Director of Alumni Relations

Job Description

Job Description

POSITION SUMMARY

Chief responsibility is the oversight of alumni relations strategy of the College. This position will manage the Alumni Office staff, oversee their operation, set goals and strategy in conjunction with the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, and analyze benchmarks for success.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Reasonable Accommodations Statement

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable Accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Essential Functions Statement(s)

• Given that the College is a diocesan Catholic college, will carry out your functions of your position in support of the College's Catholic Identity, mission and in support of Church teachings.
• Provides strategic leadership, vision, and execution for a comprehensive alumni relations program designed to strengthen lifelong engagement, institutional affinity, volunteerism, and philanthropic support for the College.
• Oversees and mentors' alumni relations staff, fostering a collaborative, service-oriented, and high-performing team culture aligned with institutional goals and advancement priorities.
• Plans, develops, and coordinates alumni engagement activities and regional programming locally and across the country to cultivate meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, and friends of the College.
• Provides leadership and administrative oversight for the National Alumni Board, reunion committees, regional alumni networks, and volunteer engagement initiatives to enhance alumni participation and advocacy.
• Leads the strategic planning, growth, and execution of Homecoming and Reunion Weekend activities, with an emphasis on alumni engagement, attendance, donor participation, and class-based fundraising outcomes.
• Identifies, cultivates, and manages sponsorship opportunities and partnerships that support alumni programming, events, and institutional advancement initiatives.
• Directs and implements a comprehensive alumni communications strategy, including digital communications, direct mail, email marketing, website content, publications, and social media engagement to strengthen alumni connection and institutional messaging.
• Collaborates with Advancement and campus leadership to provide strategic insight, innovation, and implementation support for new alumni engagement initiatives, programs, and events that advance the mission and long-term goals of the College.
• Provides exceptional hospitality and relationship management to alumni, donors, parents, volunteers, and friends of the College through in-person interactions, phone communication, written correspondence, and electronic engagement.
• Represents the College at alumni, campus, community, and donor events while serving on institutional committees and cross-functional initiatives that support advancement and community-building efforts.
• Participates in professional development opportunities, industry conferences, and continuing education activities to remain informed on best practices, emerging trends, and innovations in alumni engagement and advancement.
• Performs additional duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the Advancement Division, and the mission of the College.

POSITION QUALIFICATIONS

Competency Statement(s)

• Adaptability - Ability to adapt to change in the workplace.
• Analytical Skills - Ability to use thinking and reasoning to solve a problem.
• Autonomy - Ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Communication, Oral - Ability to communicate effectively with others using the spoken word.
• Communication, Written - Ability to communicate in writing clearly and concisely.
• Creative - Ability to think in such a way as to produce a new concept or idea.
• Goal Oriented - Ability to focus on a goal and obtain a pre-determined result.
• Persistence - Ability to complete tasks or continue in a course of action in spite of opposition or discouragement.
• Responsible - Ability to be held accountable or answerable for one's conduct.
• Self-Motivated - Ability to be internally inspired to perform a task to the best of ones ability using his or her own drive or initiative.
• Time Management - Ability to utilize the available time to organize and complete work within given deadlines.

Education: Bachelor's Degree (four-year college or university) in a relevant field.

Experience: Three to five years of progressively responsible professional experience in higher education, alumni relations, advancement, development, communications, public relations, event management, volunteer management, donor engagement, or related constituent relationship fields. Experience should demonstrate success in relationship-building, strategic communications, program development, event coordination, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration across diverse constituencies. Supervisory experience, fundraising exposure, and experience working with volunteers, alumni boards, or community organizations are preferred.

SKILLS & ABILITIES

Other Requirements: Skilled in the use of a personal computer, Microsoft Office Suite, Excel, Publisher and general web applications. Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices involved in developing and maintaining an effective alumni relations program. Appreciation for and commitment to Catholic, liberal arts higher education. Strong organizational and interpersonal communication skills. Ability to implement key communication initiatives through e-newsletter, website and other print and electronic correspondence. Ability to establish and maintain good social and working relationships with colleagues, alumni, parents and friends of the College. Ability and willingness to travel and work evenings and weekends as necessary. Ability to facilitate multiple projects, make decisions and meet deadlines. Ability to manage and motivate volunteers effectively and efficiently. Ability to identify problems and to develop creative, timely and efficient solutions.

The College has reviewed this job description to ensure that essential functions and basic duties have been included. It is intended to provide guidelines for job expectations and the employee's ability to perform the position described. It is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all functions, responsibilities, skills and abilities. Additional functions and requirements may be assigned by supervisors as deemed appropriate. This document does not represent a contract of employment, and the College reserves the right to change this job description and/or assign tasks for the employee to perform, as the College may deem appropriate.