Associate Director, Global Engagement

NU USA Northeastern University; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

Northeastern University seeks a dynamic Advancement professional to grow and engage its Global Volunteer Network. You will recruit, onboard, and retain volunteers across global networks, coordinating with campus partners and alumni, students, and leaders to strengthen the volunteer ecosystem.

Responsibilities include program planning, communications, and event execution, plus mentoring a small team. This role is based on the Boston campus and involves travel as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 5–7 years in alumni relations or related field.
• Experience recruiting, onboarding, or managing volunteer networks.
• Strong coordination, organization, and written/oral communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Build and grow the Global Volunteer Network across diverse leaders and affinity networks.
• Integrate emerging leaders, students, alumni, and campaign volunteers with campus partners.
• Plan, execute, and market signature programs and events for the volunteer networks.
• Manage and mentor a small team and student staff; participate in hiring and training.

Skills

Volunteer management

Event planning

Communication

Cross-department collaboration

Public speaking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Virtual meeting software

Online learning tools

Job description

About the Opportunity Job Summary The Leadership Relations Team (LRT) operates as both an innovation team and a success and operations team — building new engagement models while also running the day-to-day infrastructure that keeps them working. As a result, this role requires comfort with a fast-paced, priority-shifting environment and the flexibility to move fluidly between big-picture thinking and hands-on execution as the team’s needs evolve. This role exists to grow, diversify, and activate Northeastern’s Global Volunteer Network — the volunteers, ambassadors, and leadership constituents who power Northeastern’s international engagement and giving. Reporting to the Director, Leadership Relations, this person supports the connective tissue between the University and its global volunteer base, driving: Volunteer recruitment, matching, and retention across all global networks — including Young Global Leaders (President Aoun’s appointed network of emerging global leaders), Campaign volunteer leadership, community leaders, and affinity networks Full-circle integration connecting emerging leaders, students, alumni, and Campaign volunteer leadership with one another and with key campus partners Strategic communications and marketing on behalf of volunteer programs Event planning, content generation, and signature program execution International donor participation, tied directly to volunteer engagement Integration of Campaign priorities across the Leadership Relations portfolio This position is required to perform its duties in person, on the Boston campus. Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree with 5–7 years of experience in alumni relations, advancement, volunteer management, or a related field; experience in higher education is a plus. Experience recruiting, onboarding, or managing volunteer or leadership networks, ideally including young professional, affinity, or committee/co-chair models. Event planning experience and the ability to work independently and productively with minimal supervision, while managing several projects at once in a team environment. Detail-oriented with strong customer service and interpersonal skills, and the ability to engage professionally and diplomatically with alumni, volunteers, students, parents, faculty, staff, and external partners. Experience partnering across departments — such as career services, cooperative or experiential education, or corporate relations — to build referral pipelines is a plus. Effective coordination, organization, and written and oral communication skills, including a strong phone presence and proficiency with virtual communication platforms and online learning tools. A self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced, priority-shifting environment, is flexible to changing priorities, and is adaptable to new systems, with knowledge of and interest in international affairs and sensitivity to diverse cultures highly desirable. Comfort working with and coaching student, young alumni, and volunteer leaders across a range of career stages, and supervising junior staff and student employees.

Key Responsibilities & Accountabilities

• Build & Grow the Global Volunteer Network Recruit and diversify volunteers through direct outreach and partnership with Advancement colleagues, matching each volunteer to the network best suited to their interests and goals -- including Young Global Leaders (President Aoun’s appointed network of emerging global leaders), Campaign volunteer leadership, community leaders, and affinity networks.
• Build full-circle connections across the volunteer network, integrating emerging leaders, students, alumni, and Campaign volunteer leadership so that each constituency helps grow and strengthen the others.
• Extend the network’s reach by partnering with campus stakeholders across the global university system.
• Cultivate and retain volunteers through personalized, experiential offerings tied to their interests and philanthropic goals; serve as the primary liaison between Northeastern Advancement and the volunteer network.
• Turn Network Engagement Into Giving Manage donor appeal projects and promote international donor stories across channels. Steward international parent leads in partnership with Family Philanthropy. Lead the launch of Global Giving campaigns across all volunteer networks. Own the YGL annual giving participation ask and goal in partnership with Leadership Annual Giving, and serve as team liaison with Annual Giving and Giving Day on donor challenge gift strategy.
• Communicate on Behalf of the Network Develop and implement the strategic communications and marketing plan for all volunteer networks and programs. Drive communications strategy for flagship volunteer-facing programs including the Global Leadership Summit and the Intergenerational Leaders Exchange (ILE). Weave Campaign priorities and messaging into all volunteer-facing communications, in partnership with the AVP.
• Plan & Execute Signature Programs and Events Oversee planning and execution of signature content driven sessions integrated into Leadership Relations programming.
• Undefined Team Management Manage a team of one full-time administrative/professional staff member and student employees including coop students; participate in hiring, orientation, and training of Leadership Relations Team staff. Provide guidance and mentorship, lead by professional example, and drive annual goal-setting and benchmarking for the team.

Position Type

Advancement

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: 108S Expected Hiring Range: $60,315.00 - $85,192.50 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—which includes 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.