Development Associate, Alumni + Family Relations

Job Summary

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) seeks a Development Associate, Alumni & Family Relations to join Institutional Advancement (IA).

Reporting to the Executive Director of Alumni & Family Relations, the Development Associate is responsible for providing proactive administrative support, coordinating internal meetings, preparation, travel logistics, and follow‑up for external visits and meetings. The role provides excellent customer service to alumni, families, and others in response to phone, email inquiries, and requests for information. In addition, the Development Associate supports departmental efficiency by developing, analyzing, and monitoring the Alumni & Family Relations budget to ensure alignment with departmental goals and financial best practices, while coordinating logistics and projects that advance key initiatives.

The successful candidate will thrive in a campus environment that is committed to advancing the principles of social equity and inclusion, environmental and climate justice, and equal access to resources and opportunities.

• Address inquiries to the Alumni & Family Relations office via email and phone, answering questions and disseminating to other staff when appropriate, and handling other general inquiries.
• Maintain and update the Executive Director’s calendar, proofread and prepare meeting agendas and communications, create detailed travel itineraries and arrangements, and ensure all materials related to trips or visits and any resulting assignments or information are recorded and distributed as appropriate.
• Serve as departmental project coordinator for intra‑ and inter‑departmental projects and initiatives as needed.
• Track, monitor, and maintain expense reports and reconcile travel reports, credit card settlements, and reimbursement requests for the team.
• Enter contact reports and other data and activities (event registration and attendance) into the database (Raiser’s Edge).
• Work collaboratively and proactively with other administrative support staff to coordinate meetings and other events, schedule routine meetings including staff meetings and Executive Director meetings.

• Work with the Alumni & Family Relations team to gather financial data and projections.
• Monitor department spending to align with the approved budget.
• Analyze budget variances and make recommendations for financial optimization.
• Prepare monthly reports for the Executive Director and team.
• Ensure compliance with RISD policies and regulations.
• Support audits related to financial performance and budgetary compliance.

• Complete training on accounting software and platforms.
• Check contract terms to ensure they align with RISD’s policies; contact staff or vendors to negotiate changes as needed.
• Confirm contract status with Procurement.
• Regularly submit Alumni & Family Relations contracts via contract software for review and approval.
• Monitor the approval or pending status on contract software and update the contract status sheet accordingly.
• Collaborate with the IA team to support strategic initiatives and priorities of the division and perform administrative functions across IA units as directed.
• Hire, onboard, and supervise student workers to support the Alumni & Family Relations team and complete assigned projects.
• Maintain department supply inventory including RISD swag; purchase items as needed and establish a tracking system that provides visibility to the team.
• Support the successful planning and implementation of events, including Commencement & Reunion Weekend, Families Weekend, RISD Craft, and alumni club events, by completing assigned event responsibilities.
• Support administrative needs for councils by organizing meetings, sharing agendas, and providing other logistical support as needed.

• Take on temporary special assignments and projects at the direction of the Executive Director, such as coordinating and scheduling candidate interviews and supporting the Executive Director with new hire onboarding.
• Perform benchmark research on other institutions.
• Gather and complete specific research for projects and initiatives.
• Perform other…