Program Manager, University Alumni Engagement

University of Denver; Denver (CO); On-site; USD 58,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Denver is seeking a Program Manager for University Alumni Engagement in Denver, Colorado. This cross‑functional role provides operational, logistical, and administrative support to the DU Alumni Engagement team, assisting the AVC and multiple directors, including signature events and revenue programs.

Responsibilities include managing logistics for council meetings, coordinating Homecoming activities, overseeing student staff, budgets, vendor relations, and data tracking, ensuring

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent; 4 years professional experience.
• Experience in higher education or nonprofit environment preferred.
• Supervising, managing, mentoring volunteers or employees.
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate logistics for the DU Alumni Council and related meetings and events.
• Coordinate logistics for Homecoming, reunions, regional and affinity programs.
• Support alumni travel and insurance programs with vendors and data.
• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, and mentor student employees.

Skills

Logistics management

Operations coordination

Vendor management

Staff supervision

Data tracking

Budgeting

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

4 years professional experience

Job description

Program Manager, University Alumni Engagement

Job no: 499056
Work type: Staff Full-Time
Location: Denver, CO
Categories: Business Operations / Services, Advancement
Division: Advancement

The University of Denver (DU), a private university, is the oldest independent university in the Rocky Mountain region, with approximately 11,000 students in undergraduate and graduate programs. DU is classified as an R1: Doctoral University.
At the University of Denver, we’re doing higher education our way: authentic to the Rocky Mountain Wests confident optimism and pragmatic independence. It sets us apart. We’re preparing young people to be the solutions in their own stories, empowering them to face uncertainty with confidence and uncommon sense.
We’re fiercely ambitious and forward-thinking, surpassing all expectations to redefine success and how to achieve it. And we’re true to our mission as a top-tier private R-1 institution dedicated to making the world a better place – contributing to our communities and making positive change in the world.

About DU Advancement

The Denver Difference campaign is our most ambitious campaign yet. It marks a dramatic shift in conventional thinking about what the university experience can and should be. DU is setting the bar with our approach to higher education, developing and preparing students to be successful in life in every way. The University of Denver is building an advancement enterprise that mirrors the excellence and innovation of our great institution. Inclusive of alumni engagement, development, operations, and communications leadership, DU Advancement is building and fostering a culture of deep engagement and philanthropy in support of our bold vision.

About the University Alumni Engagement Team

Rooted in the University’s mission, DU’s Development & Alumni Engagement (DAE) team advances alumni engagement and philanthropy in support of the University of Denver’s bold aspirations. The team plays a central role in The Denver Difference campaign by cultivating meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, donors, volunteers, and friends who are inspired by DU’s impact and purpose.
Within DAE, the University Alumni Engagement team focuses on initiatives that strengthen the breadth and depth of alumni engagement from a university-wide lens. This includes a full suite of engagement activities including local, regional and affinity and topical programming, volunteerism initiatives, individual relationship building and signature experiences such as Homecoming. Members of the University Alumni Engagement team collaborate frequently with colleagues across advancement, faculty and staff partners, and volunteer leaders to align efforts, maximize impact, and ensure alumni have multiple avenues to remain involved with DU. With an unwavering focus on fostering a vibrant alumni network that supports DU and the next generation of students, DU’s alumni engagement officers blend hospitality, strategic vision, and heartfelt relationship‑building to create unforgettable experiences and enduring connections —welcoming alumni home while shaping the future of DU’s alumni network.

Position Summary

The Program Manager is a highly cross‑functional role providing critical operational, logistical, and administrative support across the University Alumni Engagement team. The position supports the assistant vice chancellor, as well as multiple directors and programs, including signature events and programs including the DU Alumni Council, Distinguished Alumni Awards, Homecoming, regional engagement programming, interest and affinity networks, volunteer initiatives and revenue‑generating programs such as the alumni travel and insurance programs.
This role also serves as a central point of coordination for complex, multi‑stakeholder initiatives, which often includes managing logistics, communications, data tracking, purchasing, vendor relationships, daily operations and student supervision to ensure continuity and high‑quality program execution. The program manager also functions as a key operational backbone for the department, resolving escalated issues, maintaining documented workflows, and enabling program leaders to focus on strategy and relationship management. Strong judgment, independence, and the ability to manage competing priorities across multiple functional areas are essential to success in this role.

