Events and Stewardship Manager, Athletics Development

Position Title:

Events and Stewardship Manager, Athletics Development

Position Type:

Regular

Hiring Range:

$37.31-$44.79/per hour; Compensation will be based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.

Pay Frequency:

Annual

POSITION PURPOSE

View Full Description

Position Title:

Events and Stewardship Manager, Athletics Development

Position Type:

Regular

Hiring Range:

$37.31-$44.79/per hour; Compensation will be based on education, experience, skills relevant to the role, and internal equity.

Pay Frequency:

Annual

POSITION PURPOSE

The Events and Stewardship Manager, Athletics Development is responsible for contributing to the overall engagement and stewardship strategy for Santa Clara University (“SCU”) Athletics alumni, donors, and other constituents to advance the Athletics Department's fundraising goals. The position will assist athletics development leadership with the execution of stewardship and events with a heavy emphasis on recruiting, training, and coordinating a student team. In addition, this role will assist the athletics development team with maintaining and organizing accurate data management relevant to development work.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Assist with the planning and execution of Athletics Department development events.

• Assist with the planning, coordination, and execution of Athletics Department development events that support departmental, institutional, and external relations goals, including game day hospitality, fundraising, constituent engagement, and student-athlete recognition events.

• Develop comprehensive event plans and timelines in collaboration with Athletics’ leadership, coaches, University Relations, and other campus partners to ensure alignment with institutional objectives and brand standards.

• Manage invitation lists and guest communications, including creating and distributing invitations, tracking RSVPs, and maintaining accurate databases of attendees, sponsors, and VIPs.

• Coordinate all event logistics, including venue selection and setup, audio/visual needs, parking and transportation, signage, event flow, and day-of schedules.

• Recruit, hire, train, and supervise  volunteers to support the successful execution of Athletics events, ensuring appropriate coverage, clear role assignments, and high-quality customer service throughout event operations.

• Serve as primary liaison for catering, facilities, and vendor partners, ensuring timely delivery of services, adherence to budget parameters, and a high-quality guest experience.

• Oversee event setup and teardown, coordinating with facilities, custodial, and operations staff to ensure efficient transitions and proper use of departmental and University resources.

• Ensure compliance with University policies and risk management standards, including alcohol service, accessibility, and insurance requirements for events.

• Support Athletics communications and marketing efforts by assisting with event promotion, printed materials, photography coordination, and social media content related to events.

• Provide on-site event management, serving as the point of contact for staff, vendors, and guests to ensure smooth execution and prompt issue resolution.

• Assist with post-event follow-up, including thank you correspondence, attendee surveys, and debrief reports to evaluate outcomes and identify areas for improvement.

2. Contribute to constituent engagement and stewardship efforts for the Athletics Department.

• Assist in the execution of constituent engagement and stewardship initiatives that strengthen relationships with donors, alumni, parents, and friends in support of the mission and fundraising priorities of SCU Athletics.

• Support the implementation of stewardship strategies to recognize, thank, and retain donors through coordinated communications, personalized acknowledgments, impact updates, and recognition events.

• Collaborate closely with the athletics external relations team, University Relations Annual Giving, and Alumni Relations offices to align outreach efforts, share information, and ensure a consistent and coordinated approach to athletics stewardship and engagement.

• Serve as a significant point of contact for Athletics Department constituents (phone, office, email etc.) specifically with general inquiries or initial communication.

• Assist athletics development staff to execute sport-specific engagement opportunities and strategic implementation of fundraising campaigns and outreach efforts.

• Help track and maintain accurate records of donor and alumni engagement activity, ensuring data integrity and contributing to improved stewardship reporting and donor recognition.

• Demonstrate a strong commitment to customer service and relationship building, ensuring all athletics constituents feel valued, appreciated, and connected to the impact of their support.

3. Assist with the organization of Athletics Development data management and analysis.

• Collaborate with the University Relations gift processing team to ensure all athletics pledges and gifts are properly prepared for processing, designated to appropriate gift fund(s), and donor credit is attributed correctly in the university’s donor database.

