Assistant Director of Regional Engagement

Assistant Director Of Regional Engagement

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc (UTFI) invites applications and nominations to fill the position of Assistant Director of Regional Engagement for the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga. Reporting to the Director of Alumni Affairs, the Assistant Director of Regional Engagement is responsible for planning and staffing alumni events, building and maintaining relationships with alumni and community constituents, and identifying opportunities for meaningful engagement with the university.

This role will travel to plan, coordinate, and execute alumni engagement, conduct relationship-building meetings, and strengthen alumni connections in priority markets.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Regional Alumni Engagement and Event Planning:
Plans, coordinates, and executes alumni events across assigned regions, managing all logistics from venue selection and registration to staffing, materials, and post-event follow-up. Develops and supports regional programming designed to increase alumni participation, strengthen university visibility, and foster long-term engagement with the institution. Tracks participation data, assesses event outcomes, and recommends adjustments to ensure continuous improvement in future programming efforts.

Travel-Based Relationship Building and Market Support:
Conducts relationship-building meetings with alumni, volunteers, and friends of the university across assigned markets, maintaining a consistent and strategic presence in key regions. Identifies, cultivates, and sustains meaningful relationships with alumni to increase engagement and strengthen regional networks in alignment with institutional priorities. Maintains timely and accurate records of all outreach, meetings, and follow-up activities within the appropriate CRM or reporting system to ensure accountability and informed decision-making.

Admissions, Recruitment, and Affinity Group

Collaboration:

Partners with admissions and recruitment staff to coordinate alumni participation in student recruitment and yield events, identifying volunteers, speakers, and hosts who can serve as effective ambassadors in support of enrollment goals. Works with local affinity groups to develop engagement strategies for shared-interest, identity-based, industry-based, and geographically connected alumni communities, identifying volunteer leaders and emerging advocates who can strengthen programming and outreach.

Serves as a liaison between alumni engagement, admissions partners, and affinity-based constituencies to support a coordinated regional presence and broaden pathways for alumni involvement.

Required Education and Experience

The candidate who fills the Assistant Director of Regional Engagement position is required to have:

• Bachelor's degree
• 3+ years of experience in alumni relations, event planning, volunteer management, student engagement, communications, admissions, advancement, or related field
• Demonstrated ability to plan and execute events, manage multiple projects simultaneously and build effective relationships with a wide range of constituents
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently, exercise sound judgement, and coordinate effectively with campus and community partners
• Must be able to travel regularly and work occasional evenings and weekends

A valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record is required due to travel responsibilities of the position. UTFI reserves the right to consider all appropriate circumstances. In general, any significant driving offense less than 12 months old will eliminate the application from consideration for the position.

Note - Candidates holding a graduate degree must have at least 1 years of experience.

Preferred Education and Experience

In addition to meeting the required qualifications, the preferred candidate will have:

• Master's degree
• Experience in higher education, nonprofit engagement, alumni relations, admissions programming, or regional outreach work
• Experience working with volunteers, affinity groups, and cross-functional campus teams
• Familiarity with recruitment-related events and relationship-based constituent engagement
• Experience with CRM systems, Microsoft Office Suite and event coordination processes

Application Process:

Priority will be given to applications received on or before July 31st via our DASH application system. Applications must include a completed candidate profile, cover letter, and resume. Candidates selected to move forward in the evaluation process will be asked to provide contact information for three professional references. References will not be contacted without explicit permission of the candidate.

When determining minimum qualifications, only information entered into the candidate profile can be considered. Please ensure your candidate profile is completed in its entirety as it relates to qualifying education/work experience.

Applicants must be…