Senior Associate Director of Alumni Relations

Teachers College, Columbia University; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 98,000 - 101,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision plans

Tuition remission

Retirement matching

Health savings accounts

Job summary

Teachers College, Columbia University in New York seeks a Senior Associate Director of Alumni Relations to lead alumni engagement, volunteer programs, and relationships across campus and with TC NEXT, Graduate Student Life, Admissions, and College Events.

Reporting to the Senior Executive Director of Annual Fund & Alumni Relations, the role directs regional volunteer recruitment, onboarding and staffing of the Alumni Council and committees, and supervises the Assistant Director, Alumni

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of work experience with donor and/or alumni engagement.
• Demonstrated experience developing volunteer leaders to meet alumni engagement and advancement goals through events, programs and activities.
• Experience includes interactions with senior administrators, university officials, volunteer boards and alumni leaders (trustees, donors, and alumni leaders).
• Demonstrated computer competency in MS Office suite and Google Drive applications.

Responsibilities

• Build leadership and opportunities for alumni engagement through the Alumni Council, Alumni Association Committees, and campus partners.
• Direct the recruitment and logistical management of regional alumni volunteers in key markets.
• Collaborate to create signature events to drive alumni engagement and philanthropy.
• Partner with units to support engagement and fundraising goals; recruit and manage high-level volunteers.

Skills

Alumni engagement

Volunteer management

Donor relations

Event planning

Communication

Leadership

Social media tools

Collaboration

Strategic planning

Tools

MS Office

Google Drive

Raiser's Edge

Job description

The Office on Institutional Advancement is seeking a creative and goal‑oriented Senior Associate Director of Alumni Relations. This role requires expertise in event management and creation, volunteer recruitment and engagement, committee management, and execution. The candidate will be a highly skilled leader of volunteers; with the ability to bring together multiple constituents on behalf of the institution. Reporting to the Senior Executive Director of Annual Fund & Alumni Relations, the Senior Associate Director will work within a newly formed unit; bringing together annual fund and alumni relations functions for Teachers College, in order to strengthen the engagement of 100,000+ alumni within the institution.

Job Summary/Basic Function

The Senior Associate Director of Director of Alumni Relations will serve as a senior alumni relations professional focused on engaging alumni with the institution, with one another and with TC’s students, for the long‑term betterment of the College. The incumbent will work in collaboration with the Senior Executive Director to manage and implement a strategic plan that drives alumni engagement and builds strong relationships with key partners both on and off campus. The Senior Associate Director will focus strategically on priority markets for the College based on multiple metrics and affiliations, including program of graduation, region, life stage and other factors. The role will also be responsible for volunteer management; including the recruitment, onboarding and staffing of the Alumni Council, alumni association committees, regional alumni leadership, and special interest groups. They will also serve as the supervisor of the Assistant Director, Alumni Relations.

Characteristic Duties And Responsibilities

• Build leadership and opportunities for alumni engagement through the Alumni Council, Alumni Association Committees, as well as key campus partners in TC NEXT, TC Take Action, Graduate Student Life & Development, and Admissions.
• Direct the strategic recruitment and logistical management of regional alumni volunteers in key markets to engage with and cultivate support for the College’s key priorities and maximizes the quality and quantity of volunteer‑related opportunities for alumni.
• Collaborate with Alumni Relations' colleagues to create three signature, collaborative events each year to drive alumni engagement and philanthropy.
• Partner with and other units of Institutional Advancement to further the engagement and fundraising goals, assisting with the identification and cultivation of prospects and the recruitment/retention and management of high‑level volunteers.
• Participate in and/or lead various cross‑functional project teams to determine best tactics to achieve and potentially exceed alumni engagement goals.
• Collaborate with a wide range of individuals and teams- both internal and external to build and maintain strong working relationships with key stakeholders, and to ensure timely and effective execution of project deliverables.
• Work with volunteer leadership to conceptualize and execute content‑rich programming, services and events that engages a broad base of alumni constituents. Coordinate the strategic development, implementation and execution of new and existing alumni and student events, programs and services to progress alumni engagement goals.
• Provide organizational leadership for communications, programs and activities that strive to engage and connect alumni, current students, campus partners and other members of the community around shared identities or interests.
• Collaborate with colleagues throughout Institutional Advancement to develop a communication strategy that engages constituents across all areas of the alumni community.
• Partner with Annual Giving function on key, signature initiatives.
• Serve as a key liaison to the TC NEXT, Graduate Student Life & Development, Admissions, and College Events to oversee the management and development of volunteer opportunities, events, programs and initiatives to meet the needs of TC’s alumni community.
• Foster relationships with other campus offices, schools/divisions.
• Provide direct supervision of the Assistant Director, Alumni Relations, working on goal setting and project management as required.
• Supervise graduate student employees as required.
• Collaborate with various teams in Institutional Advancement to improve and streamline the collection of alumni data to allow for better segmentation for cultivation and engagement purposes.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5-7 years of work experience with donor and/or alumni engagement
• Demonstrated experience developing volunteer leaders to meet alumni engagement and advancement goals through events, programs and activities
• Experience includes interactions with senior administrators, university officials, volunteer boards and alumni leaders (trustees, donors, and alumni leaders)
• Demonstrated computer competency in MS Office suite and Google Drive applications
• Flexible Working Hours: some travel and occasional evening and weekend availability required
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, evaluate program results to recommend enhancements for future alumni programming
• Ability to independently assess project challenges and obstacles, and to identify solutions based on knowledge and understanding of organization and stakeholders
• A team player who is highly motivated and dedicated to the goals of advancing higher education with a significant understanding of alumni engagement, donor relations and/or fundraising in a higher education environment; as well as comprehensive understanding of higher education issues, politics, and decision‑making
• Aptitude for emerging technologies and social media tools including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous management experience
• Proficiency in Raiser's Edge or other CRM databases

Salary Range

$98,000 - $101,000

Work Modality

Hybrid

Competitive Compensation And Benefits

The salary range reflects the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the compensation for the position at the time of the job posting. Salary decisions are dependent on several factors including but not limited to market and organizational considerations, experience, and qualifications of a selected candidate as well as internal and external equity.

Our benefits contribute significantly to the total compensation package that includes medical, dental, vision, and supplemental insurance plans; flexible and hybrid work schedules; tuition remission; life insurance; short and long‑term disability insurance; an exceptional employer retirement matching program; health savings accounts (HSA), flexible spending accounts (FSA), Public Service Loan Forgiveness eligibility, and a robust Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Hybrid/Remote

Teachers College maintains a hybrid work environment, which provides employees with flexible work arrangements while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in‑person college‑campus culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite or in a hybrid model (a combination of in‑office and virtual days). Employees are expected to live within a 150-mile radius of the College.