Department : Development
Supervises : TBD
Salary : Up to $120,000
Payroll Classification: Writer Editor 4
Req Nbr : 9502
Position Summary
The Senior Campaign and Proposal Writer is the team’s principal storyteller for high-stakes fundraising within the Campaign Content & Creative (CCC) team. This hands-on role partners closely with the Senior Executive Director and CCC teammates, Principal Gifts and Donor Experience teams, development leaders, and school/unit communicators to produce principal-level proposals and concept papers, cases for support, flagship donor features, impact stories, and select leadership communications. They will also directly supervise and mentor other Development writing staff – setting standards, reviewing work, and building capacity for campaign-quality storytelling. The focus is donor-centric writing that advances cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship, translating complex academic and research initiatives into clear, persuasive communication calibrated to donor intent and stage.
Primary Responsibilities
The role is a key contributor to the development and build-out of UCLA’s next comprehensive campaign, helping shape and extend the narrative across the institution. The Senor Campaign and Proposal Writer will also help codify editorial standards (voice, templates and toolkits) to improve speed, quality, and consistency across campus partners in support of a “common message, local accent” approach. This position will collaborate with the Office of Strategic Communications on alignment points, such as major gift announcements, while remaining squarely responsible for donor storytelling. The ideal candidate brings strong instincts for message clarity, voice consistency, and audience engagement, along with experience working in campaign, development, or high-visibility nonprofit communications settings.
Qualifications
1. 8+ years of experience in fundraising communications or related donor-focused storytelling.
2. Proven partnership with frontline fundraisers and/or direct experience in a development/donor strategy role – demonstrating a clear understanding of how messaging supports cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship.
3. Experience supervising or mentoring writers/editors, with a track record of developing talent and a commitment to equitable feedback practices.
4. Demonstrated experience and excellence producing principal and major gift proposals/cases and flagship donor features under deadline.
5. Prior experience and skill as an interviewer across faculty/academic leaders, clinicians, donors, and institutional partners; able to synthesize complex inputs quickly to inform persuasive, accurate, and tailored content.
6. Advanced knowledge of the fundamentals of writing, grammar, syntax, style and punctuation with advanced skills to write, clear, lively, engaging, compelling and effective copy in a variety of styles appropriate to target audiences and the broader public.
7. Strong editorial instincts with advanced knowledge of appropriate editorial style and publication guidelines; able to set standards and provide edits/coaching to peers.
8. Cross-channel writing range with firm grasp of accessibility and inclusive language.
9. Ability to write in a voice that is clear, warm, and confident – while adapting tone to reflect institutional, campaign, or senior leadership perspectives.
10. Advanced analytical and critical thinking skills and an adaptive, solutions-oriented mindset; thrives in a fast-paced environment and adjusts quickly to shifting priorities.
11. Advanced project management, organizational and proactive problem-solving skills; ability to work independently with a high level of autonomy, work quickly and accurately; provide proficient follow up and make effectively timely decisions under minimal supervision.
12. Strong collaborative instincts and advanced communication and interpersonal skills; able to build trust with colleagues and partners and operate with discretion around sensitive donor and institutional information.
13. Dedicated, passionate, resilient and results-oriented with demonstrated skill in succeeding at challenging assignments and producing work that is on target, highly polished and of a high standard.
14. Committed to continuous learning and professional development as both a writer and strategic communicator is preferred.
15. Familiarity with gift announcement workflows and newsroom coordination is preferred.
16. Comfort translating scientific/clinical/technical content for donor or similar constituent audiences is preferred.
17. Comfort leveraging AI-enabled tools to improve efficiency while protecting confidentiality and quality is preferred.
18. Bachelor’s degree is preferred.
Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check.
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.
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