Assistant Director of Alumni Relations

Columbia University in the City of New York; New York (NY); On-site; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia Law School seeks an Assistant Director to advance alumni engagement and support programs, events, communications, and initiatives with the Alumni Association. The role partners with the Director on planning and executing alumni activities, meetings, and strategic initiatives.

The position manages a broad portfolio of high-profile alumni programs in the Metro New York area, supporting signature events and donor recognition efforts. Strong collaboration with stewardship teams is essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 2-4 years of directly related professional experience.

Responsibilities

• Plan and execute governance and engagement for CLSA board meetings and related materials.
• Recruit, nominate, and elect Alumni Association board members.
• Coordinate logistics for Board meetings, including Zoom and AV.
• Develop relationships with alumni leaders and volunteers.

Skills

Organizational skills

Project management

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Event planning

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Salesforce

Marketing Cloud

Mailchimp

Microsoft 365

Airtable

LinkedIn

Job description

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $70,000 - $80,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Alumni Relations, the Assistant Director plays a key role in advancing Columbia Law School’s alumni engagement strategy and supporting the programs, events, communications, and initiatives with the Columbia Law School Alumni Association. The Assistant Director partners closely with the Director on the planning and execution of alumni activities, meetings, and strategic initiatives and serves as a primary point of contact for logistics related to the Alumni Association, Board of Visitors, and Dean’s Council.

Working collaboratively with the Alumni Relations and Development teams, the Assistant Director manages a broad portfolio of high-profile alumni programs and events based in the Metro New York area. This includes supporting the annual Winter Luncheon and Medal for Excellence, Stone Circle Luncheon, Alumni of Color Reception, Alumni Speaker Series, Class Day events, and other New York City–based alumni events. In addition to working with alumni and board members, the incumbent will partner with our stewardship colleagues to coordinate and execute donor recognition events.

Responsibilities

Alumni Association Governance and Engagement

• In partnership with the Director, plan and execute all aspects of three annual meetings of the CLSA board, including developing agendas, coordinating with committees and subcommittees, preparing meeting materials and notes, and
  providing follow-up updates as appropriate.
• Support the recruitment, nomination, and election of new Alumni Association Board members.
• Serve as a point of contact for logistics, including zoom and AV logistics, related to Board of Visitors and Dean’s Council meetings.
• Build and maintain productive relationships with alumni leaders and volunteer representatives.

Events and Programs

• Lead the planning and execution of large-scale and signature alumni events and programs.
• Manage event logistics from initial planning through execution and post-event follow-up, including timelines, invitations, guest lists, vendor management, run-of-show materials, speaker coordination, and day-of production.
• Produce events that have in-person, virtual, and hybrid formats, ensuring a high-quality experience for alumni, faculty, students, donors, and other constituents.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for prominent faculty, alumni, and donors participating as speakers, hosts, honorees, or guests.

Alumni and Student Engagement

• Manage the Law School’s reserved Commencement section and serve as a point of contact for designated student groups regarding ticket distribution and related logistics.
• Oversee alumni legacy stewardship initiatives connected to alumni participation in Commencement.
• Assist in developing strategies to increase alumni participation and engagement across programs and platforms.

Cross-Functional Collaboration and Project Management

• Work collaboratively across Alumni Relations and Development, the Office of the Dean, Communications, and Law School departments to execute high-priority initiatives.
• Manage multiple complex projects simultaneously, balancing competing priorities and deadlines while maintaining a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
• Identify opportunities to improve processes, strengthen alumni engagement, and enhance the overall effectiveness of Alumni Relations programs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 2-4 years of directly related professional experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Exceptional organizational and project-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple complex projects and priorities simultaneously and meet demanding deadlines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with senior leaders, prominent alumni, donors, faculty, students, and colleagues.
• Strong interpersonal skills and attention to detail and the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively as part of a team.
• Ability to work early mornings, evenings, and weekends during peak event periods, as well as travel as needed.
• Must be able to work with diverse constituencies and support an inclusive work environment.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office/Microsoft 365 and experience with constituent relationship management and email marketing platforms, including Salesforce, Marketing Cloud, Mailchimp, or similar systems.
• Familiarity with Airtable or comparable project and data-management tools.
• Experience managing alumni engagement through LinkedIn

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.