PRESIDENT'S OFFICE (UA-PRES-IUBLA)

The Executive Director, Presidential Engagement, serves as a senior strategic leader within the Indiana University (IU) Office of the President, reporting directly to the Chief of Staff. The primary outcome of this role is stakeholder confidence - ensuring the President's voice, presence, and engagement consistently advance Indiana University's vision, values, and institutional priorities.

Department-Specific Responsibilities

• Designs and implements a comprehensive presidential engagement strategy that aligns executive presence with advancement objectives, institutional strategy, and reputational stewardship in close operational partnership with the Indiana University Foundation (IUF) and key university units.
• Leads the presidential engagement portfolio, orchestrating high-impact, strategically sequenced presidential touchpoints through executive correspondence, meaningful events, and intentional stakeholder engagement.
• Oversees donor and principal partner strategy, executive readiness and briefing coordination, athletic suite activation, and cross-university alignment.
• Stewards the President's engagement with a major private foundation partner, ensuring executive alignment in proposal development, renewals, and reporting.
• Serves as the liaison to the IU Foundation for principal and major donor strategy.
• Co-develops and manages a portfolio focused on top-tier donors and prospects; oversee fundraising calendars, briefing packages, solicitation sequencing, and stewardship plans.
• Manages the enterprise engagement portfolio, owning the presidential engagement strategy across IU and with external stakeholders, including segmentation, inclusion criteria, prioritization, risk assessment, and escalation protocols.
• Designs and implements the President's athletic suite activation strategy in partnership with Athletics, IU Foundation, and units advancing IU 2030 priorities.
• Develops and manages briefing materials, run-of-show sequencing, stakeholder talking points, and post-engagement follow-up, collaborating with staff to ensure delivery of timely and accurate intel for the President.
• Manages the presidential events team, driving planning and production for presidential events to ensure maximum strategic impact.
• Oversees procedurally required and reputational correspondence (recognitions, invitations, recommendations, stewardship cover letters) and maintain correspondence logs.
• Ensures front desk and reception readiness to ensure high-quality visitor experience and appropriate operational support.
• Supervises Correspondence Manager and Director of Presidential Events and Engagements Operations.

General Responsibilities

• Leads and implements large-scale advancement initiatives with key stakeholders and leaders in the public and private sector.
• Identifies potential opportunities and cultivates relationships engaging with relevant stakeholders to develop project scope.
• Develops deep understanding of related issues, assets, and opportunities to formulate project outcomes in collaboration with unit leadership and partners.
• Stay currents on emerging needs and works closely with leadership to improve operational efficiency based on industry trends.
• Matches identified needs with university academic and operational experts as well as external assets and resources.
• Manages budgets, takes on special projects, and may supervise staff in project operations.
• Serves as a primary point of contact on project needs and priorities interacting with diverse constituencies.
• Develops and maintains systems for selecting, tracking, and assessing projects and their outcomes and impact.
• May provide guidance to lower-level Institutional Advancement Consultants.

Combinations of related education and experience may be considered. Education beyond the minimum required may be substituted for work experience. Work experience beyond the minimum required may be substituted for education.

EDUCATION

Required

• Bachelor's degree in related field

WORK EXPERIENCE

Required

• 8 years of experience in outreach, engagement, public relations, or related field

LICENSES AND CERTIFICATIONS

Preferred

• Valid driver's license with the ability to be insured by Indiana University

SKILLS

Required

• Proficient communication skills
• Ability to represent the company with external constituents
• Maintains a high degree of professionalism
• Demonstrates a high commitment to quality
• Possesses flexibility to work in a fast paced, dynamic environment
• Seeks to acquire knowledge in area of specialty
• Highly thorough and dependable
• Demonstrates a high level of accuracy, even under pressure
• Ability to influence internal and/or external constituents
• Demonstrated time management and priority setting skills
• Possesses a high degree of initiative
• Ability to influence internal and/or external constituents
• Excellent collaboration and team building skills
• Demonstrates excellent judgment and decision making skills

This role requires the ability to effectively communicate and to operate a computer and other standard office productivity equipment. The position involves sedentary work as well as periods of time moving around an office environment and the campus. The person in this role must be able to perform the essential functions with or without an accommodation.

Bloomington, Indiana

$120,000 - $140,000, depending on qualifications.

For full-time staff employees, Indiana University offers a wide array of benefits including:

• Comprehensive medical and dental insurance
• Health savings account with generous IU contributions
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• Basic group life insurance paid by IU
• Voluntary supplemental life, long-term disability, critical illness, and supplemental accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Base retirement plan with generous IU contributions, subject to vesting
• Voluntary supplemental retirement plan options
• Tuition subsidy for employees and family members taking IU courses
• 10 paid holidays plus a paid winter break each year
• Generous paid time off plans
• Paid leave for new parents and IU-sponsored volunteer events
• Employee assistance program (EAP)

Learn more about our benefits by reviewing the IU Benefit Programs Brochure.

Career Level: Expert

FLSA: Exempt

Job Function: Development & Advancement

Job Family: Institutional Advancement

Click here to learn more about Indiana University's Job Framework.

This posting is scheduled to close at 11:59 pm EST on the advertised Close Date. This posting may be closed at any time at the discretion of the University, but will remain open for a minimum of 5 business days. To guarantee full consideration, please submit your application within 5 business days of the Posted Date.

If you wish to include a cover letter, you may include it with your resume when uploading attachments.

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, containing policy statements, crime and fire statistics for all Indiana University campuses, is available online. You may also request a physical copy by emailing IU Public Safety at iups@iu.edu or by visiting IUPD.

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Telephone: 812-856-1234