Laboratory Schools: Assistant Director of Operations, Stewardship and Communications

About this role

Department Lab School Alumni Relations & Development About the Department At the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, students in Nursery through Grade 12 experience a world-class educational journey. Founded in 1896 by John Dewey as a place for educators to develop and explore novel approaches to pedagogy and curriculum, Lab continues to provide excitement and imagination in learning to this day. Academic rigor, experiential learning, and intellectual discourse are hallmarks of a Lab education. Lab educators are recognized for excellence in teaching and pride themselves on innovation in the classroom. Students in every grade have access to unparalleled resources, and all members of the Lab community benefit by partnerships and connections with the University of Chicago. Families who choose Lab care deeply about curiosity, inquiry, and creativity.

No less than scholarship, Lab’s mission prioritizes honoring diversity and exhibiting kindness. We are committed to building and supporting a teaching and learning community where young people see aspects of their backgrounds and identities reflected around them, where they feel a deep sense of belonging, and where they discover and use their voices to full effect. Today, 53-59 percent of Lab’s student body are students of color. Families report speaking nearly 40 different languages in their homes. Approximately 60 percent of Lab families are also affiliated with the University of Chicago. Half of our families live in Hyde Park, and the rest come from across Chicago, the suburbs, and northwestern Indiana. Inclusion is a fundamental value at Lab, such that we celebrate every facet of community members’ identities, and even where we disagree, we emphasize respect, civility, and maintaining a spirit of community.

Lab seeks the finest employees to join our vibrant learning community. We employ people with a wide range of skills and training in many different disciplines, who have in common a love of learning and the wish to inspire that same love of learning in young people. We seek candidates for employment who thrive in an educational environment. We provide a great professional home for those committed to collaboration, ongoing personal and professional growth, and cultivating positive relationships. In turn, we strive to ensure that Lab is a joyful, welcoming, and inspiring place to work. Through our connection to the University, faculty, staff, and administrators enjoy benefits and opportunities that would be nearly impossible to match in any other environment. Job Summary The Assistant Director of Operations, Stewardship and Communications at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (Lab) provides high-level strategic, administrative, and project support for alumni relations and development efforts at the Laboratory Schools, helping advance team priorities and annual fundraising goals. It involves coordinating donor stewardship, alumni engagement, volunteer activities, and cultivation efforts. This position also manages a wide range of communications, including donor acknowledgments, stewardship reports, presentations, briefing materials, and other internal and external correspondence. A major responsibility is maintaining accurate constituent and donor records through systems such as Salesforce and PowerSchool, while also analyzing fundraising and engagement data to produce reports, dashboards, and other materials that inform planning and decision-making. This position also helps plan and execute meetings and events, improves workflows and operational practices, supports scheduling and office management tasks, and participates in professional development to strengthen advancement knowledge and effectiveness. Responsibilities • Provides strategic, administrative, and project support for the Laboratory Schools alumni relations and development function, independently managing assigned activities and advancing team priorities. • Coordinates and supports fundraising, stewardship, alumni engagement, cultivation, and volunteer activities in support of annual goals and long-term campaign success. • Cultivates and maintains relationships with donors, alumni, volunteers, advisory council members, and other key constituents; responds to inquiries and supports ongoing engagement strategies. • Drafts, edits, and manages correspondence and related materials, including donor acknowledgments, annual stewardship reports, leadership communications, presentations, briefing materials, solicitation/support materials, and other internal and external communications. • Coordinates record-keeping within Lab ARD in partnership with Lab’s advancement services. This includes, but is not limited to, becoming a proficient database/resource user of Salesforce, PowerSchool and any other platform required to maintain accurate constituent and donor records, tracking giving history and demographic information, fulfilling query/report requests, and ensuring data integrity. • Analyzes and interprets fundraising and engagement data; prepares reports, dashboards, spreadsheets, graphs, charts, and presentations to support strategic planning, performance tracking, and decision-making. • Supports gift administration by preparing gift documentation, coordinating with Lab Finance and central Advancement gift processing, tracking pledge and fund activity, and assisting with stewardship reporting and donor acknowledgments. • Assists with prospect research and fundraising strategy by gathering background information, identifying prospective donors or sponsors, and helping prepare solicitation, grant, and campaign materials. • Partners to plan, coordinate, and execute meetings and events, including donor cultivation events, donor appreciation activities, advisory council meetings, staff meetings, annual giving efforts, and other strategic engagement programs; manages logistics, vendors, and collaboration with campus partners and volunteers. • Develops, documents, and improves

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