Director of Engagement

The Peddie School; Hightstown (NJ); On-site; USD 65,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

The Peddie School in Hightstown, NJ seeks a Director of Engagement to creatively build and lead volunteer and donor networks. This role will design scalable engagement systems, nurture partnerships across our community, and work closely with students, alumni and parents to deepen connections to Peddie.

The ideal candidate will bring strategic leadership, a gift for relationship-building, and experience in alumni programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree with 5–7 years in alumni relations or related field.
• Proven ability to build relationships and design scalable engagement programs.
• Willingness to travel regularly and work evenings/weekends.
• Experience managing volunteer-led programs and recruiting volunteers.
• Strong written and verbal communication with alumni audiences.

Responsibilities

• Strategically develop and lead high-impact engagement opportunities.
• Design and launch a best-in-class Peddie Network.
• Lead alumni and parent engagement efforts.
• Partner with frontline fundraisers to meet engagement and fundraising goals.

Skills

Alumni relations

Volunteer management

Strategic leadership

Event conception

Communication

Travel willingness

Budget management

Relationship-building

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Raiser's Edge NXT

CRM analytics

Canva

Constant Contact

LinkedIn publishing

Job description

The Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J., seeks a Director of Engagement who will be a creative builder and exceptional team leader for both volunteers and colleagues. Peddie has a deeply loyal student, alumni and parent community, and this director will build meaningful relationships, design and build scalable volunteer engagement systems, and nurture collaborative partnerships across our community to advance our mission and deepen connections to Peddie.

The ideal Director of Engagement will partner easily with students, alumni and parents to deepen their relationship with and devotion to Peddie. The director is responsible for strategy and execution of Peddie Leadership Council, the Peddie Network, the expansion of WeSoar: Peddie's Women's Network, other committee-based volunteer engagement and the stewardship of our lead volunteers. The director will partner with frontline fundraisers and the engagement team to continuously connect alumni and parents to the life of the School and to showcase the impact of philanthropy.

We are looking for genuine imagination paired with strategic leadership: someone who cares deeply about people, conceives experiences that inspire a community to convene with purpose, listens to and incorporates volunteer feedback, and leads a team to deliver experiences with care. The director will be responsible for traveling to connect with alumni and parents across the country.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategically develop and lead innovative, high impact engagement opportunities
• Lead the design and launch of a noteworthy, best-in-class Peddie Network
• Lead and develop alumni and parent engagement efforts
• Partner with frontline fundraisers to exceed engagement and fundraising goals

Required

• Bachelor's degree and 5 to 7 years in alumni relations, advancement, volunteer management, project management, stewardship, communications or a related field,
• A genuine gift for connection and event conception: naturally build relationships, imagine experiences that deepen relationships and produce real outcomes, not just attendance at social events.
• Willingness to travel regularly and work evenings and weekends
• Experience building and managing volunteer-led programs, including recruiting, training, and retaining volunteer leaders
• Strong, authentic relationship-building skills across generations and backgrounds: students, alumni, parents, trustees, and donors
• Excellent written and verbal communication, including writing for alumni audiences
• Fluency with LinkedIn as both a networking tool and an institutional publishing platform
• Warm, collaborative, solutions-oriented, and self-motivated; energized by creating new pathways for alumni connection
• Commitment to Peddie's mission and values, including an inclusive community, diverse perspectives, and a culture of belonging
• Discretion, ethics, and professionalism with confidential information
• Comfort with Raiser's Edge NXT or an equivalent CRM and analytics; sound project and budget management

Preferred

• Experience in schools or non-profits serving the adolescent/young adult demographic
• Experience launching or scaling regional chapters, affinity networks, or an early-stage program; comfort with ambiguity
• Experience building cross-departmental partnerships, such as with college counseling, student life, or career services
• Experience partnering with gift officers and using engagement data to identify prospects
• Experience with parent programs, reunion and Alumni Weekend programming, speaker series, and virtual events
• Understanding of how alumni engagement and philanthropy intersect
• Familiarity with email and design tools such as Constant Contact and Canva