM, Lancaster/York at 88.7 FM, Harrisburg at 99.7 FM, North Jersey/Poconos at 91.9 FM, and the world via online streaming on smart speaker devices and at XPN.org.​

To learn more, visit us at https://xpn.org/

About The President's Center:

The mission of the President's Center is to support the President, the trustees, and the officers of the University; to assist the faculty, students, and staff in their teaching, research, and service activities; and to advance excellence at Penn. In addition to the President's Office, the President's Center includes the following units:

• Office of the President

• African-American Resource Center

• Almanac

• Office of Equal Opportunity Programs

• Office of the Associate Vice President for Equity and Title IX Officer

• Office of General Counsel

• Office of Institutional Research & Analysis

• Office of Government and Community Affairs

• Office of the Ombuds

• The Office of Religious and Ethnic Interests (Title VI)

• Office of Social Equity & Community

• Office of the University Secretary

• Office of University Communications

• WXPN

To learn more, visit us at https://president.upenn.edu/university-leadership/presidents-center

Department / School

President's Center

Pay Range

$50,366.00 - $60,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

​

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay