Assistant Director, Digital Acquisition

The Assistant Director, Digital Acquisition supports the growing needs of digital engagement and fundraising strategies across the School of Medicine (SOM) and Duke University Health System (DUHS) by serving as the subject matter expert for marketing automation and digital cultivation strategies, leveraging data, technology, and analytics to continuously improve donor acquisition, engagement, retention, and conversion.

The Assistant Director, Digital Acquisition designs and executes data-driven, complex and sophisticated email cultivation journeys. Focused on a digital-first strategy, the AD will create engaging landing pages, emails, and forms to foster deeper, more personalized grateful patient relationships, leading to improved retention and increased giving. This role manages our email marketing automation platform (Eloqua), ensuring seamless workflows with Salesforce, G2G, and Duke MyGifts. This position blends story-telling and technical skills to significantly enhance donor engagement, broaden outreach, and increase pipeline opportunities.

This role serves as the bridge between fundraising strategy, technology, data, and analytics to create engaging patient-focused engagement opportunities at scale. Working in close partnership with System Administrators, this position bridges technical infrastructure needs with marketing execution: ensuring data integrity, enabling a dynamic user experience, real-time performance tracking, and providing a continuous refinement of engagement strategies, ensuring maximum impact.

This role will also coordinate closely with the SOM and DUHS marketing teams to ensure patient-facing engagement initiatives and storytelling are aligned with institutional messaging, brand standards, and strategic priorities. Through cross-functional partnership, this role helps create seamless and meaningful experiences that strengthen patient relationships, deepen engagement, and support philanthropic outcomes.

This position will report to the Senior Director, Grateful Patient Programs.

As a member of the Annual Giving & Grateful Patient Programs team, the Assistant Director will assist in developing patient-centric giving programs with the ultimate goal of increasing the number of donors and dollars raised for SOM and DUHS.

Work Arrangement - Hybrid; This position is a full-time located in Durham, NC. This is not a remote position.

DEPARTMENTAL PREFERENCES/SKILLS

• Demonstrated excellence in written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with developing complex engagement journeys including email, landing pages, forms/surveys, text, social, and other digital platforms.
• Managing donor-centric digital campaigns is highly preferred; healthcare philanthropy experience a plus.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working in an enterprise-grade marketing automation system required; with experience in Eloqua and Salesforce strongly preferred.
• Eloqua certification, or willingness to pursue, highly desired.
• Extensive knowledge of modern HTML, CSS, and applicable design skills as they relate to design, construction, and delivery of electronic messaging; familiarity with JavaScript a plus.
• Ability to set schedules and manage deadlines effectively.
• Ability to work flexibly and collaboratively.
• Fundraising experience preferred.
• Knowledge of educational fundraising, higher education issues, research universities, and Duke University a plus.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education - Work requires the skills and knowledge normally acquired through completion of a Bachelor's degree.

Experience - 3 years progressive fund raising/customer relations/marketing or sales and promotions experience in team environment.

Proven verbal and written communication skills and computer experience with Windows environment.

Occasional travel required.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

Be Bold.

Work Performed

Platform Management/Automation (40%)

• Be a team expert on digital acquisition strategy.
• Manage all Eloqua assets, templates, forms, and landing pages.
• Maintain data quality and integration workflows.
• Manage patient audience data segments and automated campaigns; overseeing appropriate use of data.
• Troubleshoot platform issues with administrators.
• Develop and execute A/B testing strategies to optimize audience engagement, conversion rates, and fundraising outcomes.
• Support testing, optimization, and reporting.

Strategic Fundraising Initiatives (40%)

Enhance grateful patient acquisition through personalized and consistent outreach utilizing healthcare philanthropy best practices and innovative strategies.

• Support Honor Your Care Team program through digital platform development including webpage management, email cultivation journeys, and e-newsletters.
• Plan and establish goals to align with the direction and overall objectives.
• Generate solicitation content for mail, email, text, websites, and social media channels.
• Encourage strategic use of donor and patient stories in all communications to share compelling messages to support the mission, while ensuring HIPAA standards are met.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications to develop and distribute engaging internal content through the Duke Health intranet and other communication channels, recognizing Honor Your Care Team honorees, celebrating philanthropy, and sharing grateful patient stories that reinforce Duke Health's culture of gratitude and impact.
• Develop innovative techniques to inspire grateful patient engagement, including DIY and honor/memorial peer-to-peer fundraising.

Analytics & Optimization (20%)

• Coordinate with the Prospect Management team and frontline fundraising teams to identify, qualify, and route responsive grateful patient prospects for timely follow-up and engagement.
• Coordinate with Data Analytics Specialist to manage grateful patient segmentation.
• Use data metrics to measure the effectiveness of digital acquisition efforts, including dollars raised, response rates, click-through rates, and return on investment.
• Maintain effective tracking, acknowledgement, and follow-up on all grateful patient gifts.
• Use engagement data and audience insights to recommend and implement continuous improvements to digital cultivation strategies.
• Determine fiscal requirements and prepare budgetary recommendations; monitor, verify and reconcile expenditure of budgeted funds.

Other Related duties as assigned.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this classification.

Apply today to put your digital expertise to work to drive meaningful impact with a collaborative team!

Anticipated Pay Range: Duke University provides an annual base salary range for this position as USD $62,766.00 to USD $97,798.00. Duke University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position; candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills; internal peer equity; as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.

Your total compensation goes beyond the dollars on your paycheck. Duke provides comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs, generous retirement benefits, and a wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs to eligible team members. Learn more at: https://hr.duke.edu/benefits/