Executive Director of Alumni Engagement

FORDHAM University; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 160,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition remission? Not specified

Job summary

Fordham University seeks an Executive Director of Alumni Relations to strategically oversee NYC programming, regional outreach, and young alumni engagement. The role partners with staff to cultivate a global Fordham network, using data-driven insights to shape innovative engagement strategies and measure impact.

Travel, evening, and weekend work are required as part of leading regional events and large-scale gatherings within Fordham’s Jesuit mission.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum 7 years in alumni relations or advancement.
• Minimum 3 years of supervisory experience.
• Proven ability to lead event production and analyze metrics.
• Excellent communication and public speaking.
• Strong budgeting and strategic planning skills.
• Ability to manage multiple complex projects.

Responsibilities

• Orchestrates regional alumni receptions (12–15/year) and NYC traditions.
• Empowers global alumni chapters and partners with local leadership.
• Designs strategies to increase event and program attendance.
• Leads marquee events like St. Patrick’s Day Brunch and Memorial Mass.
• Collaborates with FUAA to maximize reach of large gatherings.
• Curates 8–10 bespoke events annually leveraging Fordham identity.

Education

Bachelor’s degree

7+ years alumni relations

3+ years supervisory

Public speaking

Data-driven

Budget management

Strategic planning

Team leadership

Interpersonal skills

Ethical discernment

Relationship building

Tools

Ellucian CRM Advance

Salesforce

Raiser’s Edge

Power BI

Tableau

Job description

Founded in 1841, Fordham is the Jesuit University of New York, offering an exceptional education distinguished by the Jesuit tradition to more than 16,000 students in its nine colleges and schools. It has residential campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan, a campus in West Harrison, N.Y., the Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y., and the London Centre in the United Kingdom.
The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement plans; life insurance; short and long-term disability; employee assistance program (EAP); tuition remission; and generous time off.
Successful candidates should have a knowledge of and commitment to the goals of Jesuit Education.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President of Alumni Relations, the Executive Director strategically oversees three core pillars of alumni engagement: New York City programming (with a dotted line to the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives), regional outreach, and the critical continuum of young alumni and student engagement.
Grounded in cura personalis and supporting our alumni through every stage of their lives, the incumbent will partner with staff and volunteers to cultivate an inclusive global network, deepening alumni connections to each other and the University. Using data-driven insights and reflective discernment, the Executive Director will rigorously evaluate program effectiveness and measure success to shape forward-looking, innovative engagement strategies.
This position serves as a member of the alumni leadership team and requires significant travel, evening, and weekend work to actively unite and champion the global Fordham community.

Essential Functions

Orchestrates all aspects of regional alumni receptions with and without the President (approximately 12-15 events per year), identifying ways to innovate events through a lens of curiosity and acting as a catalyst to animate Fordham’s mission across regional networks.
Empowers a global network of alumni chapters, partnering with local leadership to execute strategic activities, strengthen lifelong University relationships, and reflect the values of compassion and the common good.
Designs and implements innovative strategies to optimize chapter effectiveness, igniting volunteer involvement, and developing creative, data-informed approaches to measurably and sustainably increase event and program attendance.
Directs the planning and execution of marquee New York City traditions, including the St. Patrick’s Day Brunch and Parade and the annual Memorial Mass, anchoring alumni engagement in Fordham’s unique historical legacy of reflection and celebration.
Collaborates with the Fordham University Alumni Association (FUAA) board to maximize the reach and impact of signature large-scale gatherings, including the annual reception and New York Yankees outing, reinforcing a culture of lifelong connection.
Curates 8-10 bespoke events annually that leverage Fordham’s identity as the "Jesuit University of New York," utilizing the city’s world-class arts, cultural, and entertainment offerings to inspire intellectual curiosity and provide inclusive, connection-driven access for alumni.
Formulates the strategic vision for the student-to-young alumni journey, managing Commencement traditions and growing the Fordham Mentoring Program guided by the principle of cura personali to foster deep institutional affinity and transformative, intergenerational support.
Empowers the Young Alumni Committee and partners with the Career Center to drive cohort-specific engagement and professional programming, ensuring recent graduates transition into a culture of lifelong connection as ethical leaders in a global society.
Identifies, recommends, and stewards alumni to channel their unique talents back into the University by aligning their expertise with opportunities to enhance the Fordham network through undergraduate admission, academic engagement, mentorship, community service, and philanthropic advocacy.

