Director, Alumni & Family Engagement

Job Title: Director, Alumni & Family Engagement

Department: University Advancement

Position Reports to: Senior Director of Engagement, University Advancement

Position Status: Full-Time, Exempt

Job Summary

The Office of University Advancement at Jacksonville University is currently seeking a seasoned and strategic professional to lead the development of alumni, parent, and family engagement. This fundraising and engagement professional will implement cultivation, engagement, and stewardship strategies for alumni and family annual giving and leadership donors, contributing to the overall engagement pipeline. The Ideal candidate will:
• Possess at least 5 years advancement and/or community engagement leadership experience to include volunteer management and program development & implementation, preferably in a higher educational setting
• Be skilled at developing and executing integrated strategies across a complex university environment while meeting established goals and performance metrics
• Possess a "can do" team player attitude, seek to collaborate and excel at multi-tasking
• Possess strong relationship building and communications skills both in person and in writing
• Be skilled in public speaking
• Possess a solid proficiency of social media and technology platforms
• Be a strong, motivational leader of employees and volunteers
• Understand and embrace the relationship between alumni relations and annual support

This leadership role reports to the Senior Director of Engagement who reports to the Vice President, University Advancement. University Advancement oversees all University fundraising activities; constituent engagement, including select student, alumni, donor, and family engagement; constituent data collection and management; and stewardship efforts related to institutional advancement. The department works collaboratively across campus with all divisions, particularly Athletics, Marketing & Communications, Enrollment, and Student Engagement.

Supervisory Responsibilities:
• Interview, hire, and train new staff and student workers
• Oversee the daily workflow of the Office of Alumni & Family Engagement
• Evaluate performance and provides timely feedback
• Help to resolve employee issues and disputes
• Handle discipline and termination of employees in accordance with company policy

Duties/Responsibilities:
Strategic Growth and Planning
• Lead a small team of engagement professionals
• Measure progress through metrics and annual performance appraisals
• Creatively develop and manage a comprehensive annual strategic plan for both alumni and parent engagement
• Monitor budgets and operation of programs
• Work on other programs/efforts as requested in support of university priorities

Affinity Engagement & Campus Partnerships
• Serve the as the liaison to each college, school, and institute and manage high-level opportunities in collaboration with the associated leadership
• Supervise alumni affinity & other community networks managing all strategy and needs of volunteers and programming
• Work closely with the Annual Giving and Major Gifts teams on fundraising opportunities within each area
• Act as the Alumni Office liaison to key campus partners including Marketing & Communications, Admissions, Student Engagement, and Athletics

Communications
• Collaborate with Marketing & Communications on communication strategies specific to the constituencies of alumni, parents and families across communications channels - social media, email, and direct mail.
• Write and contribute content as needed

Events & Engagement
• Manage the execution of all signature events for alumni, parents, and families, including but not limited to: Homecoming & Family Weekend, Global Toast, Senior Class Gift Campaign, and Dolphin Club gatherings in local and external markets
• Develop and host a wide breadth of engagement opportunities for constituent groups focused on key areas including but not limited to; life-long learning, career networking, regional and local, in-person and virtual
• Work on other programs/efforts as requested in support of university priorities
• Manage a portfolio of loyal and established alumni while cultivating alumni prospects through meaningful engagement
• Support the identification efforts of leadership and major gifts prospects as needed

President's Parents Council
• Manage the President's Parent Council (PPC) by creating & executing a comprehensive PPC engagement strategy.

Work with the Advancement Services to identify prospects and solicit their participation

Manage and support volunteers to build a robust parent class giving program.

Serve as the primary point of contact in a concierge capacity for all PPC members

Plan and lead Council meetings to actively engage, support and motivate parent participation in the JU community

Implement programs and projects to strategically engage and leverage resources from parents and families of current and former students. This role serves as a liaison to Student Life and thus plays a part in new student orientations, Move-In Day, and special events on campus

Collaborate with Admissions to engage key alumni and parent ambassadors in support of events for prospective/accepted students.

Required Skills/Abilities:
• Strong and demonstrated knowledge of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies and techniques
• Strong and demonstrated success in volunteer management and board development.
• Strong and demonstrated knowledge of methods, practices and procedures for donor prospecting
• Confidently navigate the complexities of a multifaceted educational institution including people and policies
• Self-motivation and discipline to regularly set and achieve work goals
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal and networking skills with large groups as well as with individuals are essential
• Ability to maintain a high level of poise and professionalism in all circumstances.
• Ability to initiate and build relationships with prospective donors, and interact via telephone and in person with institutional peers
• Demonstrated ability to take primary responsibility for diverse number of projects and to complete them in a timely manner with limited supervision
• Demonstrated record of success in generating significant commitments
• Exceptional writing and editing skills in order to develop proposals, professional reports, strategic plans, and correspondence

Education, Certificates, Licenses, and Experience:
• A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Preferably in: Communications, Business, Hospitality, Education or Marketing
• At least 5 years of professional work experience in a higher education setting, other relative or comparable experience

Physical Requirements:
• Must be able to lift and carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 20 pounds
• Must be able to bend, stoop, and reach
• Manual dexterity to efficiently operate a computer keyboard and other business machines
• Adequate hearing to communicate effectively in person and by phone
• Work is primarily indoors but may require some outdoor environments including travelling between campus buildings or attending outside events
• Standard office hours are 8:30 - 5:00 pm, Monday through Friday
• Position requires some evening and weekend availability and requires some local and regional travel

Qualified candidates should apply with a professional cover letter, resume, and at minimum three professional references. Applications without these materials will be considered incomplete.

Important Note

This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and/or skills required for this position. The University reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs.

Acknowledgment

Submission of an application acknowledges receipt and understanding of this job description and verification that the candidate is capable of and willing to fulfill all essential functions of this position. Candidate is willing to be flexible and willing to do various jobs that are not listed, as the need arises.