Administrative and Development Specialist

Department: Advancement and Alumni Relations

Classification: Admin Office Specialist 3

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Pay Band: 03

Salary: starting at mid- to upper-$50,000s, commensurate with experience and education

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Office of Advancement and Alumni Relations division is a comprehensive development and alumni relations enterprise with a staff complement of approximately 135 FTE. Functional units within Advancement include development/fundraising, alumni relations, donor relations and stewardship, advancement communications, special events, gift processing, research, prospect management, gift planning, corporate and foundation relations, information systems and management, and infrastructure services.

Advancement and Alumni Relation’s mission is to build strong, lifelong relationships with George Mason University's alumni and constituents, while matching their philanthropic interests with the university’s aspirations and priorities. The division is committed to serving the needs of the university, our alumni, and the greater community by providing access to quality education and lifelong learning. Respect, service, integrity, collaboration, transparency, and creativity are the values that guide our work and culture.

About the Position:

The Administrative and Development Specialist supports the coordination and implementation of development and fundraising activities for the George Mason academic community with a focus on providing the necessary administrative and operational support to raise philanthropic support from individual prospects as well as local, regional, and national corporations and foundations. Responsible for planning, implementing, and coordinating designated activities for the University Priorities (UP) and Corporate and Foundation Relations (CFR) team.

Provides primary administrative and operational support for the University Priorities and Corporate and Foundation Relations team, managing and analyzing reports for the team, coordinating internal technology and CRM updates, conducting prospect research, preparing agendas, handling information requests and performing clerical functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, distributing communications, arranging conference calls, scheduling meetings, providing event support and interfacing with the George Mason University Foundation as needed.

This position is tasked with managing resources, driving the resolution of issues, and supporting the implementation of business solutions by building relationships and partnerships with key stakeholders in Advancement and Alumni Relations and across schools and units.

Professionally represents the team to all constituents; provides administrative support in an efficient and effective manner in a fast-paced environment subject to multiple demands and changing conditions to support the achievement of mission and goals of Advancement and the university.

Please Note: Due to the nature of the confidential information this position works with, current Mason students CAN NOT be considered for this position.

Responsibilities:

Development Support

• Provides administrative support for the full development lifecycle of individual, corporate and foundation funders with an emphasis on partnering with UP and CFR development staff to support the identification, cultivation, and solicitation of major gifts;
• Conducts prospect research for corporations and foundations on a routine basis to identify new prospects and funding opportunities;
• Assists UP and CFR development staff with the cultivation and management of individual, corporate and foundation prospects and donors, including research and evaluation of new prospects, performance tracking and reporting;
• Assists with proposal development, including copyediting, formatting, and submission;
• Communicates with high-profile individual, corporate and foundation prospects with a focus on enhancing the donor experience;
• Collaborates with UP and CFR development staff in building strategic relationships with internal and external partners;
• Generates appropriate electronic and other correspondence and leads department donor stewardship activities; and
• Assists with the planning, organizing, and execution of internal and external events.

CFR Operations and Project Management

• Responsible for overall project management of UP and CFR development team activities including strategic initiatives and improvements. Prioritizes and manages competing priorities, anticipates and meets deadlines, provides project updates and notes;
• Maintains team website, intranet site, and community of practice (Microsoft Teams);
• Utilizes Salesforce and MicroStrategy to generate team performance data and portfolio analysis reports and data;
• Updates and maintains internal development files;
• Implements and manages intake process to respond to inquiries from the campus community and external constituencies;
• Assists with developing, recording and formalizing systems and processes for corporate and foundation prospects, including tracking submitted and upcoming funding opportunities;
• Maintains collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Shared drive and Blackboard and shared resources such as templates; and
• Provides necessary documentation and follow-up for donors and internal campus partners as needed.

AVP and Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations Support 

• Coordinates meetings with internal and external stakeholders. Handles meeting preparation and follow-up including coordination of meeting agendas, materials, conference rooms, A/V, minutes and other related support;
• Provides the full range of operational functions for the AVP and Senior Director including administrative support, calendar management, credit card reconciliation, gift processing, database management, entry of development and donor activity reports, and reporting;
• Manages the calendars of supported individuals, keeping them free of scheduling conflicts;
• Represents Mason at events, as needed, in order to support the CFR team and university;
• Provides administrative support to the development team;
• Processes purchases for goods and services as needed;
• Works with the Advancement Operations team to utilize the University Travel Request System to generate travel authorizations and reimbursements; and
• Utilizes other university systems to aid the Development team with procurement needs as applicable (i.e., catering system, food & beverage forms, payment request forms, etc.).

Other 

• Performs other related duties as assigned within the scope of the role;
• Seeks out opportunities to improve office operations and makes recommendations for their implementation; and
• Be willing to take on additional work as needed to ensure the smooth operations.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Considerable experience working in an administrative capacity (generally 3-5 years);
• Experience managing multiple calendars;
• Experience assisting with generating productive relationships with internal and external partners;
• Knowledge of project planning, development, and monitoring;
• Knowledge of strategies and technologies that allow business to be conducted via the web, including Microsoft 365 and Office Suite;
• Strong attention to detail;
• Strong online research capabilities;
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to listen and express ideas and thoughts effectively across all levels of seniority;
• Strong interpersonal skills necessary to build relationships with internal and external constituents;
• Strong collaborative skills and a team-focused approach is crucial in this role that supports the colleges, departments, and other units that comprise the George Mason community;
• High level of integrity, solid judgment and the ability to both self-initiate and ask for guidance as needed;
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, follow through on projects and be proactive and solution-oriented;
• Ability to prioritize, organize, and perform multiple work assignments simultaneously;
• Ability to perform assigned responsibilities with minimal to moderate supervision;
• Ability to handle highly personal information and maintain confidentiality; and
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative along with following through on specific requests and exhibit independent decision making.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in higher education;
• Experience working in a nonprofit;
• Experience with event planning including securing vendors, handling logistics, and post-event analytics;
• Previous knowledge of Salesforce or other CRM;
• MicroStrategy or other reporting database software; and
• Writing skills associated with proposals, solicitation letters, etc.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Administrative and Development Specialist at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, including your current supervisor, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: October 3, 2025

Posting Close Date: October 17,2025

Open Until Filled:  No