COMPANY DESCRIPTION

Singapore Management University is a place where high-level professionalism blends together with a healthy informality. The 'family-like' atmosphere among the SMU community fosters a culture where employees work, plan, organise and play together - building a strong collegiality and morale within the university.

Our commitment to attract and retain talent is ongoing. We offer attractive benefits and welfare, competitive compensation packages, and generous professional development opportunities - all to meet the work-life needs of our staff. No wonder, then, that SMU continues to be given numerous awards and recognition for its human resource excellence.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Strategic Stewardship & Donor Engagement
  • Develop and implement an institution-wide segmented stewardship framework aligned with fundraising and institutional priorities.
  • Oversee end-to-end donor lifecycle management, including acknowledgement, reporting, recognition, and ongoing engagement.
  • Ensure consistent delivery of high-quality, personalised donor experiences across all giving tiers.
  • Leverage data, analytics, and benchmarking to enhance stewardship effectiveness and impact.
  • Translate donor intent into structured engagement and reporting plans across faculties and programmes.
• Events & Experiential Engagement
  • Provide oversight of donor engagement events and platforms, including the annual flagship event and targeted experiences
  • Ensure events deliver measurable outcomes in donor satisfaction, retention, and engagement.
  • Oversee planning, governance, and execution to ensure quality, consistency, and alignment with institutional objectives.
• Advancement Services & Data Management
  • Provide oversight of advancement services functions, including:
    • Gift administration and fund management.
    • Donor data governance and CRM systems.
    • Financial and management reporting.
  • Ensure accuracy, integrity, and compliance with data policy.
  • Oversee regulatory and institutional reporting, including:
    • Related financial reporting to the Office of Finance and the Office of Investment.
    • Budget submissions and grant reporting requirements.
  • Drive data-informed decision making to enhance fundraising and stewardship outcomes.
• Governance, Risk & Compliance
  • Establish and maintain governance frameworks, policies, and service standards to support Advancement operations.
  • Ensure compliance with:
    • Donor intent and gift agreements.
    • Institutional, regulatory, and audit requirements.
  • Oversee key governance responsibilities, including:
    • Secretariat (America Friends of Singapore Management University) and compliance processes.
    • Data protection and risk management coordination.
  • Lead the development and continuous improvement of governance frameworks, guidelines, and SOPs.
• Stakeholder & Cross-Functional Leadership
  • Partner with senior leadership, faculty, and advancement teams to align stewardship with fundraising strategies and campaign priorities
  • Act as a strategic advisor on donor engagement and stewardship strategy at the organisational level.
  • Influence stakeholders to adopt donor-centric practices and accountability standards.
  • Lead cross-functional initiatives to strengthen donor engagement, profiling, and personalisation.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Qualifications & Experience
  • Degree with a minimum of 15 years of relevant experience in advancement, stewardship, donor relations, or related fields in a high growth environment with proven experience in:
    • Strategic leadership and team management.
    • Complex stakeholder engagement across large organisations.
    • Managing advancement services, CRM systems, and reporting functions.
    • Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives.
  • Skills & Competencies
    • Strong strategic thinking and execution capabilities.
    • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
    • High level of data literacy and familiarity with CRM systems.
    • Strong governance, compliance, and risk management orientation.
    • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
    • Ability for creative problem-solving and solutioning.
    • High level of professionalism, discretion, and stakeholder sensitivity.

#LI-JN2

Candidates who do not possess the stipulated qualifications but have relevant work experience may still apply. Remuneration and appointment terms shall commensurate with qualifications and experience. SMU reserves the right to modify the appointment terms where necessary.