Assistant Director, Student/Young Alumni Engagement (HR Title: Alumni Relations Officer II)

Salary Range Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications About the Position This role is an on-campus, in-person position. Essential Functions Strategic Program Leadership & Pipeline Development: Develop and implement a comprehensive strategy to increase philanthropy from student, young alumni (0–10 years), and next-generation alumni (11–20 years). Design, execute and optimize a series of annual programs and events that intentionally move constituents along the donor engagement continuum. Establish and monitor annual goals for participation (donor) and dollar growth, and pipeline development in collaboration with AGAR leadership. Use benchmarking, analytics, and industry best practices to continuously refine program effectiveness and ROI. Portfolio Management & Front-line Fundraising: Manage a portfolio of approximately 50–75 leadership-level prospects drawn primarily from young alumni and next-generation cohorts. Develop and execute tailored cultivation and solicitation strategies in partnership with fundraising colleagues. Identify and qualify new prospects through engagement activities, volunteer networks, and events. Manage Young Alumni Board (YAB): Recruit, train & manage the YAB as a high-performing volunteer body focused on engagement, advocacy & annual giving. Design & execute board meetings, strategic plans & annual expectations aligned with DEA priorities. Coach YAB members to serve as ambassadors, peer solicitors & connectors to emerging leadership donors. Align with broader alumni volunteer structures. Student Philanthropy Council Leadership (Union): Provide strategic oversight and day-to-day management of the Union, building a strong culture of philanthropy among undergraduate students. Lead recruitment, training and goal-setting for student leaders; facilitate regular meetings and programming. Design and implement campaigns to meet and increase student giving and awareness. Create pathways for student leaders to transition into engaged young alumni volunteers and donors. Partner with campus stakeholders (Student Affairs, Athletics, Admissions, etc.) to integrate philanthropy into the student experience. Engagement Programming & Campaign Activation: Lead the strategy, planning, and execution of signature student and young alumni programs, including SMU Giving Day, the Official SMU Ring Program, Senior and Young Alumni Toast, and Celebration of Lights. Develop opportunities focused on networking, traditions, career development, and philanthropy education while using innovative digital and in-person engagement strategies to increase participation and strengthen connections to SMU. Communications, Marketing & Digital Engagement: Collaborate with campus marketing and AGAR teams to deliver targeted, multi-channel communications that resonate with younger audiences. Leverage social media, digital platforms, and peer‑to‑peer outreach to amplify engagement and giving, creating copy and assets if required. Provide strategic input on messaging, segmentation and campaign execution for student and young alumni audiences. Collaboration, Data & Operations: Partner across Advancement to align engagement efforts with broader fundraising priorities and donor strategies. Track, analyze and report on key metrics including participation rates, donor retention & pipeline progression. Manage program budgets, timelines and logistics to ensure effective execution of all initiatives. Regularly update university leadership and AGAR colleagues on efforts, making recommendations to support development and engagement goals. Support additional Advancement initiatives and special projects as assigned. The position requires regular evening or weekend work. Qualifications Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree is required. Master’s preferred. Degree in Higher Education, communications, fundraising, program management, highly preferred. Experience Requirements: A minimum of two years of professional work experience in one or more of the following is required: higher education, direct marketing, fundraising, alumni relations, volunteer management or program management. Professional work experience that requires written communication skills and production of mass marketing elements for large audiences is also required. Experience managing volunteer boards and/or committees of adult professionals, preferred. Experience managing multiple projects with the goal of delivering on specific metrics, required. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills. A strong customer service orientation is essential. Candidate must possess strong problem‑solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational, planning, and time‑management skills. Budget management experience, required. Proven ability in building and managing alumni, volunteer or event activity and plans that support fundraising goals of the department and university is strongly preferred. Knowledge of SMU alumni constituencies and campus culture, is a plus. Direct fundraising/personal solicitation experience, highly desired. Candidate must have a strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office products. Experience with data visualization, preferred. Experience with social media platforms and tools, highly preferred. Experience with Monday.com or other project management tools, required. Experience with Gravyty or GiveCampus platform (or other volunteer management system,) is a plus. Experience with Salesforce or another CRM, highly preferred. Adobe Creative Cloud or Canva, preferred. Physical and Environmental Demands Bend, squat, kneel Reach above shoulders Handle objects (dexterity) Push/pull Carry/lift 25 lbs. Sit for long periods of time Deadline to Apply The position is open until filled. Priority consideration may be given to submissions received by June 26, 2026. EEO Statement SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, View phone number on click.appcast.io, View email address on click.appcast.io. Benefits SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution. SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU. The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits. #J-18808-Ljbffr The Chronicle Of Higher Education, Inc.