Assistant Director Of Alumni Relations

The Assistant Director of Alumni Relations serves as a key relationship builder and strategist in fostering meaningful, lifelong connections between Holyoke Community College and its alumni community. This role combines planning, program development, and relationship management to strengthen the HCC alumni network and support institutional advancement goals and the College's strategic priorities.

This position reports to the Executive Director of Development. It supports annual fundraising initiatives through alumni participation efforts, strategic events and programs, and volunteer management and engagement.

Strategic Alumni Engagement:

• Design and implement a comprehensive alumni engagement strategy that spans diverse demographics, career stages, and interests
• Serve as primary liaison to the Alumni Council, providing strategic guidance and operational support
• Develop and manage innovative volunteer programs that meaningfully connect alumni with current students, fellow graduates, and the college
• Create and nurture affinity groups based on academic programs, professional industries, shared interests, and geographic locations
• Build and maintain relationships with recent graduates through targeted programming and personalized outreach
• Implement tracking systems to measure engagement levels and identify opportunities for deeper involvement
• Partner with the Career Services team to facilitate alumni-student networking, mentorship programs, and career development initiatives
• Support advancement goals by identifying and cultivating potential donors through engagement activities

Event Strategy and Management:

• Conceptualize, plan, and execute signature alumni events including reunions, celebrations, and networking forums
• Develop comprehensive event timelines, budgets, and production schedules
• Create compelling event marketing materials and manage invitation processes in collaboration with marketing and communications colleagues
• Coordinate cross-departmental resources to ensure seamless event execution;  including venue selection and vendor relationships
• Design and implement post-event assessment to measure impact and gather feedback
• Ensure compliance with institutional policies and risk management procedures

Communications & Digital Strategy:

• Develop and execute a multi-channel communications strategy to keep alumni informed and engaged
• Create compelling content for alumni newsletter, website, and social media platforms in collaboration with assistant director of advancement communications
• Collaborate with Marketing to develop alumni spotlights, success stories, and engagement campaigns; contribute content to the Connection magazine
• Maintain and enhance alumni digital platforms, including online community and networking tools
• Analyze communications metrics to optimize engagement strategies
• Ensure brand consistency across all alumni communications
• Manage alumni database and ensure data accuracy

Advancement Support & Institutional Collaboration:

• Support annual giving initiatives through strategic alumni outreach
• Identify and cultivate potential donors through engagement activities
• Partner with Development team on annual giving day and other fundraising campaigns
• Collaborate with academic departments to leverage faculty-alumni relationships
• Work with Career Services to create alumni-student networking opportunities
• Participate in institutional planning and strategy sessions

Perform related duties as assigned.

REQUIRED:

• Bachelor's degree and a minimum of three years of related experience;
• Strong organizational skills and a demonstrated ability to plan and execute both in person and virtual events;
• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal, with ability to adapt writing to a variety of platforms and audiences;
• Effective time management skills; Ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines; 
• Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and campus partners in a team environment;
• A working style that espouses HCC's values of kindness, collaboration, trust, inclusion, and innovation;
• Work with internal and external partners, volunteers, donors, faculty, staff, and students from diverse communities with a commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion;
• Adept and comfortable using a variety of technology and tools, including but not limited to social media platforms, Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and more; 
• Ability to work nights and weekends. 

EQUIVALENCY STATEMENT:   We welcome and encourage applicants who do not meet the required qualifications as stated above, to put in writing precisely how their background and experience have prepared them for the responsibilities of this position. It is preferred that this document be uploaded separately from the resume, cover letter, and references. 

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:  

• Experience working in higher education;
• Experience managing and supporting volunteers, and building relationships;
• Experience with constituent records management (CRM), for example, Blackbaud Raiser's Edge/NXT, Banner, Salesforce.

Full-time, Non-Unit Professional position

Salary Range:  $68,783-$74,453/year  (Grade 6) plus a comprehensive State benefits package

Hours:  37.5 hrs./week

Funding Source:  State

• All candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States. HCC is not sponsoring H1B Visa. 

 - Pre-Employment Background check, including Criminal History will be conducted for all positions.