Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement Shared Interest Programs

Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement for Shared Interest Programs

Williams College Williamstown, MA

Williams College seeks an Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement for Shared Interest Programs (SIP) to provide strategic leadership and engagement opportunities for communities of alumni expressly created around a shared interest or experience, outside of traditional class-based structures and beyond the scope of established alumni affinity networks. This includes shared interest developed through athletic teams, recognized student organizations/clubs, majors/departments, residential life, and more.

The Assistant Director will manage and collaborate deeply with alumni volunteers to organize gatherings, events, communications, and other moments of connection between and among alumni, as well as between alumni and students in groups that share these interests. Annually, this will take the form of ~20-25 large-scale campus gatherings, smaller regional gatherings, virtual SIP reunions, and alumni storytelling opportunities. As such, this role involves considerable event planning, strategic thinking, program execution, marketing production, and deep collaboration with alumni, campus partners, faculty and academic departments, and external vendors.

A creative, energetic, and empathic team, Alumni Engagement is looking for candidates with strong communication and tech skills, attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities, and demonstrated professional experience in volunteer management, program management, event coordination, or comparable field of endeavor.

Specific responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):

• Program & Event Management:
  Lead, manage, and execute ~20-25 Shared Interest Program (SIP) events and reunions each year, actively managing large numbers of SIP volunteers and college partners throughout the event planning process.
• Affinity Connection:
  Cultivate lifelong affinity across alumni cohorts, focusing specifically on young alumni and under-engaged populations most likely to connect through shared interest, while facilitating student-alumni interactions as opportunities arise.
• Volunteer Management:
  Proactively track milestone years for major student groups, teams, and activities, intentionally cultivating groups of volunteer leaders to serve as thought and execution partners.
• Multi-Channel Communications:
  Design and manage marketing collateral (emails, invitations, print, web pages) and establish communication channels (listservs, dynamic lists) that support connection.
• Athletic Partnerships:
  Partner directly with coaches, athletic staff, and team alumni networks to plan, coordinate, and execute athletic gatherings, alumni-athlete games, team milestone events, and other stewardship opportunities.
• Alumni Reflections:
  Collect reflections and stories from alumni that commemorate key milestones and faculty/staff retirements.
• Reunion Ranger Student Program:
  Co-manage a comprehensive Reunion Ranger program of 60+ student employees.
• Team Collaboration & Culture:
  Provide continuous feedback and insights to colleagues, actively contributing to a team culture of learning, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications:

• A bachelor's degree and at least 2 years of relevant experience in volunteer management, program management, event coordination, or comparable field of endeavor; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with ability to cultivate relationships with broadly diverse groups of alumni, faculty, staff, students, vendors, etc. Demonstrated interest in working with volunteers and undergraduate students, and skills to support that work.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and execute a high volume of events…