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 creative and strategic thinker 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 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
- Possess the ability to develop and execute integrated strategies across a complex university environment while meeting established goals and performance metric
• 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 position 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
• 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
• Enthusiastically lead a small team of alumni 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
• Execute an annual alumni attitudes survey
• 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 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
• Support the management of an effective President’s Parents Council:
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 Council meetings to motivate parents by leveraging key administrators, parents and alumni thought leaders
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:
• Knowledge of cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies and techniques
• Demonstrated success in volunteer management and board development.
• Demonstrated knowledge of methods, practices and procedures for donor prospecting
• 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 in higher education, event planning, or other relative 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
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 ofand 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.