Description

VP Development and Alumni is currently seeking a Full-time Limited Term Priority Initiatives Program Specialist for approximately 22 months.

The Development and Alumni team serves as a bridge between the University of Calgary and its champions, including donors, alumni, volunteers, community members and partners. The team supports engagement and philanthropic investment that advances the strategic priorities of the university and the communities it serves.

The position operates with a high degree of independence in a complex, cross-functional workplace. The work requires advanced project and portfolio-management expertise, sound judgment and the ability to develop solutions where established approaches may not exist.

The Specialist works across multiple functions and priorities, assesses complex and sometimes competing operational requirements, develops and improves processes and practices, and leads multidisciplinary projects and working groups related to priority enablement.

The position requires the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources, identify broader portfolio and process implications, build consensus among stakeholders, and determine appropriate approaches within its area of expertise.
This position reports to the AVP, Advancement Services.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Priority Planning & Enablement

- Lead the development and continuous improvement of processes for transitioning priorities from review and decision into planning and activity for the Development and Alumni team; maintain and evolve these transition processes as the intake and feedback mechanisms mature.
- Establish the planning requirements,



tools and documentation needed to support each priority.
- Coordinate the development of plans that identify key requirements, timelines, dependencies, responsibilities and deliverables.
- Track progress against plans and follow up on actions and dependencies.
- Analyze issues, gaps or barriers, develop solutions within the scope of the role, and upscale matters requiring leadership or functional decisions.

Portfolio Management

- Develop and maintain an integrated view of fundraising priorities and related projects, opportunities and assets.
- Establish and maintain naming conventions, identifiers and core portfolio information across planning and reporting tools.
- Develop and maintain tools and processes to track status, readiness, activity, dependencies and changes across the portfolio.
- Establish and maintain inventories of projects, funding opportunities and fundraising assets associated with priorities, where applicable.
- Analyze and synthesize portfolio information for regular portfolio reviews, including progress, changing circumstances, emerging opportunities and dependencies.
- Document decisions and changes arising from portfolio reviews and reflect them in portfolio records and plans.

Fundraising & Engagement Readiness





- Establish a consistent approach for identifying and coordinating the components needed to support fundraising and engagement activity for each priority.
- Coordinate across responsible teams to track the status and dependencies of fundraising readiness components, including case materials, funding opportunities, financial information, terms of reference, naming opportunities, gift administration, CRM, stewardship, communications and proposal materials.
- Maintain visibility into the status, dependencies and outstanding requirements associated with these components.
- Coordinate with Development, Alumni and Advancement Services teams to ensure priority information and supporting materials are available to inform their work.

Cross-Functional Coordination

- Establish coordinated approaches for bringing together the functions required to support priorities.
- Coordinate working groups and planning meetings involving Development, Alumni, Advancement Services, Communications, Finance, Research, faculties and other partners.
- Track cross-functional dependencies, actions and deliverables.
- Build alignment across participating teams on processes, requirements, dependencies and approaches.
- Address cross-functional process issues within the scope of the role and upscale matters requiring leadership or functional decisions.

Information & Operational Support

- Establish and maintain centralized priority documentation, records and related workspaces.
- Develop and maintain consistent documentation, version control and record-keeping practices.
- Coordinate the creation and maintenance of priority records, coding and reporting structures.
- Develop and improve workflows and

📌 Priority Initiatives Program Specialist, VP Development and Alumni (Calgary)
🏢 University of Calgary
📍 Calgary