Project Associate, Direct Marketing

External Relations at the University of Virginia (UVA) is seeking a highly qualified candidate to fill the role of

Project Associate

The University of Virginia has a strong advancement community, comprising a central advancement organization, 12 university schools, and more than 25 university‑related programs.

We offer a wide variety of career opportunities and an outstanding environment for professional growth and development.

Position Summary

The Project Associate provides administrative and project management support to the University Annual Giving & Stewardship Direct Marketing team.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Direct Marketing, the Associate ensures that each project receives the necessary resources and attention, handling external correspondence, processing vendor invoices, creating appeal codes, maintaining premium fulfillment, assisting with proofing, and supporting the Senior Director’s administrative needs.

Responsibilities

• Provide customer service to constituents by maintaining the University Annual Giving & Stewardship inbox and handling correspondence with external stakeholders.
• Create campaign codes in the CRM, ensuring all Direct Marketing projects are coded correctly.
• Serve as the point person for premium campaigns, including providing vendors with timelines and mailing lists.
• Help review and proof Direct Marketing projects to ensure accuracy of constituent data.
• Complete expense and reimbursements in compliance with stated UA and UVA policy and guidelines for assigned team members in an accurate and timely manner.
• Ensure invoices and expenses are paid promptly and enter ROI into the CRM.
• Manage a student intern responsible for data inputs in the CRM.
• Provide administrative support to the Direct Marketing team and calendar management to the Senior Director, Direct Marketing.
• Participate in University Annual Giving & Stewardship, Annual Giving Community of Practice, Office of Engagement, and External Relations meetings.
• Collaborate with the Office of Engagement administrative team to ensure completion of shared tasks and initiatives and actively participate in the Administrative Professionals Training (APT) for continued professional development.
• Participate in meetings, events, and other duties as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.
• Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree required.
• 2 years of relevant experience required. Additional relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to meet deadlines.
• Exceptional customer service skills.
• Proven ability to manage projects independently or as part of a team.
• Preferred Qualifications
• Experience with Freshdesk or another helpdesk ticketing system.
• Experience with Salesforce CRM.
• Experience using design tools such as Canva or Visme to help with building reports.
• Familiarity with AI tools (e. g., Copilot, Claude, or similar) to summarize, synthesize, and visualize information.
• Ability to format and summarize data in Excel (e. g., pivot tables).
• Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of a desktop computer. The position occasionally requires traveling some distance to attend meetings and programs.

Salary Range

The anticipated hiring range is $57,000 – $64,000 per year, commensurate with education and experience.

Position Type & Work Location

This is an exempt‑level, benefited position.

It is a restricted position dependent on funding availability.

The role is hybrid: all team members must maintain a secure home office with high‑speed internet and work collaboratively with others using various technologies.

The position requires intermittent presence in a shared office space located in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the incumbent must live or be willing to relocate within 50 miles of Charlottesville.

Other Requirements

Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment. This position will not consider candidates who require immigration sponsorship now or in the future.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Virginia is an equal‑opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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