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Job Requisition ID:

2026-00209

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Group:

Staff

Job Category:

Advancement and Alumni Engagement

Employment Type:

Permanent

Department:

Advancement and External Relations - Special Projects

Hiring Range:

$60,384.87 - $75,481.09

Posting Information:

Internal posting expires March 5th at 11:59 PM

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

Reporting to the Director, Advancement Strategy, Principal Gifts, the Principal Gifts Specialist supports the Vice-President, Advancement & External Relations, the Principal Gifts team, and advancement/campaign leadership by contributing to the development and advancement of principal gift strategies, prospect plans, and campaign-related initiatives. The role strengthens the principal giving function through executive-ready materials, targeted research and analysis, engagement planning and documentation, and disciplined coordination of follow-up and readiness for senior leadership donor/prospect interactions. The incumbent synthesizes information from internal and external sources to inform engagement planning, proposal readiness, and leadership decision-making, and contributes to consistent prospect and engagement information management through the University’s CRM. The position may supervise co-op student support.

Key Accountabilities

Prospect Strategy Development and Planning

· Collaborates with Advancement Strategy/Principal Gifts leadership, the Central Development team, and Faculty Advancement teams to support the development of tailored engagement plans for principal gift prospects.

· Prepares background information and participates in planning discussions with relationship managers/primary solicitors to support appropriate engagement activity and timing, aligned to donor stage and institutional priorities.

· Captures and tracks agreed-upon actions from Principal Gifts strategy discussions in engagement plans and the CRM, flagging gaps or lapsed follow-up for attention/escalation as appropriate.

· Maintains a working knowledge of common structures and components of principal and transformational gifts to inform engagement planning and readiness efforts.

· Supports targeted initiatives intended to broaden and strengthen the principal giving pipeline, including activities aligned with university priorities and campaign-related plans.

Executive Briefing and Leadership Engagement Support

· Supports the Director, Advancement Strategy, in preparing the President, Vice-President and advancement leadership for donor/prospect engagement activity by coordinating internal inputs and ensuring materials are complete, accurate, and current.

· Produces and/or coordinates briefing materials and meeting preparation documents (e.g., background summaries, engagement history, relationship context, alignment considerations, and recommended next steps).

· Supports effective post-engagement follow-up by documenting actions, coordinating next steps, and ensuring appropriate internal communication and tracking.

Strategic Research, Analysis, and Context Development

· Conducts targeted research and environmental scans to provide context for principal giving engagement planning, proposal readiness, and senior leadership briefings (e.g., peer approaches, sector activity, institutional comparators, and relevant stakeholder context).

· Synthesizes information from internal partners and public sources into concise, executive-ready materials (e.g., briefing notes, background summaries, issue/context notes, and short analytical memos).

· Develops and maintains reference materials and comparative examples related to principal and transformational philanthropy (e.g., impact models, common gift components, recognition approaches, and illustrative peer examples) to support internal planning and discussion.

· Where prospect-specific information is required, conducts targeted research and synthesis to support customized engagement activities of Waterloo leadership (e.g., the President, Vice-President, and other senior leaders).

Collaboration and Communication

· Supports close collaboration and sharing of knowledge between Central Advancement, Faculties/AFIWs, and other campus units to support coordinated engagement strategies.

· Liaises as needed with internal partners to assemble inputs and ensure alignment for leadership materials, engagement planning, and proposal readiness.

· Maintains effective communication with stakeholders to support timely execution and follow-through on agreed-upon actions and deliverables.

Data and Information Management

· Maintains accurate, current, and appropriately detailed principal gifts prospect and engagement records in the University’s CRM, including meeting outcomes, strategy notes, actions, and next steps, in alignment with Advancement standards.

· Maintains tracking tools to support timely follow-through and consistent documentation across Principal Gifts.

Administration & Special Projects

· Responsible for hiring, training, supervision, and evaluation of co-op students and/or casual student staff (as approved).

· At the direction of the Director, Advancement Strategy, Principal Gifts, supports special projects and initiatives that advance the overall mandate of the combined Vice-President Advancement & External Relations and Principal Giving teams.

Required Qualifications

Education

· Completion of a bachelor’s degree, or equivalent combination of education and experience

· A graduate degree in a relevant field of study (business, humanities, social sciences) is preferred

Experience

· 3-5 years’ progressive experience providing strategy/research support and/or cross-functional executive-level unit support within Advancement, higher education, or a comparable complex organization

· Proven track record of developing briefing and background materials for an executive audience

· Experience in a university advancement setting is preferred

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

· Superior written and verbal communication skills developed through experience preparing executive-ready materials with a high standard of accuracy and discretion

· Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to set priorities and manage multiple deadlines and competing demands

· Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex information into clear, actionable summaries and recommendations for internal audiences

· Strong interpersonal, collaboration and influencing skills, with the ability to work effectively across a complex organization and build productive relationships at all levels

· High ethical standards, sound judgment, and a demonstrated ability to manage confidential and sensitive information

· Strong research aptitude and analytical skills, including experience conducting targeted research and environmental scans and producing concise written outputs; experience using conventional and Generative AI-enabled research methods is preferred

· Comfort working with large datasets and managing information strategically, with strong attention to data quality, documentation, and version control to support sound prioritization and decision-making.

· Technical proficiency in Microsoft Office and comfort working with constituent relationship management systems, with a focus on data accuracy, documentation and reporting

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.