Head, Stewardship & Advancement Services, Office of Advancement

Job Description

• Strategic Stewardship & Donor Engagement
  • Develop and implement an institution-wide segmented stewardship framework aligned with fundraising and institutional priorities.
  • Oversee end-to-end donor lifecycle management, including acknowledgement, reporting, recognition, and ongoing engagement.
  • Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality, personalised donor experiences across all giving tiers.
  • Leverage data, analytics, and benchmarking to enhance stewardship effectiveness and impact.
  • Translate donor intent into structured engagement and reporting plans across faculties and programmes.
• Events & Experiential Engagement
  • Provide oversight of donor engagement events and platforms, including the annual flagship event and targeted experiences
  • Ensure events deliver measurable outcomes in donor satisfaction, retention, and engagement.
  • Oversee planning, governance, and execution to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with institutional objectives.
• Advancement Services & Data Management
  • Provide oversight of advancement services functions, including:
    • Gift administration and fund management.
    • Donor data governance and CRM systems.
    • Financial and management reporting.
  • Ensure accuracy, integrity, and compliance with data policy.
  • Oversee regulatory and institutional reporting, including:
    • Related financial reporting to the Office of Finance and the Office of Investment.
    • Budget submissions and grant reporting requirements.
  • Drive data-informed decision making to enhance fundraising and stewardship outcomes.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance
  • Establish and maintain governance frameworks, policies, and service standards to support Advancement operations.
  • Ensure compliance with:
    • Donor intent and gift agreements.
    • Institutional, regulatory, and audit requirements.
  • Oversee key governance responsibilities, including:
    • Secretariat (America Friends of Singapore Management University) and compliance processes.
    • Data protection and risk management coordination.
  • Lead the development and continuous improvement of governance frameworks, guidelines, and SOPs.
• Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Partner with senior leadership, faculty, and advancement teams to align stewardship with fundraising strategies and campaign priorities
  • Act as a strategic advisor on donor engagement and stewardship strategy at the organisational level.
  • Influence stakeholders to adopt donor-centric practices and accountability standards.
  • Lead cross-functional initiatives to strengthen donor engagement, profiling, and personalisation.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Qualifications & Experience
  • Degree with a minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in advancement, stewardship, donor relations, or related fields in a high growth environment with proven experience in:
    • Strategic leadership and team management.
    • Complex stakeholder engagement across large organisations.
    • Managing advancement services, CRM systems, and reporting functions.
    • Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives.
  • Skills & Competencies
    • Strong strategic thinking and execution capabilities.
    • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
    • High level of data literacy and familiarity with CRM systems.
    • Strong governance, compliance, and risk management orientation.
    • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
    • Ability for creative problem-solving and solutioning.
    • High level of professionalism, discretion, and stakeholder sensitivity.

• Strategic Stewardship & Donor Engagement
  • Develop and implement an institution-wide segmented stewardship framework aligned with fundraising and institutional priorities.
  • Oversee end-to-end donor lifecycle management, including acknowledgement, reporting, recognition, and ongoing engagement.
  • Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality, personalised donor experiences across all giving tiers.
  • Leverage data, analytics, and benchmarking to enhance stewardship effectiveness and impact.
  • Translate donor intent into structured engagement and reporting plans across faculties and programmes.
• Events & Experiential Engagement
  • Provide oversight of donor engagement events and platforms, including the annual flagship event and targeted experiences
  • Ensure events deliver measurable outcomes in donor satisfaction, retention, and engagement.
  • Oversee planning, governance, and execution to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with institutional objectives.
• Advancement Services & Data Management
  • Provide oversight of advancement services functions, including:
    • Gift administration and fund management.
    • Donor data governance and CRM systems.
    • Financial and management reporting.
  • Ensure accuracy, integrity, and compliance with data policy.
  • Oversee regulatory and institutional reporting, including:
    • Related financial reporting to the Office of Finance and the Office of Investment.
    • Budget submissions and grant reporting requirements.
  • Drive data-informed decision making to enhance fundraising and stewardship outcomes.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance
  • Establish and maintain governance frameworks, policies, and service standards to support Advancement operations.
  • Ensure compliance with:
    • Donor intent and gift agreements.
    • Institutional, regulatory, and audit requirements.
  • Oversee key governance responsibilities, including:
    • Secretariat (America Friends of Singapore Management University) and compliance processes.
    • Data protection and risk management coordination.
  • Lead the development and continuous improvement of governance frameworks, guidelines, and SOPs.
• Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Partner with senior leadership, faculty, and advancement teams to align stewardship with fundraising strategies and campaign priorities
  • Act as a strategic advisor on donor engagement and stewardship strategy at the organisational level.
  • Influence stakeholders to adopt donor-centric practices and accountability standards.
  • Lead cross-functional initiatives to strengthen donor engagement, profiling, and personalisation.
• Other duties as assigned.