Program Manager, Recruitment & Alumni Engagement

Program Manager, Recruitment & Alumni Engagement

The University of Nebraska at Omaha is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to preventing and eliminating discrimination against employees and prospective employees based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation. The University of Nebraska at Omaha does not condone or tolerate discrimination. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity.

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The Program Manager for Recruitment and Alumni Engagement provides strategic and operational leadership for recruitment, yield, and alumni engagement across the Scott Scholars Programs at both the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) and the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC). Serving as a key connector between two campuses, this role stewards the full lifecycle of engagement, from statewide prospect cultivation and applicant management through onboarding, alumni connectivity, and long‑term program affinity, ensuring a consistent, high‑touch experience that reflects the prestige and expectations of the Scott Scholars brand.

The position leads statewide recruitment strategy and execution by building and sustaining relationships with high school counselors, principals, teachers, STEM academy directors, and college‑access partners to strengthen awareness, grow applications, and support a highly competitive selection process. The Program Manager oversees end‑to‑end recruitment operations across both campuses, including outreach campaigns, inquiry response, applicant communications, event registration, applicant tracking and documentation accuracy, and the coordination of selection and yield/onboarding experiences for admitted scholars and families.

In parallel, the role advances a robust alumni engagement ecosystem by managing communications and contact strategies, coordinating peer and alumni mentoring pathways, and designing meaningful engagement opportunities that connect alumni to current scholars and to each campus’s priorities. The position also serves as the program’s lead for high‑visibility event planning and execution across UNO and UNMC recruitment events, admitted student experiences, donor and foundation‑facing engagements, alumni gatherings, and program milestone celebrations, requiring sophisticated project management, vendor coordination, and stakeholder hospitality.

To support recruitment and stewardship objectives, the Program Manager produces polished marketing and communication assets, including graphic design and branded materials for print and digital platforms, ensuring consistency with university and foundation standards. The role also stewards recruitment and engagement data across both campuses, generating dashboards and reports for quarterly, annual, and specialized updates for campus leadership and the Suzanne and Walter Scott Foundation.

The cross‑campus scope, external‑facing partnership accountability, high‑stakes event execution, and donor‑facing reporting responsibilities justify an elevated classification and salary aligned with advanced program management in higher education.

• Develop and execute annual recruitment strategies for Scott Scholars at UNO and UNMC.
• Build and sustain statewide relationships with counselors, principals, teachers, STEM academy directors, and college‑access partners.
• Coordinate recruitment travel, school visits, presentations, and outreach campaigns to increase awareness and applications.
• Represent the program at key recruitment events; deliver consistent messaging and program positioning.

• Manage end‑to‑end applicant lifecycle operations: inquiry response, applicant communications, application support, and tracking.
• Maintain accurate applicant records in program systems/CRM; ensure data integrity, confidentiality, and timely documentation.
• Coordinate applicant touchpoints,…