Manager, Alumni Engagement And Events

Job Description

Manager of Alumni Engagement and Events

Status: Full time, exempt

Reports To: Associate Dean of Enrollment and Student Services

Supervises: Graduate fellows (students), as assigned

Opportunity

Longy School of Music of Bard College seeks its first-ever Manager of Alumni Engagement and Events. This person will, under the direction of the Associate Dean, lead Longy's alumni program and all its related academic affairs events, to create and foster life-long connections between Longy and its graduates. The Manager will strategically shape an alumni engagement program by designing the events that shape a student's experience, from the day they arrive at Longy for New Student Orientation, through Graduation Day, and long into their careers. This role fosters community through events that highlight student and alumni stories and achievements. The Manager cultivates Longy's commitment to being a place of welcoming and belonging for all comers, ensuring that no matter where our alumni go, they always have a home at Longy.

Functionally, the Manager plays a key role within the Academic Affairs team, working closely with externally facing departments such as Marketing, Development, and the President's Office. The Manager's work will inform decisions and activities in all these areas, as they will be a knowledge base for anyone looking for information about Longy alumni.

Responsibilities

• Under the direction of the Deans, help design a five-year plan to build and grow Longy's alumni network to meet the needs of our alumni, help recruit new students, and further the mission of the School.

• Regularly gather data and feedback from alumni to help Longy develop programs that support their needs through degree, non-degree and co-curricular offerings.

• Pilot programs to engage alumni and oversee the growth of successful pilots.

• Plan and manage all student- and alumni-facing events, including, but not limited to, New Student Orientation, Visit Days, Alumni gatherings, Audition days, and Commencement.

• Own end-to-end production: Set and manage the budget, ensure and track attendance, work with vendors, oversee logistics and planning, evaluate success.

• Support Academic Affairs planning for administrative and board meetings, such as faculty meetings, Education and Campus Planning Committee meetings, quarterly Board of Governors meetings, and others, and ensure that the student and alumni experience is well represented to stakeholders and leadership.

• Collaborate with program teams to build the student and alumni audience for concerts, guest speakers, special events, and the Side-by-Side program.

• Engage alumni ambassadors in the admissions cycle, connecting them to prospective students in ways that will increase yield.

• Train and oversee alumni who can serve as mentors to newly enrolled students, helping these new students navigate their first year at Longy.

• Maintain alumni database in Slate, with an eye toward running data reports and assessments to inform strategic initiatives and event design.

• Supported by Marketing, manage the communications plan with alumni, keeping them informed of upcoming events, Longy news, job opportunities, and more.

Qualities and Qualifications

• Deep understanding of advanced music education and career paths; advanced degree preferred to demonstrate this.

• 2 to 3 years of Alumni Engagement, Event Planning, or Higher Education Administration experience preferred.

• A connector who loves meeting new people and has a knack for remembering details about these acquaintances; essentially a walking yearbook.

• Loves gathering people together and creating spaces full of joy, learning, and mutual respect.

• Imagination and curiosity about what keeps people informed and in community.

• Logistical mindset that can anticipate problems and solve for them; keeps multiple plans moving at once.

• Unflappable and adaptable; must have extensive experience in live event production.

• Organized and proud of it; can find answers with little guidance.

• Thoughtful about when and how to incorporate those "VIP" details that make guests feel like superstars.

• Self-directed and collaborative; knows how to ask for help and how to lead a project team.

• Alignment with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) principles; incorporates these into work/life.

To Apply

Interested candidates should submit a letter of interest, resume or curriculum vitae, and any supporting information via Longy's ADP Career portal. Applicants who do not address the specific Longy mission and vision in their cover letter will not be considered.

About Longy

Because the world needs music now more than ever, Longy has reimagined conservatory education. We are leading the seismic shift, by centering music as social change, expanding the world's understanding of what a life in music can mean. We prepare you to engage new audiences, teach anyone, anywhere - and make a difference with your music.

Longy is a degree‐granting institution that serves over 300 undergraduate and graduate students from over 35 states and 25 countries at its Conservatory campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded as Longy School of Music in 1915 by renowned oboist Georges Longy, Longy is a conservatory with a social imperative, providing for all students a distinguished faculty that promotes profound musical understanding and technical prowess, encourages growth of imagination, and fosters inquiry about the role of music and the musician in society. Longy's mission is to prepare musicians to make a difference in the world.

Longy School of Music of Bard College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, gender or gender identity, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, marital or veteran status, or age. Longy values the diversity of its community.