Executive Director, Alumni Outreach and Engagement

William & Mary; United States; Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

William & Mary seeks an Executive Director for Alumni Outreach & Engagement to lead the university's comprehensive alumni engagement strategy, integrating multiple programs to deliver a unified, high-impact alumni experience.

The role requires shepherding regional, affinity, identity, and generational engagement efforts while partnering with university leadership to align resources with campaign goals and fiscal stewardship.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.
• 7+ years in alumni engagement, non-profit leadership, volunteer management, higher education advancement, community-building, or related fields.
• Proven ability to lead - in close collaboration with staff and Board leadership - and implement change within complex organizations, including experience guiding teams through evolving priorities or structural shifts.
• Significant experience using data and insights to redesign or refine programs, including evidence of data-driven program evolution.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute William & Mary's comprehensive alumni engagement strategy.
• Oversee integration of Alumni Success and Alumni Inclusive Excellence programs to lead regional, affinity, identity, and generational engagement.
• Manage staff and ensure alignment of programs with university priorities and campaign goals.

Skills

Alumni engagement leadership

Non-profit leadership

Volunteer management

Higher education advancement

Community-building

Data-driven decision making

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Job Requisition: JR102188 Executive Director, Alumni Outreach and Engagement (Open)

Job Posting Title: Executive Director, Alumni Outreach and Engagement

Department: CC00308 WM001 | WMUA | Alumni Success

Job Family: Staff - Alumni Affairs

Worker Sub-Type: Regular (benefited)

Job Requisition Primary Location: Alumni House

Primary Job Posting Location: Posting Location - William & Mary

Job Description Summary

Mission Statement

University Advancement creates the conditions for opportunity - human, financial, and experiential - by stewarding the resources that advance William & Mary (W&M).

Alumni Engagement ensures that all W&M alumni are engaged, connected, represented, welcomed, and encouraged to be active with, informed about, and supportive of William & Mary.

Position Summary

The Executive Director for Alumni Outreach & Engagement is the senior leader responsible for developing and executing W&M's comprehensive alumni engagement strategy. The Executive Director is accountable for the design, integration, and performance of the comprehensive alumni engagement portfolio, including decisions related to program prioritization, resource allocation, and long-term sustainability. This role reflects a maximized scope of responsibility and complexity, including oversight of multiple functional areas and increased accountability for enterprise alignment and fiscal management.

Serving as the institution's chief alumni program architect, the Executive Director will integrate the Alumni Success and Alumni Inclusive Excellence programs to lead all regional, affinity, identity, and generational engagement efforts and create a seamless, relationship-centered experience for alumni. The Executive Director will also be responsible for innovating and implementing new engagement strategies. This role ensures the staff structure provides one high-quality engagement experience that acknowledges each constituent's university experience, identity, location, and interests. The Executive Director will play a critical role in William & Mary's next campaign, acting as a strategic thought partner for university and Advancement leadership, driving progress toward campaign goals, and articulating program impacts.

The Executive Director brings a strong orientation toward financial stewardship, operational discipline, and change leadership. This role aligns programs and resources to institutional priorities, using data and insights to continuously refine strategy and guide decision‑making. The Executive Director must demonstrate a track record of innovating and restructuring programs based on available resources, new data, and evolving enterprise‑wide goals.

The Executive Director must bring demonstrated success building trust‑based relationships with diverse and identity‑based alumni communities, translating those relationships into inclusive, meaningful, and high‑impact engagement strategies. This position regularly interacts with the William & Mary Alumni Association Board of Directors, working with Directors to develop strategies and providing ongoing visibility into programs and initiatives.

This position reports to the Associate Vice President for Alumni Engagement/ WMAA Chief Executive Officer and collaborates extensively with Strategic Events, University Development, Marketing & Alumni Communications, Student Affairs, Career Development & Professional Engagement, schools and units, and other campus partners. The role manages a multi‑functional staff team and oversees the strategic deployment of university and Alumni Association resources.

The Executive Director will help foster a culture of belonging that embraces all people and perspectives. This position is based in Williamsburg, VA with a flexible work arrangement.

Learn more about University Advancement and view the full position description for this job on the University Advancement recruitment website: Open Positions | University Advancement - William & Mary

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.
• Significant experience (7+ years) in alumni engagement, non‑profit leadership, volunteer management, higher education advancement, community‑building, or related fields.
• Proven ability to lead - in close collaboration with staff and Board leadership - and implement change within complex organizations, including experience guiding teams through evolving priorities or structural shifts.
• Significant experience using data and insights to redesign or refine programs, impr