Director of Alumni Relations, Community and Family Engagement - Our Lady of the Lake University

Director of Alumni Relations, Community and Family Engagement On a foundation of faith, wisdom and trust in Divine Providence, Our Lady of the Lake University (OLLU) empowers graduates to transform their communities, families, and professions. Founded in 1895 by the Sisters of Divine Providence, OLLU stands as San Antonio's oldest regionally accredited institution of higher learning. A private, Catholic university, it currently enrolls approximately 1,800 students across undergraduate and graduate programs. With its main residential campus in San Antonio and additional locations in Houston and the Rio Grande Valley (La Feria), and online programs, OLLU extends its mission across Texas, the border region, and the nation. Academic Programs OLLU offers a rich academic portfolio of more than 30 undergraduate majors and minors, 14 master's programs and three doctoral programs. Courses are delivered through diverse formats to support traditional and non-traditional students alike. Job Description: Job Summary The Director of Alumni Relations, Community and Family Engagement is a leadership role responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive engagement strategy for the university's constituents. The director serves as an ambassador and is charged with building and maintaining strong relationships with alumni, current and prospective families, and the broader community. This multifaceted position requires strong communication, leadership, and organizational skills. Works in a collaborative environment across the University, in close coordination with leadership in all academic areas to participate in programming, events, and identifying outstanding alumni, families and benefactors. Performance Evaluation Metrics Alumni, Family & Community Engagement 1. Achieve a10% year-over-year increasein alumni, family, and community engagement through events, programs, communications, volunteer opportunities, and other meaningful touchpoints. CRM Data & Engagement Tracking 2.Ensure95% of defined engagement activities and constituent updatesare accurately and timely documented in Raiser's Edge, including event participation, interactions, referrals, updated contact information, and prospective donor opportunities. 3. Demonstrate measurable ROI from engagement activities by tracking participation, cost, constituent growth, prospect referrals, and philanthropic outcomes. Achieve a10% annual increase in qualified prospects or referrals generated through engagement activitiesand documented in the CRM. Operational Excellence & Collaboration 4. Achieve90% satisfactionfrom key internal and external partners while meeting90% of established project, event, and program timelines and goals. Essential Functions Strategic planning and administration Develop a multi-year, strategic plan for alumni relations, community and family engagement that aligns with the university's institutional goals and objectives. Manage and oversee the office's operating budget and programs, ensuring an appropriate return on investment for all activities. Track and analyze engagement metrics, using data to assess program effectiveness and inform future strategies. Use data and stakeholder feedback to assess needs and opportunities for process improvement and developing strategic action plans to achieve goals. Develop and implement strategies to increase alumni participation in annual giving and other philanthropic initiatives. Identify, qualify, cultivate, and refer alumni, families, and community members with philanthropic capacity and affinity. Develop engagement strategies that intentionally move constituents from engagement to philanthropy. Partner with major gifts, annual giving, advancement leadership, and development staff on constituent identification and cultivation. Identify prospective donors through alumni, family, and community engagement activities. Develop strategies for alumni and family giving societies. Track and report alumni giving participation, dollars raised, donor retention, upgrades, and referrals. Community and Family Engagement Responsible for developing constituent engagement pathways through an alumni/community engagement lifecycle: Identify ? Connect ? Engage ? Involve ? Volunteer ? Advocate ? Give ? Renew/Upgrade. Build and strengthen relationships with a wide range of alumni and community leaders (including local school districts) both regionally and nationally. In coordination with the Office of Marketing, Communications and Engagement, implement communication and branding strategies?including email, social media, website, event messaging and e-newsletters and print?to keep constituents informed of university news, events, and accomplishments. Serve as a liaison between the university and its various constituencies, advocating for the institution's priorities. Work in a collaborative environment across the University, in close coordination with leadership in all areas such as admissions, career services, and athletics, to create engagement opportunities for students, families, and alumni. Participate in programming, events, and identifying outstanding alumni, families and benefactors. Oversees Homecoming Weekend, reunions, and other alumni and family events on and off campus. Assists with Commencement events