Essential Functions Note

This list is not intended to be an exhaustive list. The University may assign additional related duties as necessary.

Management Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership and contributes to higher-level direction. Typically oversees managers via direct and indirect reports. Responsible for hiring, developing leaders, managing performance, corrective action, and compensation decisions.

Additional Functions

Emcees various events as required.
Generates compelling social media posts and shares them with appropriate staff members for execution.
Serves as alumni relations liaison to the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Required Qualifications: Education and Experience

Bachelor’s degree.
Minimum of 7 years of experience in alumni relations or advancement.
Minimum of 3 years of supervisory experience.

Required Qualifications: Knowledge and Skills

Proven capability to lead the full lifecycle of event production, paired with the analytical rigor to evaluate success through quantitative and qualitative metrics, translating those insights into forward-looking strategic planning.
Exceptional communication and public speaking skills, with a proven ability to portray a highly professional image and articulate Fordham’s distinct Jesuit identity to ignite confidence and enthusiasm grounded in inclusion and respect across all internal and external constituencies.
Meticulous attention to detail with the ability to successfully manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.
Ability to foster professional growth and retain top talent, while holding teams mutually accountable to high standards and measurable results, successfully balancing supportive mentorship with the pursuit of excellence.
Demonstrated interpersonal skills to establish and maintain good working relationships with colleagues, faculty, donors, volunteers, and university officials, emphasizing tact, diplomacy, flexibility, collaboration, professionalism, and discretion.
Ability to navigate complex, fast-paced situations with integrity and a foundation of ethical discernment.
Demonstrated proficiency in leveraging relational databases (e.g., Ellucian CRM Advance, Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, etc.) and business intelligence tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau, etc.) to synthesize data into actionable, mission-aligned strategies.
Proven ability to successfully develop, forecast, and manage budgets, ensuring the responsible stewardship of institutional resources, creatively maximizing funds to achieve strategic engagement goals.

Preferred Qualifications

Volunteer management experience.
Experience negotiating vendor contracts and managing large-scale venue event logistics.

Minimum Starting Salary

Minimum Starting Salary $160,000

Maximum Starting Salary

Maximum Starting Salary $180,000

Note

Note Salary is commensurate with qualifications, experience, and skills.

Is this a Union position?

Is this a Union position? No

Posting Number

Posting Number A1151P

Number of Vacancies

Number of Vacancies 1

Start Date

Posting Date 09/25/2026

EEO Statement

Fordham University is committed to excellence and welcomes candidates of all backgrounds.
Fordham University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Physical Activity and Work Environment

Physical Activity

Sitting Nearly Continuously

Repetitive Hand Motion (such as typing)

Repetitive Hand Motion (such as typing) Nearly Continuously

Hearing, Listening, Talking Nearly Continuously

Standing

Standing Seldom

Walking

Walking Seldom

Running

Running Not Required

Bending, Stooping, Kneeling, squatting, Crouching, Crawling

Bending, Stooping, Kneeling, squatting, Crouching, Crawling Seldom

Climbing stairs Not Required

Climbing ladders

Climbing ladders Not Required

Reaching overhead

Reaching overhead Not Required

Pulling, pushing

Pulling, pushing Not Required

Shoveling

Shoveling Not Required

Lifting - up to 20 pounds

Lifting - up to 20 pounds Seldom

Lifting - up to 50 pounds

Lifting - up to 50 pounds Seldom

Lifting - over 50 pounds Seldom

Work Environment Office Environment: Employees are protected from weather conditions or contaminants, but not necessarily occasional temperature changes.

Documents Needed to Apply

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents

Supplemental questions you will be required to answer on the application (No action is needed on this page)

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * Do you have a bachelor's degree?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have 7 years or more of experience in alumni relations or advancement?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have 3 years or more of supervisory experience?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Are you an alumnus/a of Fordham University?
  • Yes
  • No