Essential Functions

Program Support

• Support the AVC in managing logistics for the DU Alumni Council, including Council meetings, committee meetings, onboarding programs and nomination cycles for Council membership and Distinguished Alumni Awards. Responsibilities can include booking rooms, catering, parking, managing RSVPs, compiling documents and sharing with volunteers and day‑of execution.
• Partner with University Alumni Engagement colleagues to coordinate logistics for a wide range of programs as assigned, including events such as Homecoming, reunions, volunteer engagement, regional, affinity and Commencement experiences. Responsibilities can include supply purchasing, volunteer coordination, organization and distribution of materials, updates to web‑based content, athletics ticketing, cot and policy.

Alumni Travel & Insurance Program Coordination

• With guidance from the AVC, provide operational and logistical support for the alumni travel and alumni insurance programs, including liaising with external vendors, tracking commissions, managing data sharing in accordance with legal and university requirements
• Partner with Advancement Communications colleagues on program marketing plans
• For the alumni travel program, coordinate additional elements that include managing traveler rosters, scheduling and participating in pre‑trip meetings and liaising with travelers.

Student Staffing, Supervision & Operational Continuity

• Recruit, hire, train, supervise, evaluate, and mentor student employees.
• Manage student schedules, payroll, daily task assignments, and office coverage.
• Oversee and serve as backup for student‑managed responsibilities, including alumni phone lines, email inboxes, data entry and special projects
• Maintain and document procedures, workflows, and training materials to ensure continuity.

Operations, Budgets, Facilities, Data & Vendor Management

• Oversee stock of branded giveaway items, including ordering, shipping, inventory management, budget adherence and distribution across programs.
• Support the team’s budget management including tracking expenses, payments, invoices, and related documentation, as well as process improvement efforts
• Oversee updates to alumni web pages, phone line and email box, as well as updates to alumni engagement internal toolkits
• Handle complex or escalated alumni inquiries and support daily operational needs of the Alumni office.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Exceptional attention to detail and strong commitment to quality, with the ability to manage complex logistics, data, and documentation accurately across multiple programs.
• Advanced interpersonal and communication skills, including clear, professional written and verbal communication with alumni, volunteers, students, vendors, and campus partners.
• Strong customer service orientation and sound judgment, with the ability to handle complex or escalated situations with professionalism, discretion, and tact.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, adapt to changing needs, and meet deadlines across overlapping projects and timelines.
• Ability to work independently with a high degree of accountability, while also collaborating effectively with directors, peers, and cross‑functional teams.
• Demonstrated initiative and problem‑solving skills, including the ability to identify process improvements, anticipate needs, and resolve issues proactively.
• Experience supervising, training, and mentoring others, including assigning work, providing feedback, and supporting ongoing development.
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills, with the ability to track workflows, maintain procedures, and ensure operational continuity.
• Comfort working with data, systems, and vendors, including tracking information, managing reports, and serving as a point of contact for external partners.
• Ability to exercise discretion, sound judgment, and professionalism while managing sensitive information, budgets, and institutional relationships.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
  Relevant professional experience can be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis (e.g., one year of experience equals one year of education).
• 4 years of professional experience, including 2 years of directly related professional experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education or a similarly complex nonprofit environment
• Experience supervising, managing, mentoring, or advising volunteers or employees
• Standard open office environment
• Noise level is quiet to moderate
• Non‑essential role. Note: essential employees are those individuals who must report to work, be “on call” to report to work, and/or work remotely if required in order to maintain the critical functions of the University during scheduled closures or an unscheduled suspension of normal operations due to emergencies, events, or other situations.

Physical Activities

• Ability to use a computer for an extended period
• Occasionally required to move about the office/campus with the capability of transporting objects up to 20 lbs. with assistance
• This role is not required to operate an Automobile, Passenger Van, UTV/ATV, or golf cart

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Application Deadline

For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) October 5, 2026.

Salary Grade Number

The salary grade for the position is 9.

Salary Range

The salary range for this position is $58,000 - $68,000.

Benefits

The University of Denver offers excellent benefits , including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver .

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital, family, or parental status, pregnancy or related conditions, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. The University of Denver does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital family, and parental status, pregnancy, genetic information, military enlistment, or veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, and local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the University’s educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act; the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act; the Colorado Protecting Opportunities and Worker's Rights ("POWR") Act; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For more information, please see the University of Denver's Non‑Discrimination‑Statement .

All offers of employment are based upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history and National Sex Offender Registry background check.

The University of Denver Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available. This report includes statistics from the previous three years concerning reported crime that occurred on campus, in certain off‑campus buildings or property owned or controlled by the University of Denver campus and statistics for fires in University housing. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security and other safety information along with fire safety policies and procedures. You may obtain a hard copy of this report by contacting the Department of Campus Safety or by accessing the following website: https://www.du.edu/campussafety/clery-act

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