Jobs @ MRL

Full-time Director of Advancement at Central Library (Harrisonburg)

Massanutten Regional Library (MRL) is seeking a full-time employee to fill the position of Director of Advancement at the Central Library in Harrisonburg, VA.

The Director of Advancement is responsible for developing and overseeing the strategies that tell MRL’s story through business results, improving brand relevance, and strengthening MRL’s reputation to a range of audiences including consumers, influencers, donors, and agency partners. These strategies include comprehensive marketing communications and public relations, and fundraising initiatives that support MRL’s mission and strategic goals.

This full-time position works under the direction of the Library Director. This position in on-site at Central Library with occasional travel to other branch locations. While much of this job is completed during normal business hours, some evening and weekend work is required to support various library initiatives.

Duties and Responsibilities

Advancement

• Lead public relations and thought leadership strategies and execution, working directly with leadership team and staff.
• Actively seek opportunities to promote MRL through partnerships and advertising.
• Build and maintain relationships with key media, donors, and influencers.
• Craft events and strategies that acquire new relationships and financial support.
• Develop MRL’s annual advancement plan strategies for marketing communications and fundraising initiatives, including direct mail, major gifts, estate planning, online giving, and annual giving days.
• Work occasional evenings and/or weekends for special events or programs.

Marketing Communications

• ·Act as public relations spokesperson on behalf of MRL, soliciting media interest through writing and posting regular media releases and pitch calls, and addressing or scheduling all media requests.
• Work with MRL program planners and leadership staff to create effective marketing communications strategies for events, partnership events, and MRL strategic initiatives.
• Maintain organizational brand and act as brand manager to ensure that all communications are cohesive, mission-centric and consistent in tone, look, and purpose.
• Serve as content manager for MRL’s website, social media platforms, digital signage, and weekly e-newsletter.
• Oversee the creation and production of all MRL print collateral materials, including art production and design for in-house publications as well as usage of MRL logo in partnership programs.

Fundraising 

• Annual Fund – Develop and execute an annual strategy of securing regular, annual giving through direct mail, major gifts, and annual giving campaigns. Design, produce, distribute all fundraising collateral materials and direct mail campaigns, and measure each campaign’s effectiveness with regard to budget, expense, and return on investment.
• External support – Solicit donations, underwriters and sponsorships, and write grants as appropriate, to seek unrestricted and restricted gifts from corporations and foundations. Create and maintain a prospect list for each fundraising initiative.
• Planned giving – Prepare the library to receive estate gifts of property, cash, stock and other assets and develop marketing communication strategies to promote MRL as a recipient of charitable planned gifts.
• Work with branch managers and department heads on memorial and honor gifts, and estate bequests, and provide monthly fundraising reports to detail those gifts as well as monthly and annual reconciliation reports of donations received for the Director of Finance and Human Resources.
• Enter and process all MRL donations and gift receipts in a timely manner and maintain accurate donor records in cloud-based donor software as well hard copy files.

Stewardship

• Serve on the Administrative team and attend evening Board of Trustees meetings.
• Maintain regular contact with MRL’s Board of Trustees and staff to engage them in them in best practices in advancement to best steward MRL’s marketing communications, public relations, and fundraising strategies.
• Lead Board of Trustees Advancement Committee and schedule quarterly meetings to advance MRL objectives.
• Develop an expense and income budget based on the comprehensive advancement plan for the year.
• Properly code and track income and expenses as money and invoices are received.

Qualifications

Education & Experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree in English, communications, business administration, or a related field 
• 5 years of fundraising and marketing experience (nonprofit organization preferred) 
• 2 years of sales experience preferred 

Credentials, Certificates, Licenses  

• Valid and current driver’s license

Knowledge & Skills 

• Excellent writing and communication skills 
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills 
• Ability to work with a broad range of customers (which may include co-workers, agencies, media partners, civic groups, etc.) and establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information appropriately
• Ability to work independently, organize and prioritize work, respond to varied/changing work demands and to make decisions as required
• Attention to detail and ability to prioritize multiple projects
• Experience in designing and producing collateral materials 
• Knowledge of graphic design and donor software 
• Ability to plan, executive and measure campaigns and event effectiveness
• Standard working knowledge of computer operations including office systems and ability to learn specialized library technology procedures and routines  
• Ability to effectively and positively represent the library before community groups and the public, consistent with the library's vision, mission and strategic plan
• Honesty, integrity, ability to maintain confidentiality and responsible stewardship of library resources.

Candidates must have the ability to complete a thorough education, employment, and/or criminal history check as a post offer requirement.

About MRL

Massanutten Regional Library operates as a private nonprofit regional library system with seven library branches serving the City of Harrisonburg and Page and Rockingham Counties. Please click here for more information.

MRL offers health, dental & vision coverage, 9 paid holidays and 2 personal days per year, accrual of 12 days of vacation leave per year, additional sick leave, participation in the Virginia Retirement System, and parking.

To apply:

Applications can be downloaded at this link. Completed applications in PDF format, plus cover letter and resume, should be submitted by e-mail to jobs@mrlib.org. Please also include a link to a portfolio or PDF that showcases past projects, marketing campaigns, and writing samples (such as blogs, web content, social media, press releases, and marketing collateral). Salary range available upon request. Position open until filled. Application review will begin on August 12, 2024. The target start date for this position is by mid-September.

About MRL:

Founded in 1928, Massanutten Regional Library is a seven branch system that serves over 160,000 residents in Harrisonburg, Page County, and Rockingham County. As a 501(c)(3), nonprofit organization, MRL is funded in partnership with these localities and through the generosity of our patrons.