Director of Alumni and Donor Engagement

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Alumni and Donor Engagement will play a critical role in engaging and mobilizing the alumni community to support the mission and vision of Columbia College.  This position will lead the Columbia College Alumni Association that is intended to create more engagement opportunities for all alumni, as well as leading the engagement of donors through various donor societies and volunteer advisory groups. This position will also work closely with Student Affairs and Academic Affairs to engender a stronger sense of connection between alumni supporters and our undergraduate, graduate, and online students that promotes stronger lifelong connections, enhances volunteer involvement, mentoring, student engagement and ultimately contributes to the college’s fundraising goals.

The ideal candidate will possess a strong background in alumni relations, event planning, communications and donor engagement, along with exemplary leadership and communication skills; and performs related work as assigned.  This position works closely with and reports to the Vice President of Development.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Develops and implements a comprehensive alumni relations strategy that aligns with the institution’s goals and objectives.
• Leads and manages the engagement team, setting clear goals and providing ongoing mentorship and professional development.
• Cultivates and strengthens relationships with alumni and donors through regular communication, events, and networking opportunities.
• Works closely with the development team to identify, engage, and steward alumni donors.
• Oversees the planning and execution of major alumni events, including reunions, homecoming, and regional gatherings, as well as donor stewardship events and society gatherings.
• Supports the existing Alumni Council and provides more opportunities for involvement and engagement with this group.
• Supports existing affinity-based alumni groups and leads the creation of other affinity- and degree-based alumni groups.
• Reinvigorates regional alumni clubs while stewarding existing clubs for involvement with the Association and the College.
• Collaborates with academic departments, career services, and other university departments to create opportunities for alumni involvement and support.
• Leads the creation and support for volunteer, advisory and experiential opportunities.
• Manages the Alumni Association’s budget, ensuring resources are allocated effectively to support strategic priorities.
• Represents the college at external events and serves as a spokesperson for the alumni association and the advancement office as needed.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK: 

• Bachelor’s degree in education administration, business administration or closely related field; Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience in alumni relations, development, or a related field, with a proven track record of success.
• Demonstrated leadership and team management skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage a diverse alumni community.
• Experience planning and executing large-scale events and programs.
• Must be willing to travel and work evenings and weekends as required.
• Must have knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, utilizing Outlook, Word, Excel, Microsoft Teams, and familiarity with CRM and alumni management software programs.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse groups of people at all levels.
• Ability to deal with sensitive and highly confidential information and skill in handling sensitive situations with discretion.
• Knowledge of current trends and challenges in higher education.
• Innovative thinker with a passion for educational excellence.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to inspire and lead teams towards achieving strategic objectives.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Requires sedentary work that involves walking, standing, lifting, carrying, pushing and pulling some of the time and involves exerting up to 10 pounds of force on a recurring basis or routine keyboard operations.  The work requires the following physical abilities to perform the essential job functions:  balancing, hearing, mental acuity, speaking, standing, talking, visual acuity, and walking.

WORKING CONDITIONS:

Work environment risks exposure to no known environmental hazards.

EOE M/F/D/V