• Help maintain accurate records for all Athletics constituents and donors by updating contact details, demographic information, and giving history; submit adjustments and data corrections to ensure all contributions, benefits, and communications are properly attributed and recorded in the university’s donor database.

• Prepare and submit data request forms to secure constituent lists that support stewardship, outreach, prospecting, and other development team priorities, ensuring requested data is accurately generated through the University Relations service desk.

4. Other duties as assigned.

• Be aware of and abide by all applicable NCAA and Conference rules and regulations.

PROVIDES WORK DIRECTION

• Provides direction and feedback to student workers.

GENERAL GUIDELINES

• Recommends initiatives and implements changes to improve quality and services.

• Identifies and determines cause of problems; develops and presents recommendations for improvement of established processes and practices.

• Maintains contact with constituents and solicits feedback for improved services.

• Maximizes productivity through use of appropriate tools, planned training, and performance initiatives.

• Researches and develops resources that create timely and efficient workflow. 

• Informs supervisor of project statuses and deviation from goals. Ensures completeness, accuracy and timeliness of all operational functions.

• Prepares and submits reports as requested and required.

• Develops and implements guidelines to support the functions of the unit.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The items below are representative of the knowledge, skills, abilities, education, and experience required or preferred.

This position requires the ability to effectively establish and maintain cooperative working relationships within a diverse multicultural environment.

1. Knowledge

• Appreciation of and commitment to further the mission, values, and goals of SCU.

2. Skills

• Demonstrated strong communication skills – written and verbal.

• Experience building and maintaining constituent/client relationships.

• Experience using database management systems and other common office computer applications, including word-processing, spreadsheet, email and browser applications.

• Capable of working both independently and as a team member, results-oriented, and self-starter.

• Experience in marketing and communication preferred.

• Experience in Web and graphic design preferred.

• Finance/accounting experience preferred.

3. Abilities

• Ability to work effectively with external constituents, particularly donors, alumni, season ticket holders, and corporate sponsors.

• Ability to work effectively with internal constituents, particularly senior-level staff, coaching staff, student-athletes, and other appropriate University staff.

• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential information with discretion.

• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously with frequent interruptions.

4. Education

• Bachelor’s degree required. 

5. Years of Experience

• Three-five years experience in higher education or nonprofit fundraising, and preferably within Division I intercollegiate athletics.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, as amended, the California Fair Employment & Housing Act, and all other applicable laws, SCU provides reasonable accommodations for qualified persons with disabilities. A qualified individual is a person who meets skill, experience, education, or other requirements of the position, and who can perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

• Considerable time is spent at a desk using a computer terminal. 

• May be required to travel to other buildings on the campus.

• May be required to occasionally travel to outside vendors or suppliers.

• May be required to occasionally travel for University and/or athletics events held off campus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
The work environment characteristics described below are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

• Typical office environment.

• Office environment with frequent interruptions.

• Frequent attendance at athletics events.

• Frequent attendance at events, inclusive of evenings and weekends.

Telecommute

Santa Clara University is registered to do business in the following states: California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Illinois. Employees approved to telecommute are required to perform their work within one of these states.

 

EEO Statement

Equal Opportunity/Notice of Nondiscrimination

Santa Clara University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, marital status, parental status, veteran or military status, physical or mental disability, medical conditions, pregnancy or related conditions, reproductive health decision making, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.  For a complete copy of Santa Clara University’s equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policies, please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX website at  https://www.scu.edu/title-ix/. 

 

_ Clery Notice of Availability _

Santa Clara University annually collects information about campus crimes and other reportable incidents in accordance with the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act. To view the Santa Clara University report, please visit the Campus Safety Services website. To request a paper copy please call Campus Safety at (408) 554-4441. The report includes the type of crime, venue, and number of occurrences.

 

_ Americans with Disabilities Act _

Consistent with its obligations under the law, Santa Clara University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities.  Applicants who wish to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact the Department of Human Resources ADA Team at hraccommodations@scu.edu or by phone at (408)554-5750.

Apply Now

View Less Description