Donor Relations and Digital Officer

Description of Employment: UCD Foundation is seeking to recruit a Donor Relations and Digital Officer to support our Annual Giving and wider Development activities. This is a great opportunity for a hardworking, resourceful, creative and diligent individual to join a highly regarded and successful team and develop their skillset within this role.

Employer: UCD Foundation

Location: UCD Belfield Campus, Dublin

Salary: €38,000–€43,000 per annum

Hours: 37.5 hrs per week. Full-time, hybrid working (3 days on-site, 2 days remote)

Role Summary

About UCD Foundation: UCD Foundation engages in fundraising and alumni engagement activities to support University College Dublin in its pursuit of world-class education, teaching, research and innovation.

Purpose of the role: The Donor Relations and Digital Officer will play a pivotal role in the award-winning fundraising team at UCD Foundation. Primary responsibilities include stewardship of annual giving donors, receipting of gifts, gathering student testimonials, supporting digital fundraising and advertising campaigns and research into new funding opportunities.

The successful candidate will utilise their existing skills and develop additional skills in an environment with strong potential for growth and development.

Key Responsibilities:

To support UCD Foundation's fundraising activities through efficient gift processing and receipting, high-quality donor stewardship, management of digital campaigns, and research into new funding opportunities.

 Donor stewardship and communications

• Ensure all annual giving gifts are processed in accordance with UCD Foundation procedures, providing accurate and timely acknowledgement of donor support.
• Collect and curate student testimonials for use in donor reports, and the promotion of the impact of philanthropy on UCD's students.
• Contribute to the development and the delivery of donor-centric communications that enhance engagement and retention.

Digital strategy and campaigns

• Working closely with the UCD Foundation communications team, act as digital strategy lead for UCD Foundation's development team, with a particular focus on advertising across platforms such as LinkedIn and other relevant channels.
• Support design and implementation of digital campaigns to acquire, retain, and upgrade donors.
• Monitor campaign performance and analyse results to inform strategy and improve return on investment.

New funding opportunities

• Working with the Director of Development on an ad hoc basis to identify potential funding opportunities for UCD Foundation through databases such as Candid.

Administration and data

• Produce reports to monitor donor conversion, retention, and income performance.
• Build and maintain strong internal and external relationships to facilitate the delivery of excellent donor stewardship.

Person Specifications & Qualifications:

 Requirements

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Relevant experience in a fundraising, donor development, or related role.
• Strong organisational and multi-tasking skills.
• A university degree.
• Excellent writing and editing skills, with the ability to draft donor letters, acknowledgements, and campaign materials.
• Strong digital skills, with knowledge of paid advertising.
• Experience with donor database systems (Raiser's Edge or similar an advantage).
• Ability to deliver to multiple deadlines and manage competing priorities.
• Strong research and analytical skills.

Personal characteristics/competencies

·        Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.

·        Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work within a team.

·        Strong administration and organisation skills.

·        Self-motivated, enthusiastic, and driven.

·        Capable of working on own initiative.

·        Capable of dealing with potential problems in a calm and assured manner.

 What You Can Expect from Us:

 UCD Foundation is excited to be adding this role to our team. In return for enthusiasm and a willingness to learn from your colleagues, you can expect the opportunity to develop and thrive in a positive and collaborative work environment where each team member's contribution is valued and acknowledged.

 UCD Foundation employees are located on the UCD Belfield campus. We take a hybrid approach to being on site with three days a week on site and up to two days a week working from home (there may be a requirement to be on site for additional days during probation period).

 Salary and Benefits:

·        Attractive basic salary – €38,000 to €43,000 (depending on experience)

·        21 days annual leave plus additional days (i.e. Good Friday, Christmas period).

·        Generous paid sick leave entitlement.

·        Pension – defined contribution – 10% employer contribution.

·        Employee assistance programme.

·        Cycle-to-work scheme.

·        Hybrid Working.

·        Up to two weeks remote working annually.

·        Opportunity to take unpaid leave over the summer (max two weeks).

·        Reduced employee rates for UCD Sports & Fitness.

·        International partnerships and knowledge networks (e.g. CASE membership, Charities Institute)

 Additional details/ Application process:

The contract for Donor Relations and Digital Officer is initially for three years subject to a satisfactory probationary period. The successful candidate will be subject to a probationary period of six months.

All applicants must have the right to work in Ireland. 

To apply, please submit your CV and a cover letter outlining your relevant experience and why you are a suitable candidate for this position to Caroline Doran, Human Resources Manager, via email, caroline.doran@ucdfoundation.ie with the subject line 'Application: Donor Relations and Digital Officer'

The closing date for applications for this role is 22^nd September 2025.

UCD Foundation is an equal opportunities employer which welcomes applications from any individuals with the relevant skills and abilities to help make its diverse workforce more effective.

Further information on the work we do can be found on the following websites:

www.ucdfoundation.ie         www.ucd.ie