Career
Opportunities

Join Our Team

The mission of the Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation is to support the work of LSU’s Pennington Biomedical Research Center, which aims to discover the triggers of chronic diseases through innovative research that improves human health. To support our commitment, we seek only the most qualified individuals and believe in the values of integrity, transparency, donor-centered development and stewardship of resources. We’re looking for energetic, enthusiastic individuals who want to be a part of our team.

Jobs Available: 

  • Donor Relations and Communications Manager
  • Donor Research and Database Manager

Interested candidates should submit their resume and cover letter to [email protected].  Please include the job title  in the subject line.

Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to apply.

 

 

Job Title: Donor Relations and Communications Manager 

Position Type: Full-Time, Hybrid (in-office with one optional remote work day) 

Position Overview:  
The Donor Relations and Communications Manager at Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation plays a crucial role in developing and managing communications and ensuring successful and meaningful stewardship engagement with donors in support of the mission of Pennington Biomedical. This pivotal role will ensure current donors are being stewarded and cultivated in an appropriate manner through cohesive and consistent communications, acknowledgements, stewardship events, engagement, and reporting. Additionally, this individual will be instrumental in all facets of fundraising communication and marketing efforts with donors and prospective donors. This includes creating stewardship reports, individualized funding proposals, newsletters, solicitations, email templates, briefing documents, and other strategic communications. The role involves collaboration with internal partners to ensure consistency in content standards and support fundraising efforts. This position will report directly to the Chief Development Officer and will play a vital and integrated role in the development operations of Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation.  

Responsibilities and Duties: 

  • Manage the development of stewardship reports for high-level donors, conducting research, interviews, drafting, editing, designing, coordinating approval processes, and tracking reporting deadlines. 
  • Collaborate with fundraisers, leadership, staff, administrators, board members, and faculty to create individualized reports on progress and impact resulting from donor support. 
  • Work closely with the fundraising team to create strategic communication pieces for annual giving, gift planning, and major giving. 
  • Draft, edit, format, and design proposals to high-level prospects covering various fundraising initiatives. 
  • Coordinate with Pennington Biomedical communications team to align development communications with branding standards. 
  • Independently conduct research on funding priorities, programs, donor backgrounds, and past communications. 
  • Draft, research, format, proofread, and edit fundraising materials, including but not limited to brochures, newsletters, new donor packets, impact reports, websites, proposals, and presentations. 
  • Assists the development team, as needed, in donor outreach through email, phone, and direct mail communications. 
  • Prepares briefing and strategy documents for leadership to ensure they are properly informed, prepared, and supported in successful donor engagement. 
  • Facilitates and organizes customized engagement opportunities with donors through experiences like campus visits or community events. 
  • Helps to implement communications and stewardship aspects of fundraising strategy for the Annual Fund for Excellence Campaign. 
  • Supports PBRF staff with the execution of successful fundraising and stewardship related events. 
  • Ensure standardized copy for acknowledgments and correspondence is current and accurate. 
  • Proactively research and suggest publication content to support fundraising goals. 
  • Perform other duties as assigned. 

Decision Making: 

  • Responsible for researching and editing own work with risk of negative public relations exposure based on inaccurate content. 

Communication:

  • Interact internally with team members, faculty, administration, leadership, and communications staff. Interact with external contacts while coordinating communication materials or special projects. 

Scope and Complexity:

  • Demonstrate strong aptitude for grammatical correctness, writing style, and effective communication. Works closely with fundraisers for instruction, prioritization, and review.

Qualifications:

    • Bachelor’s degree, preferably in English, Journalism, or Communications.
    • Minimum 3 years of professional writing and editing experience.
    • Strong editing and proofreading skills.
    • Demonstrated ability to write clearly and concisely for various audiences.
    • Organizational and research abilities with attention to detail.
    • Familiarity with fundraising and donor management systems.
    • Ability to prioritize, manage multiple projects, and meet deadlines.
    • Excellent verbal and interpersonal skills.
    • Proficient with Microsoft Office.
    • Interest in the mission and work of Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
    • Some evenings and weekends may be required for special events and donor visits.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Background in science or scientific writing and editing for 5+ years.
  • Experience in a fundraising environment.
  • Knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite.

