Administrative Assistant, Gift Planning

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Administrative Assistant, Gift Planning

Job Profile Title

Administrative Assistant B

Job Description Summary

The Office of Gift Planning is responsible for raising gifts in outright, structured, deferred, and blended form from alumni and friends of the University of Pennsylvania; for marketing those gifts to a wide range of constituencies; and for stewarding the donors and other individual beneficiaries of those gifts. It does this through a combination of frontline fundraising, consultation to and collaboration with DAR and University colleagues, internal and external training programs, and comprehensive and targeted marketing outreach. The Administrative Assistant, reporting to the Executive Director, serves as the primary administrative and clerical support for the office and is involved in all aspects of the day-to-day operation of the program.


The Administrative Assistant is responsible for managing records and reports, and for ensuring that office policies and procedures are carried out in a professional and efficient manner. Under limited supervision, the Administrative Assistant must be able to exercise judgment, initiative, and analysis in carrying out administrative and clerical duties. The Administrative Assistant must handle complex and confidential materials with discretion, and must be able to meet deadlines in a goal-oriented environment.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Answer telephone calls courteously and professionally, and, as appropriate, respond, refer to relevant OGP staff member, or arrange for prompt follow-up; monitor office voicemail; maintain call log handle incoming and outgoing mail; arrange for external visitors to office.
• Support the OGP team with all aspects of clerical work including filing, scanning, creating mailings and documents, and entering correspondence and communication in database; assist the Office of Gift Management team with clerical work relating to estate administration and recording data in CRM and other software.
• Support the OGP team with all aspects of travel, from assisting with arrangements, to reimbursement, to providing immediate support if travel issues arise.
• Support the preparation, execution, and follow-up of in-person and virtual events.
• Maintain office calendar; and maintain calendar and schedule meetings for Executive Director.
• Work with fundraising and marketing directors to develop and implement electronic (e-mail based and other) messaging for identification, cultivation, and stewardship purposes.
• Support fundraising directors in planning for donor visits, events, meetings, presentations, and conferences, including preparation of informational materials and meeting arrangements.
• Support prospect management needs of the OGP team using Penn’s donor database, while maintaining confidentiality and data integrity.
• Help support maintenance of the Harrison Society, including generating welcome packets, clerical support of stewardship, including the birthday card and holiday card programs, adding updates and actions to Penn’s donor database, staffing events, and tracking toward goals.
• Record responses to marketing outreach and work with marketing team to interact with schools, centers, and units on specific marketing projects.
• Generate reports and extract and manipulate data to initiate leads, track outcomes, and create desired presentation formats; coordinate with reports team where appropriate to achieve requested results on an individual or ongoing basis.

Qualifications

• High School Grad/GE Degree and 3 to 5 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. preferred i knowledge of higher education and not-for-profit sectors. Desired skills include excellent interpersonal, communication, and writing skills; strong attention to detail; and ability to organize and manage multiple projects. Must have a desire to work collaboratively while contributing to a total team culture and effort. Ability to function with a high degree of independence in carrying out the responsibilities of the job, while knowing when to seek help in unfamiliar situations. High level of competency with computer software programs including database management, Microsoft office suite, CRM software, and internet research; capacity to learn and apply new technologies, including those unique to the organization, as needed. Must be able to handle confidential materials with discretion. Occasional weekend and/or evening work required.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Development and Alumni Relations

Pay Range

$19.32 - $23.00 Hourly Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements 
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay