Director of Alumni Relations and Strategic Engagement

Wheaton is a leading private, coeducational, liberal arts college of 1800 students located in Norton, MA and within easy commuting distance of Boston and Providence.

• Posting Number: 0601311
• Position Title: Director of Alumni Relations and Strategic Engagement
• FLSA: Exempt
• Job Type: Full-Time
• Staff Term: 12 Months
• Staff Work Schedule (hours/dates): 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday-Friday
• Academic Year Schedule (dates):
• Faculty Term:
• Position Type: Staff
• Department: Alumnae/I Relations

Strategic Planning and Implementation, Governance, and Advancement Integration

The Director of Alumni Relations and Strategic Engagement is responsible for creating and sustaining lifelong relationships between alumni and their alma mater through planning and implementing programs that strategically engage alumni in strengthening their connection to Wheaton College. The Director provides strategic leadership for alumni programs, events, and volunteers that complement and support the mission of the College and the Advancement Division’s goals and objectives.

The Director is responsible for overall management and administration of programs including strategic, planning, fiscal management, staffing, and program development. The position strengthens relationships between alumni and the programs for which they have an affinity.

• Set and drive the overall alumni engagement strategy aligned with institutional and advancement priorities including defining priorities across:
  • Fall Fest/Reunion
  • Regional engagement (5 top markets)
  • Alumni leadership pathways
• Manage top-tier alumni volunteers and key institutional relationships
• Act as the bridge to Annual Fund and Major Gifts:
  • Align engagement activity with donor pipeline development
  • Partner on leadership annual giving and volunteer solicitation strategy
• Serve as primary staff lead for the Alumni Board of Directors (in partnership with support staff for logistics)

• Provides leadership for the Alumni Relations and Strategic Engagement staff, establishing performance goals, measures of success, and standards of excellence to ensure optimal programming and engagement results as well as quality service to alumni and volunteers.
• Serves as a strategic and thought partner to the Vice President for Advancement in matters pertaining to friend-raising, fundraising, engagement, stewardship, and events; leads key departments responsible for helping division achieve short- and long-term goals and objectives.
• Oversees the Alumni Board of Directors
• Serves as one of the key leadership liaisons between alumni leadership and major donors and the college
• Oversees ongoing assessment of all alumni programs and seeks to be innovative, introducing new concepts and program features; leverages program metrics to develop engagement strategies to appeal to diverse audience segments and increase engagement overall.
• Assists Advancement Marketing and Communications to develop and implement an alumni communications strategy, to include social media applications, the design and development of consistent branding to be reflected in marketing, promotional materials, and alumni web pages.
• Collaborates with college leadership including the President, Vice President for Advancement, Vice President of Admissions, Vice President of Student Affairs, Provost, AVP of Life and Career Design, and AVP of Individual Giving to spearhead outreach and networking opportunities for matriculating students and alumni.
• Administers the advancement and college policies; oversees budgets of Alumni Relations and Strategic Engagement
• Represents the college at alumni functions and the alumni at official college program both on and off campus
• Travels to local, regional, and national engagements, often with the President, Alumni Board of Director’s President, selected other trustees and senior administrators

Bachelor’s Degree

• A minimum 5-7 years of demonstrated leadership/managerial experience and development of strategic plans and implementing programs, preferably in higher education within Advancement and/or alumni relations.
• Prove…