Job Title: Donor Research and Database Manager

Position Type: Full-Time, Hybrid (in-office with one optional remote work day)

Position Overview:

Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation seeks a dynamic and detail-oriented Donor Research and Database Manager to join our team. The position will play a pivotal role in ensuring the accuracy, security, and effectiveness of the organization’s donor database and in supporting fundraising initiatives by identifying and assessing potential donors and partners with a particular focus on identification of nationally and internationally based donors. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional research skills and a strong understanding of fundraising strategies and best practices in managing and optimizing the donor database system to support fundraising efforts, donor stewardship, and strategic decision-making. The Donor Research and Database Manager will interface with internal and external stakeholders including executives, donors, Board members, staff at Pennington Biomedical Research Center, and the general public. The Donor Research and Database Manager will also have opportunities to lead special projects within the development and finance teams, as well as collaborations with Pennington Biomedical Research Center employees. This position will report directly to the Chief Development Officer and will play a vital and integrated role in the development operations of Pennington Biomedical Research Foundation.

Responsibilities and Duties:

Database Management:

  • Oversee the maintenance and integrity of the donor database.
  • Implement best practices for data entry, gift processing, and record management.
  • Regularly update and cleanse donor records to ensure accuracy.
  • Pull lists and queries for events, reports, outreach, and special projects.

Prospect Research:

  • Conduct comprehensive research on individuals, corporations, and foundations to identify potential major donors, sponsors, and partners, particularly focused on broadening donor audience nationally and internationally.
  • Utilize various tools, databases, and resources to gather information on prospects, including wealth indicators, philanthropic history, and connections.
  • Analyze and evaluate gathered data to create detailed profiles and briefings for use by fundraisers and leadership.
  • Collaborate with the development team to prioritize prospects and develop cultivation and solicitation strategies.
  • Stay updated on industry trends, fundraising best practices, and changes in the philanthropic landscape to inform prospect research strategies.
  • Support prospecting efforts for specific campaigns, events, and initiatives as needed.

System Optimization:

  • Work closely with fundraising teams to optimize the functionality of the donor database system.
  • Implement and manage upgrades, enhancements, new systems, and integrations as needed.

Gift Processing:

  • Assist in processing and acknowledging donations promptly and accurately.
  • Collaborate with finance and development teams to reconcile financial records.

Reporting and Analysis:

  • Generate and distribute regular reports on various fundraising performance factors, prospective donor strategy, and other reporting as needed.
  • Provide data-driven insights to inform strategic decision-making.

Security and Compliance:

  • Implement and enforce security measures to protect donor information.
  • Ensure compliance with relevant data protection regulations and ethical fundraising practices.

Training and Support:

  • Train staff on proper use of the donor database system.
  • Provide ongoing support and troubleshooting assistance to users.

Donor Segmentation:

  • Collaborate with the development team to create and maintain donor segments for targeted outreach and communication.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
  • Proven experience in managing donor databases, prospect research, or a similar role in a non-profit setting.
  • Proficient in using fundraising CRM systems and database software.
  • Strong analytical and critical thinking skills with the ability to synthesize complex information into actionable insights.
  • Proficiency in using prospect research tools, databases, and online resources.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills for preparing comprehensive reports and briefings.
  • Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment and manage multiple projects with competing priorities.
  • The ability to work strategically with professionalism, tact, and diplomacy with both internal and external relationships.
  • Effective time management and organizational skills with excellent attention to detail and data accuracy.
  • Must possess a high degree of integrity, ethics, and dedication to the mission of the organization.
  • Understanding of ethical guidelines and confidentiality in handling sensitive donor information.
  • Knowledge of fundraising principles and practices.
  • Interest in the mission and work of Pennington Biomedical Research Center.
  • Some evenings and weekends may be required for special events and donor visits.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • 3+ years of non-profit database management and/or prospect research experience.
  • Familiarity with biomedical research or healthcare-related fundraising.
  • Expertise with Blackbaud’s Raisers Edge NXT.
  • Familiarity with iWave research tools.

The Foundation offers the following benefits to eligible full-time employees:

Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
Long-term Disability Insurance
403(b) Retirement Plan
Professional Development & Support

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