Director of Alumni Relations

WHO ARE WE?

Ethical Culture Fieldston School is a progressive PreK-12 independent school that has been serving students from throughout New York City and the surrounding suburbs since 1878. ECFS offers a rich curriculum in the arts, sciences, and humanities. A co-ed, nonsectarian school, it serves a diverse community of about 1,700 students on two campuses -- one in the Riverdale section of the Bronx and the other in Manhattan.

WHAT IS ESSENTIAL ABOUT WORKING IN OUR SCHOOL?

The Ethical Culture Fieldston School has a long history of equity and inclusion deeply rooted in our mission and the educational philosophy of our founder, Felix Adler. We embrace diversity of ancestry, family, identity, culture, and beliefs and seek a student body and faculty that reflect the pluralism and socio-economic diversity of metropolitan New York. We affirm both our differences and commonalities, and strive to balance individuality and community. In keeping with our progressive tradition, we are dedicated to increasing our students’ cultural literacy to help them understand multiple perspectives, and see the world beyond the self.

Graduates of ECFS are passionate about their educational experience and the lifelong friendships made during their time as a student. It is not uncommon to hear our alumni talk about the strong relationships with faculty, the lasting and positive impact of the ethics curricula on their current lives, and the unique and enriching opportunities they had inside and outside of the classroom. ECFS is more than 11,000 strong in our alumni. They represent more than eight decades, a wide variety of backgrounds, occupations and perspectives, and are living throughout the United States and around the world.

JOB PURPOSE

The Director of Alumni Relations will oversee the Alumni Relations program at Fieldston to increase alumni engagement as volunteers, donors, role models and advocates for our students and the institution.  Fieldston alumni number more than 11,000 strong and represent a mosaic of professions, perspectives, experiences and passions.  The Office of Alumni Relations is responsible for executing constituent outreach across all mediums, a robust calendar of annual events, and year-round fundraising activities.

The Director is the lead ECFS ambassador for all graduates and will need to be a strong relationship manager and bridge builder.  S/he will report to the Chief Philanthropy Officer and will supervise the Manager of Alumni Relations. The Director will work in partnership with the Director of Special Events and the Director of the Annual Fund and collaborate closely with our Communications department.  The Director also works closely with volunteer lay leaders and manages the Fieldston Alumni Network Leadership Council.  This position will work at both the Bronx and Manhattan campuses.

Alumni Relations

• Assess the effectiveness of programs and special events, developing a multi-year strategy for increased alumni engagement
• Interact with alumni through face-to-face outreach, phone calls, emails and correspondence.
• Design and execute a consistent and engaging communications plan
• Determine strategy and implement all special events including Reunions, Homecoming, and other smaller programs, in consultation with the Director, Special Events.

Alumni Annual Fund

• Work with the Chief Philanthropy Officer and Director of Annual Giving to determine the annual fundraising strategy for alumni
• Identify alumni major donors and prospects in collaboration with the Director of Development
• Serve as a solicitor for the Annual Fund
• Support recruitment and training of volunteers to support fundraising efforts including Giving Days, phone-a-thons, etc.
• Serve as liaison and collaborate with Advancement team members to promote and facilitate planned giving opportunities

Volunteer Engagement

• Steward the School’s relationships with longtime alumni volunteers and supporters. Identify and engage new alumni to become more involved with the School
• Provide staff leadership to the Fieldston Alumni Network (FAN), crafting and tracking goals, programming, organizational structure, and event and meeting planning. Ensure adequate support for all committees of the FAN
• Support reunion committees and class reps
• Provide partnership for the annual fundraising benefit, particularly soliciting alumni support for tickets, underwriting and auction items

Alumni Communications

• In partnership with the Communications team and the Alumni Manager, oversee alumni related social media, newsletters, emails, invitations and class notes
• Creatively market the strength and unique alumni population amongst our community and in partnership with Admissions and Communications

Student Engagement

• Promote the benefits of FAN to Form VI (senior class) students
• Recruit alumni to support current students as internship hosts, content speakers and mentors
• Manage the student volunteer committee for the Form VI gift

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum of 5-8 years of alumni relations at an educational institution or organization, 10 years total professional experience
• Familiarity and enthusiasm for the school’s mission
• Experience working with volunteer leaders, including staffing of volunteer committees
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; detail oriented
• Well-developed social skills; strong relationship skills and proven ability to listen, empathize and communicate clearly about plans and policies
• Ability to interact and address large groups of constituents as well as one-on-one meetings with a population that encompasses a wide range of age groups and backgrounds
• Ability to anticipate project needs, discern work priorities, and meet deadlines with little supervision
• Desire to be part of a collaborative team with the capacity to work well individually
• Exceptional initiative, work ethic, and self-accountability
• Ability to craft strategy, while maintaining an excellent grasp on details
• Demonstrated success in program development and the ability to inspire others
• Comfort and experience with relationship management software, knowledge of Raiser’s Edge preferred
• Ability and willingness to work nights and weekends as required

ECFS is an equal opportunity employer. Our goal is to be a diverse community of professionals that broadly reflects the people of the metropolitan New York City area, our students, and families. We aim to align our hiring process with our mission and institutional goals. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion or religious practices, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, citizenship status, national origin, age, ability status, military status, unemployment status or any other category protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. ECFS takes affirmative action in support of its policy to employ and advance all qualified candidates.