The Alumni Association proudly serves our 75,000 graduates of Rhode Island College by providing resources, events and benefits exclusively to our alumni community. Founded in 1864, Rhode Island College Mount Pleasant campus is a park-like 180-acres and serves approximately 6,000 students in courses and programs both on and off campus.
Primary Purpose
The Director of Alumni Advancement and 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 a connection to Rhode Island College.
The director provides strategic leadership for alumni programs and volunteers that complement and support the mission of Rhode Island College.
The director is responsible for overall management and administration of programs including strategic planning, fiscal management, staffing, and program development.
The director plays an integral role in the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of annual, leadership and major gift alumni donors. The position strengthens relationships between alumni and the schools/programs for which they have an affinity and serves as the primary liaison between alumni donors and the deans and the respective schools, and supports the deans’ advisory boards.
Serves as advisor to the Rhode Island College Alumni Association’s governing body and all of its subgroups.
Supervises the day-to-day activities of the Assistant Director, Alumni Relations, part-time office assistant and student workers.
Essential Duties
- Oversees the Rhode Island College Alumni Association Executive Committee and Board of Directors including governance, recruitment and retention, and communications, and has responsibility for forging key relationships and alliances.
- Collaborate with RIC Advancement and the RIC Foundation to obtain sponsorships for Alumni events and programs.
- Serves as the primary liaison between alumni donors and the deans and the respective schools and supports the deans’ advisory boards.
- Oversees ongoing assessment of all 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.
- Collaborates with the Communications and Marketing team, to develop and implement an alumni communication 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 various college partners including the five college schools, Admissions, College Advancement, and the Career Development Office to spearhead outreach and networking opportunities for admitted students, matriculating students and alumni.
- Manages Alumni Awards Program.
- Collaborates with Development colleagues to raise funds for other select special activities and events.
- Develops and implements virtual programs and uses social media or other technology to further alumni relations programming
- Provides leadership for the Alumni Relations 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 advisor to the alumni association’s governing body and all its subgroups.
- Cooperates with all campus offices and allied interests in effectively identifying all opportunities for institutional advancement and engagement locally and nationally.
- Designs surveys and initiate other information gathering techniques to assess the affinity, needs and strengths of alumni
- Administers the policies and budget of the Association; serve as ex-officio member of all standing committees; recommend policies and programs which will benefit Rhode Island College; plan association meeting agendas.
- Establishes alumni services within the Alumni Welcome Center
- Represents the college at alumni functions and the alumni at official college programs.
- Travels to local, regional, and national engagements.
The college requires that all applicants and employees be able to perform the above essential duties of the job and will explore reasonable accommodations for individuals with documented disabilities in accordance with ADA requirements.
Occasional Duties
- Perform other relevant duties as assigned by the assistant vice president for college advancement.
Required Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
- Demonstrated ability to nurture and cultivate donors and volunteers of various backgrounds.
- Evidence of initiative and organization ability.
- Ability to generate and maintain good interpersonal relationships with professional colleagues and alumni and the community in general.
- Excellent oral and communication skills.
- Ability to mobilize alumni support.
- Ability to gather and analyze alumni data and data trends.
- Ability to develop and implement programs for young alumni and students.
- Ability to create opportunities for interaction among students, young alumni, and the Alumni Association.
- Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel and database systems.
- Demonstrated ability to use computers, Internet, and email and contemporary computer software.
- Ability to work cooperatively with various constituencies including alumni, faculty, staff, agencies, and foundations
- Ability to travel to sites where alumni reside or work.
- Ability to work evenings and weekends, as needed.
- Must be able to provide own transportation.
Required Qualifications
Education: Bachelor’s Degree and relevant experience with alumni or similar programs.
Experience:
- A minimum 3-4 years of demonstrated leadership/managerial responsibility experience and development of strategic plans and implementing programs.
- A minimum of five years of experience in higher education, with a preference for work in Advancement and/or alumni relations.
- Highly a motivated self-starter with strong leadership, volunteer management, project development, fundraising, strategic planning, and relationship/client management skills and experience.
- Extensive experience developing innovative programming, managing alumni events, and managing and developing volunteer leaders.
- Experience working with corporate foundations and donor in the form of sponsorships.
- Unique ability to recognize the needs and interests of students and alumni and the experience and ability to develop programs and services designed to meet those needs.
- Possess the ability to manage, develop and supervise staff, build an efficient and effective team, train, and mentor staff, as well as have a proven ability to motivate, engage, and work with alumni, students and members of the Rhode Island College Community.
- Prior experience in developing strategies for implementing virtual programs, as well as can use technology to further alumni relations programming including a strong grasp of alumni/development information and program platforms and an understanding of processes related to those systems.
- Strategic, well-organized and goal-oriented and possess an outgoing and positive personality, strong interpersonal skills, and a collaborative workstyle.
- Ability to work and communicate effectively with diverse groups internal and external to Rhode Island College.
- Excellent writing and oral and interpersonal skills.
- Must be able to travel and work evenings and weekends as required.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of higher education environment, trends, and resources.
- Knowledge of fundraising and community engagement.
- Bilingual
Environmental Conditions
The employee is not exposed to known adverse environmental conditions.