Director of Alumni Relations

Job Description

Job Description

Director of Alumni Relations

Department: Institutional Advancement

Reports to: Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Employment Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Location: Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Position Overview

Stillman College seeks a dynamic and relationship-driven Director of Alumni Relations to lead efforts that engage, connect, and inspire its alumni community. This role plays a vital part in strengthening lifelong relationships with alumni, increasing alumni participation

and philanthropy, and advancing the College’s mission and strategic priorities. Reporting to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the Director oversees alumni engagement programs, communications, events, volunteer leadership, and fundraising initiatives in close collaboration with campus partners and the Stillman College Foundation.

Key Responsibilities

Alumni Engagement & Strategy:

- Develop and execute a comprehensive alumni relations strategy that promotes engagement, pride, and philanthropic support.

- Serve as the primary liaison to the Stillman National Alumni Association and its affiliates.

- Build strong relationships with alumni across generations, regions, and affinity groups.

- Serve as Advisor to the UNCF Pre-Alumni Council and collaborate with the VP for Student Success to transition Royal Court engagement responsibilities.

Fundraising & Alumni Giving:

- Grow alumni giving participation year over year, with targets set collaboratively with the Vice President for Institutional Advancement.

- Increase alumni donor count and retention, with a focus on first-time donors and lapsed donor re-engagement.

- Partner with Development team to develop class giving, reunion giving, day-of-giving, and digital fundraising campaigns.

- Strengthen giving pipelines by identifying engaged alumni who may be candidates for annual, leadership annual, or major giving portfolios.

- Collaborate with the stewardship team to ensure consistent and timely donor recognition.

- Develop strategies to increase alumni chapter-based fundraising, including peer-led

campaigns and regional goals.

Other Duties

Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned to support the goals and priorities of the Division of Institutional Advancement and the College.

Fundraising Performance Expectations: (Annual Targets Set Collaboratively)

- Increase alumni giving participation by 2-3% annually.

- Improve alumni donor retention by 5–10%.

- Increase number of alumni donors giving $1,000+.

- Increase participation in signature campaigns (Giving Tuesday, Founder’s Day, Homecoming, Senior Class Gift, Magnolia Giving Society).

Events & Programs:

- Plan and execute alumni events including but not limited to Homecoming, Founder’s Day, milestone reunions, and area and regional alumni gatherings.

- Collaborate with campus partners to ensure alumni events align with institutional priorities.

Communications & Outreach:

- Develop and execute an alumni communications plan through newsletters, spotlights,social media, web content, and engagement campaigns.

- Highlight alumni achievements and promote a culture of giving in all communications.

Volunteer & Chapter Leadership:

- Recruit, train, and support alumni volunteers, national and chapter leaders, and reunion committees.

- Establish annual engagement and fundraising expectations for the NAA & its affliates.

Data & Stewardship:

- Maintain accurate alumni records in the College’s CRM system.

- Track engagement and fundraising outcomes and report to IA leadership.

- Ensure timely acknowledgment and meaningful stewardship of alumni donors.

Fundraising Performance Expectations (Annual Targets Set Collaboratively)

- Increase alumni giving participation by 3–5% annually.

- Improve alumni donor retention rates.

- Increase the number of leadership-level alumni donors.

- Grow participation in signature fundraising campaigns.

Qualifications

Required:

- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

- 3–5 years of experience in alumni relations, fundraising, advancement, or related field.

- Demonstrated success in event planning, volunteer management, and donor engagement.

- Strong written, verbal, and digital communication skills.

Preferred:

- Experience in higher education or nonprofit advancement.

- Familiarity with HBCU alumni engagement.

- Experience with CRM systems (Virtuous preferred).

Key Competencies

- Relationship-building & stewardship

- Strategic planning & execution

- Data-informed decision-making

- Collaboration

- Creativity and adaptability

- Professionalism and confidentiality

Work Environment

This is a full-time, exempt position based on campus in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Evening and weekend work and occasional travel are required.

Background Investigation Statement

Before hiring, the final candidate(s) must pass a pre-employment background investigation, including information obtained from social media and other internet sources. A prior conviction reported as a result of the background investigation does not automatically disqualify a candidate from consideration for this position. A candidate with a previous conviction or negative behavioral red flags will receive an individualized review before a hiring decision is made.

Application

Review of applications will begin immediately and remain open until the position is filled. Stillman College is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate unlawfully in employment matters based on race, religion, gender, color, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, or any other category protected by law. This position description reflects the general nature and level of work performed and is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications. Stillman College reserves the right to modify this description at any time.