Assistant Director of Alumni Relations

University of Minnesota; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Minnesota is seeking an Assistant Director of Alumni Relations within the Medical School's Alumni Relations team. The role leads alumni engagement, events, and annual giving initiatives across three campuses, working with leadership, UMF teams, and regional staff to advance philanthropic engagement and strategic outreach.

The position emphasizes collaboration, program development, and stakeholder engagement to cultivate a vibrant alumni community across Twin Cities, Duluth, and St.

Qualifications

• BA/BS degree and at least 4 years of related experience in alumni relations or higher education advancement.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with high attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and in partnership across teams to achieve shared objectives.
• Proven project management and organizational skills with ability to manage multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Alumni Engagement, Events, and Operations: develop and execute alumni engagement strategy; plan Reunion Weekend and alumni awards; coordinate donor events and regional campus activities; support project timelines and evaluation.
• Annual Giving and Stewardship: drive multi-channel annual giving strategy; draft solicitation messages; oversee donor stewardship and student scholarship communications.
• Volunteer Management: recruit and steward alumni volunteers; co-manage Alumni Board operations; staff reunion committees.
• Communications: develop strategic alumni communications; manage social media channels; conduct mass email campaigns; maintain alumni database and practice.
• Student Connections: identify opportunities to engage students; support student-alumni mentorship and milestone events; ensure active student-alumni pipelines.

Skills

Alumni relations

Event planning

Donor stewardship

Project management

Strategic communications

Education

BA/BS degree

Job description

Job ID: 376592

Location: Twin Cities

Job Family: Advancement

Full/Part Time: Full-Time

Regular/Temporary: Regular

Job Code: 9703AR

Employee Class: Acad Prof and Admin

About the Job

The Alumni Relations team within the Office of the Dean of the Medical School is responsible for growing an active, informed, engaged, and philanthropic alumni body across three campuses (Twin Cities, Duluth, and St. Cloud).

Reporting to the Director of Alumni Relations, the Assistant Director serves as a senior individual contributor responsible for managing facets of alumni engagement, stewardship, cultivation, and annual giving activities. Working both independently and in close partnership with the Director of Alumni Relations, University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF) teams, and regional development staff, the Assistant Director will also co-manage signature events, board strategy, volunteer engagement, and unit administrative operations.

The Medical School is deeply committed to a community of excellence, equity, and diversity and welcomes applications from women, members of historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, LGBTQIA+ individuals, persons with disabilities, veterans, and all candidates who would bring diverse perspectives and experiences.

Flexible Work Option:

The Medical School is committed to an excellent employee experience, offering a flexible work environment that meets the needs of students, staff, faculty, and the communities we serve. Flexible work arrangements may include flexibility in schedule and/or work location. All University of Minnesota employees are expected to follow applicable public health and safety procedures.

Candidates do not need to reside in the Twin Cities metro area, provided they are able to commute to any of our three campuses for scheduled events, key student milestone activities, and critical team strategy days (with advance notice provided).

Job Duties/Responsibilities:

30%: Alumni Engagement, Events, and Operations

• Engagement Strategy: Contribute to the development and execution of a strategy for engaging alumni through networking, social events, and other programming in alignment with the objectives and overall strategies of the Medical School and Alumni Association.
• Reunion Weekend: Play a key role in planning and execution of annual Alumni Celebration & Reunions event, contributing to programming planning, and supporting assigned reunion committees.
• Alumni Awards: Support Medical School alumni awards programs, including nomination communications, calendar, and process.
• Donor Events: Plan and coordinate key engagement and donor events, including the annual Scholarship Luncheon. Identify and prep student speakers, review/edit scripts, and coordinate donor-student pairings.
• Regional Campus Events: Co-plan campus-specific programs and donor events across sites, including the Duluth Campus Scholarship Reception and regional constituent outreach.
• Operations: Assist with developing event project timelines, support maintenance of online project boards and help ensure adherence to project delivery deadlines.
• Metrics & Evaluation: Contribute to development of performance projections, evaluate efficacy across engagement and annual giving efforts, and recommend adjustments or discontinuation of underperforming programs.

25%: Annual Giving and Stewardship

• Strategy: In collaboration with the Director of Alumni Relations and the UMF Annual Giving team, drive strategy, management, and reporting for matrixed, multi-channel annual giving and stewardship programs.
• Direct Marketing: Draft and proof written appeals communications, including solicitation messages, for approval and signature by the dean. Lead reunion giving initiatives and manage Alumni Board giving efforts.
• Crowdfunding Strategy: Oversee end-to-end crowdfunding campaigns (cause-based giving), including donor matching strategy, execution, metrics, and reporting.
• Stewardship & Acknowledgements: Manage acknowledgement and stewardship communications process - including the student scholarship profile and donor match letters process, student thank you campaigns, condolence outreach, and promotional item procurement - to create meaningful impact messaging that recognizes donor giving.
• Departmental Liaison: Act as subject matter expert and provide basic guidance, templates, and stewardship best practices to Medical School departments managing their own constituent outreach.

