Director Of Alumni Engagement

Position Title Director of Alumni Engagement Position Approval Date 05/06/2024 Is this position budgeted? Yes Is this position an essential position? No About Susquehanna

Susquehanna University is the future-ready institution for today, invested in cultivating intellectual grounding, active learning and global citizenship for all students. Renowned as one of the finest U.S. national liberal arts colleges, Susquehanna inspires and challenges 2,200 enterprising, bright-minded students studying the arts, business, humanities and sciences. Our students seize opportunities through exceptional worldwide internships, expert-guided research and an acclaimed study-abroad program, leading to a transformative education that empowers each graduate to realize their unique potential and lead a successful and meaningful life.

The Susquehanna River Valley with its fresh air and overall pleasant year-round climate, provides four distinct seasons amidst a backdrop of vibrant autumn foliage, occasional winter snowfalls, flower-filled springs and warm summer evenings illuminated by fireflies. Nearby outdoor recreational areas for hiking, kayaking, fishing and skiing - and the bustling cultural and commerce hubs of New York City, Washington D.C., Baltimore and Philadelphia within a three-hour drive - present abundant opportunities for learning and discovery.

Position Summary

Job Summary

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Advancement, the Director of Alumni Engagement plans and executes a comprehensive alumni engagement strategy which seeks to cultivate connections between the University and its 21,000+ alumni, increase their involvement, develops meaningful volunteer experiences, and builds community and commitment to the University. The Director supervises an Associate Director and is supported by the Alumni Relations Administrative Assistant. The Office of Alumni Relations works closely with the offices of the president, Advancement team, admissions, communications, student life, and other campus partners to advance relationships with alumni, parents, students, and donors. This position is defined as an exempt position under FLSA regulations.

Specific Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and advocacy for the Susquehanna alumni body, the Alumni Association, and its Executive Alumni Board whose mission is to enrich the lives of all past, present, and future students by fostering a deep connection with each other, their alma mater, and providing opportunities that promote and support the overall mission of the University.

• Lead the charge in creating and managing forward-thinking alumni engagement strategies and tactics designed to meet alumni interest to expand the number and range of alumni involvement in events, activities, communications, and programs.

• Develop a comprehensive alumni volunteer organization and virtual engagement presence by implementing a volunteer journey which meets alumni "where they are" and provides a robust slate of opportunities and experiences that will involve greater numbers of diverse alumni in the life of the University.

• Oversee the student to alumni lifecycle, partnering with key stakeholders such as Admissions, Student Life, and the Career Development Center to ensure strategic programming with return on investment, beginning from student engagement and leading up to the alumni experience.

• Design and execute experiences that celebrate and engage alumni and students around affinity connections, programs, and activities such as Homecoming, regional events, Greek Life, athletics, majors, clubs, online communication, constituent research, volunteer service, student recruitment and career development.

• Champion alumni relations initiatives using alumni, donor and prospect engagement metrics centered around ROI, impact of volunteer programs and outreach potential, innovation, and prospect identification. Ensure industry standard metrics are captured through all engagement - volunteer, experiential, philanthropic and communication.

• Partner in identifying and cultivating prospective alumni donors as appropriate, coordinating with the AVP, annual, and major gift staff to create a pipeline of donors.

• Direct annual program objectives by developing and monitoring budget and expense tracking for all programs annually, maintaining budget formulation documents for each event/program, and reporting budget outcomes and ROI for pre- and post-activities.

Required Qualifications

Education

Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred.

Experience

Minimum of five (5) years' work experience in alumni relations, customer service, marketing, public relations, or a related field preferred. A minimum of three (3) years of proven success accelerating the growth in alumni, constituent, or customer group engagement.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

The person in the position should possess a strong understanding of strategic planning for alumni relations, engagement goals and metrics, and a demonstrated record of success, and a proven track record of cultivating and facilitating relationships with and between alumni and/or equivalent experience in customer/constituent management. They should have experience with special events from concept development to implementation. They should have demonstrated success in leadership, management, supervisory skills, and a strong commitment to motivating staff of all levels. They should possess outstanding written and verbal communication skills with the ability and willingness to interact and work with a range of constituents, colleagues, and personalities, and the ability to multitask, along with the capacity to prioritize.

Additional Requirements

This position requires a valid driver's license, and the ability to drive and qualify under the university's insurance carrier when driving a university and/or leased vehicle.

Physical Demand

The position requires the employee to conduct frequent local and occasional regional travel when required and event management necessitates long stretches of dedicated time, occasionally upward of 8 hours continuously.

Preferred Qualifications Special Instructions to the Applicant Benefits Eligible Yes Number of Months 12 months Additional Work Schedule Details? Hours per week during the academic year (39 wks) Hours per week during the summer (13 wks) Status Full-Time Benefits Eligible Posting Date 05/22/2024 Closing Date 07/22/2024 Full-Time/Part-Time Full Time Open Until Filled No Anticipated Start Date Posting Number AH01185