Assistant Director for Leadership Recognition & Engagement

NU USA Northeastern University; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 49,000 - 67,000; Full time

Job summary

Northeastern University is seeking an Assistant Director for Leadership Recognition & Engagement on the Boston campus. The role focuses on cultivating relationships with distinguished alumni and student honorees through strategic engagement and events, with data-informed program development.

The position requires a Bachelor’s degree and 3+ years in alumni relations or related fields, strong MS Office skills, and a proactive, customer-service oriented approach.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Three+ years in alumni relations, student affairs, fundraising, or event management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word.
• Excellent coordination, organization, and written and oral communication, including a strong phone presence.
• Ability to work independently and with a team while managing multiple projects.
• Detail-oriented with strong customer service and interpersonal skills.
• Self-confident and enthusiastic with a proactive approach.
• Familiarity with virtual platforms and online learning tools.
• Preferred experience in higher education with students and alumni.
• Experience using Ascend and Cvent.
• Adaptable to changing priorities and new systems, interacting professionally with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate lifelong relationships between honorees and the university through engagement opportunities.
• Meet with alumni and honorees to learn their interests and connect them with opportunities.
• Build a network of engaged leaders to champion Northeastern’s mission.
• Identify exclusive opportunities and experiences reflecting honorees’ distinction.
• Plan and coordinate Huntington 100 and Laurel & Scroll 100 events, including nominations and selections.
• Collaborate with internal partners on stewardship, recognition, and collateral for events.
• Track activity and outcomes, prepare regular reports on engagement metrics.
• Manage administrative tasks such as follow-ups, data entry, and inquiries.

Skills

Communication

Organization

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Customer service

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Outlook

PowerPoint

Word

Ascend

Cvent

Job description

About the Opportunity Job Summary The Assistant Director for Leadership Recognition & Engagement plays a pivotal role in cultivating, deepening, and sustaining relationships with Northeastern University’s most distinguished leaders, including alumni and current students recognized through Academic Honors, Huntington 100, Laurel & Scroll 100, the Compass Awards program, and other honors. These honorees represent the university’s most accomplished community members, and the Assistant Director serves as their primary champion, relationship manager, and dedicated advocate, ensuring their voices and experiences inform engagement activities and initiatives. The Assistant Director leads strategic planning, relationship building, event coordination, and the continuous development of engagement strategies that reflect the leadership potential and contributions of this exceptional constituent group. The role also documents and analyzes data from engagement activities to inform ongoing work and enhance strategies that lead to sustainable engagement. The Assistant Director must represent the university, the Advancement division, and the Alumni Relations team in a professional and enthusiastic manner, with a customer service and team focus. As a member of the Advancement division, the Assistant Director must understand and actively support the role philanthropy plays in engaging the Northeastern community. This position is in person on the Boston campus. Evening and weekend work is required as events, programs, and activities dictate, along with occasional local and regional travel.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

Leadership Relationship Management Activate and deepen lifelong relationships between honorees and the university by creating meaningful pathways for alumni and current student honorees to connect with the university’s strategic goals, leadership initiatives, and alumni community Conduct in-person meetings with alumni and student honorees to understand their interests, learn more about their experiences, and connect them with opportunities to continue building their relationships with Northeastern Build a network of engaged alumni and student leaders who champion the university’s engagement and philanthropic vision and serve as ambassadors for Northeastern’s mission Identify and curate exclusive opportunities, access points, and leadership experiences for honorees that reflect the distinction of their recognition and advance their connection to the university Event Logistics and Production Assistance Plan and coordinate the annual Societies of Distinction events for Huntington 100 and Laurel & Scroll 100, including all aspects of the programs, particularly the nomination and selection process for each honor Identify unique opportunities and access points for honorees that are not available to others Collaborate with internal partners on selection, stewardship, and recognition strategies, collateral, and events that honor the leadership of current student honorees and connect them to a broader community of Northeastern leaders Data Management and Reporting Track and analyze activity participation and outcomes, using data to inform continuous improvement efforts Prepare regular reports on activity effectiveness and alumni engagement metrics for benchmarking and awareness Administrative Operations Ensure administrative responsibilities, including meeting follow-up, post-visit call reports, data tracking and entry, inquiries, and information updates, are completed accurately and responded to in a timely manner Perform other duties and special projects as assigned, including assisting with university, Advancement, Alumni Relations, and Annual Giving activities and initiatives throughout the year.

Minimum Qualifications Required

• Bachelor’s degree
• At least three years of experience in a combination of alumni relations, student affairs, fundraising, or event management
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word
• Excellent coordination, organization, and written and oral communication skills, including a strong phone presence
• Ability to work independently and productively with minimal supervision, as well as collaboratively in a team environment, while managing several projects at a time
• Detail‑oriented approach with strong customer service and interpersonal skills
• High level of self‑confidence and enthusiasm
• Proficiency with virtual communication platforms and online learning tools
• Preferred Experience working in higher education with students and alumni
• Experience with Ascend and Cvent
• Self‑starter who is flexible in response to changing priorities, adaptable to new systems, and able to interact professionally and diplomatically with students, alumni, volunteers, parents, staff, faculty, vendors, and external entities
• Required Documents Resume

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer. Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation

Compensation Grade/Pay Type: 106S Expected Hiring Range: $48,610.00 - $66,838.75 With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and the recognized leader in experiential lifelong learning. Our approach of integrating real-world experience with education, research, and innovation empowers our students, faculty, alumni, and partners to create worldwide impact. Our global university system provides our community and academic, government, and industry partners with unique opportunities to think locally and act globally. The system—including 14 campuses across the U.S., U.K., and Canada, 300,000-plus alumni, and 3,000 partners worldwide—serves as a platform for scaling ideas, talent, and solutions. The university’s residential campuses for undergraduate and graduate degrees are located in Boston, London, and Oakland, California. Our research and graduate campuses are in the Massachusetts communities of Burlington and Nahant; Arlington, Virginia; Charlotte, North Carolina; Miami; Portland, Maine; Seattle; Silicon Valley, California; Toronto; and Vancouver. Northeastern’s personalized, experiential undergraduate and graduate programs lead to degrees through the doctorate in 10 colleges and schools across our campuses. Learning emphasizes the intersection of data, technology, and human literacies, uniquely preparing graduates for careers of the future and lives of fulfillment and accomplishment. Our research enterprise, with an R1 Carnegie classification, is solutions oriented and spans the world. Our faculty scholars and students work in teams that cross not just disciplines, but also sectors—aligned around solving today’s highly interconnected global challenges and focused on transformative impact for humankind.