Associate Director, Student Engagement

Lehigh University

Lehigh University is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, disability, gender, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national or ethnic origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Lehigh University provides comprehensive benefits including partner benefits.

Responsible for building the foundation of a strong education in philanthropy and the resources available to students as alumni post-graduation, as well as capitalizing on the creation of class affinity among students. The Associate Director is embedded in the Class Affinity team within the Alumni Relations team that connects our 85,000 alumni to each other, and back to Lehigh for the purpose of helping the university meet its goals. All members of the team are expected to support Development and Alumni Relations key initiatives, major events, and projects as needed. The Lehigh community takes seriously our commitment to antiracism and The Principles of our Equitable Community.

1. Develop, execute and manage an overall student philanthropy and engagement program based on educating students about the impact and importance of giving back to Lehigh University
*Utilize existing programs and investigate the need for new initiatives to meet the needs of the current student body
*Write a 3-year Strategic Plan for engaging students that aligns with the $1B and 50% engagement goals of GO: (The Campaign for Lehigh) and incorporates many of the newer engagement tools developed by colleagues in Alumni Relations
*Build annual reporting structures to track student engagement with alumni through the programs offered with an ultimate goal of having at least one touch-point with 50% of the senior class and 30% of the first-year, sophomore and junior classes yearly through event-attendance, club involvement, etc.
*Manage an annual student engagement budget appropriately to support the various programs and proposed new initiatives of the overall program
*Serve as an advisor of student groups, Association of Student Alumni and Senior Class Gift Campaign and manage student volunteers appropriately to be effective in their work among the student body
*Hire and manage a freelance staff member to produce and sell the Epitome (the Lehigh University yearbook)
*Benchmark with peer institutions on best practices in developing a student philanthropy and engagement program to inform the strategic plan
*Communicate with classes en masse through various email, social media and communication channels appropriate for the student body and message
*Understand and be a master of digital engagement, particularly from a student-communication perspective; be up-to-date on newest technology to assist in effective and efficient communication with students based on their interests and needs
*Hire and manage 40-60 Reunion Student Workers yearly to support Reunion Weekend event efforts, with the assistance of a coordinator to process and manage payroll paperwork, staff members are responsible for the application process, training, scheduling and weekend execution

2. Grow and enhance the work of the student group, the Association of Student Alumni (ASA), to build class affinity, educate the student body on philanthropy and alumni engagement and facilitate stronger connections between alumni and students
*Manage and mentor 40 to 60 members of the ASA to ensure students are working effectively toward group goals
*Meet regularly with ASA Executive Board to ensure student leadership is progressing and effectively leading ASA group. Provide opportunities for the Executive Board to connect with Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) partners and high-level alumni volunteer groups such as Lehigh University Alumni Association (LUAA) Board, Young Alumni Council, etc.
*Demonstrates an understanding of diversity, equity, inclusion and anti-oppression concepts and issues, especially as they apply to student volunteer recruitment and stewardship
*Assist ASA with the planning, promotion and execution of First Year Rally, Bed Races, Lehigh Made Possible and student involvement and participation in yearly Giving Day
*Incorporate ASA students into DAR initiatives where possible to provide greater student exposure to alumni and alumni programming and resources, which includes utilizing ASAs to host campus tours for prospects visiting campus, invitations to on-campus alumni events, etc.
*Invite the ASA Executive Board to LUAA Board of Directors meetings and assist them with the preparation for any presentations to be made to board members on ASA planning and programming
*Track and measure the involvement of ASA members post-graduation in engagement with Lehigh through giving, volunteering, event attendance, etc.; form a pipeline of ASA individuals best suited for volunteer roles post-grad such as Young Alumni Council, LUAA Board of Directors, regional or reunion volunteers, etc.

3. Manage the Senior Class Gift Campaign (SCGC) student group pursuing annual donor count goals with an emphasis on educating students about giving back and focusing on retaining student donors into young alumni years through effective education
*Annually recruit and manage committee of senior students to comprise SCGC responsible for educating their peers on the importance of philanthropy and beginning the tradition of giving back to Lehigh and ultimately soliciting peers for their class gift
*Analyze giving patterns and annually determine campaign participation and Asa Packer Society membership goals for the senior class
*Enhance and create opportunities for students, particularly seniors, to learn about philanthropy and encourage personal habits of giving, focusing specifically on strategies that will lead to greater levels of continued giving participation and engagement in Lehigh alumni activities in the first five years post-graduation
*Build annual reporting structure to track class participation from student years through first five years post-graduation to benchmark progress of program success

4. Facilitate cross-campus collaboration with partners on appropriate programs, events or initiatives including the Office of Student Affairs, President's Office, Admissions, Lehigh University Bookstore, Center for Career and Professional Development, Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs, University Communications, Lehigh University Alumni Association Board of Directors and Young Alumni Council
*Collaborate with campus partners as needed on various student events and initiatives as the point-person from DAR
*Serve as event planning lead for annual Grad Fair Days and Distribution Days efforts for graduating seniors and graduate students; collaborate with cross-campus partners responsible for aspects of both events
*Serve as DAR liaison and representative for student involvement in Commencement
*Utilize student membership of ASA and SCGC to host 5x10 programming for first-year students through the Office of First Year Experience to introduce students to the student groups, philanthropy and Alumni Relations

5. Support other members of the Alumni Relations team and DAR colleagues and complete general office duties as expected
*Demonstrated ability to collaborate with others from diverse backgrounds and functions to achieve shared goals
*Support programs housed within the Alumni Relations team, and others within DAR, to ensure successful outcomes
*Provide customer service to internal and external constituents as requested and needed
*Proactively assist alumni and staff (both internal and external to Alumni Relations) and problem-solve; suggest or initiate changes and improvements to departmental processes or procedures

Grade: 9 40

Position Number: S83800

Special Considerations

This position is expected to work partially remotely while the campus remains in a limited capacity due to COVID-19: in the future this position may have the ability to work both from home and on campus as deemed appropriate by their supervisor

Variable shifts/schedule, accommodating the schedule of students

Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree or equivalent combination of education and experience;

Three to five years related work experience

Supervisory experience preferred

Strong knowledge of currently popular and emerging digital engagement tools

Excellent communication, interpersonal skills and a high level of customer service required

Excellent organizational skills, time management and sound judgment

Solid analytical and problem solving skills, ability to work independently

Ability to build, foster and maintain positive professional relationships

Excellent computer skills with experience using word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation and graphics software

Ability to complete projects on time and on budget, and report on status and progress

Successful completion of standard background checks including but not limited to: social security verification, education verification, national criminal background checks, motor vehicle checks, PATCH, FBI fingerprinting, Child Abuse Clearance and credit history based upon the requirements of the position

Because of increasing COVID case counts in the region and new information about the characteristics of the Delta variant, all Lehigh faculty and staff will be required to be fully vaccinated unless they receive an approved medical or religious exemption from the requirement.

Only complete applications will be considered therefore please complete the application in its entirety. Once the posting is removed from the website applications may no longer be allowed to be completed.

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