20%: Volunteer Management

• Volunteer Recruitment: Recruit, manage, and steward alumni volunteers across programs, tracking participation in DMS.
• Alumni Board: Co-manage Alumni Board operations with the Director, including overall board strategy, meeting planning, recruitment strategy, and documentation. Provide staff support to committees; help set committee goals, support volunteer leaders, and execute committee initiatives.
• Reunion Committees: Staff reunion committees, guiding them through reunion planning and communications processes.

15%: Communications

• Strategy: Collaborate with the Director of Alumni Relations to develop strategic communications that inspire alumni to connect with the Medical School and to inform them of engagement opportunities.
• Social Media: Direct and execute social media strategy and channels, including managing the alumni LinkedIn group and restarting/running the Instagram account.
• Mass Email Communications: Share responsibility for building, testing, and sending emails utilizing Salesforce Marketing Cloud (SMC) on behalf of the Alumni Relations team, reunion committees, and other constituents, ensuring that all parties comply with policies on communications with alumni and donors and are following brand standard guidelines outlined by University Relations and Medical School marketing and communications staff.
• Database & Operations: Manage DMS engagement entry, group management, alumni contact updates, and departmental alumni verifications.

10%: Student Connections

• Student Engagement Strategy: Identify and implement opportunities to engage students on all three campuses in alumni relations activities while they are in school to develop a pipeline of engaged future alumni.
• Student Programs: Direct student support activities, including the student-alumni mentorship program, the HOST (Help Our Students Travel) program, and specialty exploration events. Implement other student touchpoint activities, e.g., Bagel Breaks, Dinner with a Doc.
• Student Milestones: Participate in and help secure volunteers for key student milestone events (Orientation, White Coat Ceremony, Match Day, and Commencement).
• The Employer retains the right to change or assign other duties to this position.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• BA/BS degree and at least 4 years of related experience in alumni relations, annual giving, volunteer management, or higher education advancement
• Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with high attention to detail
• Strong sense of initiative and adaptability with the ability to work independently with self-direction while partnering effectively across teams to achieve shared objectives
• Proven project management and organizational skills, with experience managing multiple priorities independently and collaboratively
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Note: We recognize that compelling candidates bring diverse paths and transferable skills. If you meet the required qualifications, we encourage you to apply even if you do not possess every preferred skill.

• Demonstrated experience with annual giving strategies, direct mail solicitations, and multi-channel crowdfunding campaigns
• Experience managing stewardship processes, donor acknowledgements, and utilizing UMF's Donor Management System (DMS) for data entry, reporting, and tracking
• Skills in digital content creation and community management across social media platforms (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook)
• Familiarity with email marketing platforms (e.g., SMC/Salesforce Marketing Cloud) and survey tools or demonstrated ability to learn new software or technologies

About the Department

Committed to innovation and diversity, the Medical School educates physicians, scientists, and health professionals; generates knowledge and treatments; and cares for patients and communities with compassion and respect. We value excellence, inclusiveness, collaboration, and discovery.

Founded in 1888, the University of Minnesota Medical School has three campuses. A four-year MD program and the MD/PhD program are located on the Twin Cities campus in addition to MD programs at regional campuses in Duluth and St. Cloud.

The mission of the regional campus located in Duluth is to be a national leader in improving healthcare access and outcomes in rural Minnesota and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities. In partnership with CentraCare, the regional campus in St. Cloud offers a wide range of patient experiences throughout students' education in Greater Minnesota and prepares them to become exceptional clinicians and leaders for rural and immigrant populations.

In addition to its MD and MD/PhD degree programs, the Medical School offers graduate de

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $60,000-$70,000 annually depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment: 100% Appointment

Work Location: Hybrid/Flexible. Twin Cities metro residency not required; periodic on-campus attendance required for events.

Position Type: Faculty and P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

While our salary ranges provide a framework, it is important to note that most of the time, the initial pay may not reach the maximum of the range. This approach ensures that compensation reflects the value and unique contributions of each candidate while maintaining equity within our organization. As part of our commitment to fair and equitable compensation, please be aware that the salary offered to incoming candidates will be based on their individual credentials and experience.

Diversity

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Employment Requirements

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

About University of Minnesota

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by Forbes as a Best Employer for Company Culture (2026), Best Employer for Women (2023, 2025, 2026), and Best Employer by State (2022-2026). In 2026, we also received Culture Excellence & Industry Awards recognition for employee appreciation and work‑life flexibility.