and coordinates related programming for alumni and graduates and their families. Support alumni giving and fundraising initiatives, including securing sponsorships and philanthropic support for alumni programs, scholarships, and engagement priorities in coordination with Institutional Advancement. Consistently input call reports, e-mail communications and meeting notes into university fundraising database. Identify and plan and/or coordinate events with alumni for the President. Create and cultivate opportunities for alumni and donors to support the university and build strategic partnerships with public and private sectors. Develop and maintain strategic partnerships that increase OLLU's visibility, enrollment pipeline, community impact, alumni engagement, and philanthropic opportunities. Event and Program Management Conceive, plan, and execute a wide array of programs and special events, such as alumni reunions, Family Weekend, networking receptions, and fundraising events. Manage all logistics for events, including securing venues, arranging invitations and speakers, and managing on-site activities. Oversee volunteer management programs, recruiting and motivating volunteers to support alumni and family activities. Facilitate career networking services for students and alumni by leveraging the university's network of graduates. Provide leadership, supervision, and guidance to team members and volunteers. Ensures alignment with institutional mission and branding, cross networking and collaborating with internal departments/divisions to foster and design inclusive programs between alumni, families, and OLLU campus community bridging connections to student success to obtain a secondary education (Programs might include parent empowerment workshops, leadership development, and college readiness). Strategizes the implementation of a Family Program which serves as the first line of contact for families of current and former students and for campus partners working with parents. Oversees Alumni Executive Council (AEC) within context of their bylaws, committees, providing staff leadership, direction and support, identifying, recruiting, training and inspiring volunteers to engage with the university and with one another in areas of admissions, athletics, career employment services and regional programming. Building a pipeline for family engagement utilizing a targeted approach for both public and private schools especially in the surrounding OLLU regional area. Additional Responsibilities Accepts and fulfills other duties as assigned by the Executive Director of Institutional Advancement as a team member in the overall activities of the University, including working some nights, weekends, occasional travel, and attending special events as necessary. Requirements: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Excellent communication skills:Outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal skills for interacting with diverse groups, including alumni, community leaders, donors, faculty, and administrators. Strategic thinking:Ability to develop a long-term strategic vision and convert it into actionable programming. Organizational skills:Strong project management abilities to coordinate multiple events and initiatives with attention to detail. Database and Technical proficiency:Familiarity with customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Working knowledge of Microsoft Office productivity. Relationship management:Demonstrated talent for recruiting, managing, and inspiring volunteers and building positive relationships with constituents-internal and external leadership, community leaders, donors etc. Creativity:Ability to develop new and innovative programs to increase constituent engagement. Flexibility:Willingness to work evenings and weekends and to travel as required for events. Integrity: Ability to maintain confidentiality and adhere to the University's core values of Community, Integrity, Trust and Service Education and Experience A bachelor's degree is required, and a master's degree in a relevant field, such as communications, business management, marketing, or public relations, is often preferred. Experience in a higher education or non-profit environment is highly preferred. Requires at least five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in alumni relations, fundraising, or community and/or family engagement. Proven track record of building and executing strategic engagement initiatives is required. Requires a strong understanding of branding and alumni relations and community/family engagement. Strong relationship-building skills with the ability to engage a variety of stakeholders, including alumni, donors, and internal teams is required. Sophisticated communicator with an ability to influence decision makers. Highly responsible, self-motivated, and exceptional attention to detail. Additional Information Employment with Our Lady of the Lake University is contingent upon the applicant undergoing a background investigation. Our Lady of the Lake University uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit OLLU seeks to attract, develop and retain the highest quality faculty, staff and administrators. The University is committed to diversity and strongly encourages applications from women and minorities. EOE #J-18808-Ljbffr Our Lady of the Lake University