Alumni Engagement Officer

Alumni Engagement Officer

 

The Institution

Founded in 1841, Fordham Preparatory School is a Catholic Jesuit college preparatory school for young men located on the Rose Hill Bronx campus adjacent to Fordham University in New York City. With approximately 950 students enrolled in grades 9-12, Fordham Prep draws young men of diverse backgrounds from throughout the boroughs of New York City and its surrounding suburbs. Fordham Prep’s mission is to form leaders committed to faith, scholarship, and service through a college preparatory education in the Catholic Jesuit tradition. 

 

Our Alumni

Fordham Prep’s Alumni number more than 11,300 and excel in varied professional fields, many have assumed leadership positions in the arts, commerce, law, medicine, government and military service, education, non-profit organizations and ministry throughout the world.  While there are Prep Alumni throughout the United States and the world, the majority live in the greater NYC metro-area, giving the Prep great opportunities for engagement.  Benefactors of Fordham Prep ensure the success of the mission.  On an annual basis, Fordham Prep enjoys approximately $6 million in charitable support from over 2700 donors. Gifts primarily support financial aid & scholarships for families of demonstrated need who could otherwise not afford a Catholic Jesuit secondary education, as well as for school operations and major capital projects to allow the school to pursue excellence and continuous improvement in all areas.

 

The Position

Fordham Prep seeks a full-time alumni engagement officer to join the Engagement, Development & Communications (EDC) team. The successful candidate will: produce and manage events for alumni, parents, students, faculty and volunteers; digital and print communications and other engagement opportunities; develop and implement strategies for identifying potential donors; assist in managing volunteers; as well as points of engagement within the large EDC team and the office of the President. The role will report to the Director of Alumni Engagement.

 

Description of Duties and Responsibilities:

• Plan engagement events that advance the goals of the school, in coordination with our Events Manager, including proposals and goal-setting, advertising in conjunction with our Communications Office, run-up and day-of logistics, and internal and external event follow-up for local, in-house, and regional events;
• Responsible for alumni messaging, in coordination with the communications office, including print and digital, Social Media engagement, and school-branded media programming;
• Function for alumni as a point of contact with the school, a resource for professional and personal networks, and as a source of information on the school and its news and events;
• Leverage technology, social media, phone, and face-to-face encounters to engage constituents;
• Work with the office of the President to engage with donors globally, including coordination, logistics, and briefs;
• Work with Development to engage with alumni in an effort to maintain database integrity, identify new prospects, and manage prospects through the donor life-cycle;
• Design personalized, concierge-like experiences for annual/semi-annual donors, helping to retain, reactivate, and grow gifts while also identifying donors with the ability and affinity to make larger gifts;
• Focus on strategies to acquire new donors who have traditionally not made annual gifts, for the purpose of increasing our Alumni Participation;
• Build systems for capturing and disseminating information internally through proper project management workflow and team coordination using monday.com, the School’s project management software, ensuring and maintaining proper prospect documentation using Raiser’s Edge, the School’s donor database/CRM;
• Collaborate with internal units including faculty, college placement, student counseling, athletics, and the business office;
• Self-starter who is able to work independently, but eager to be a team player, willing to assist where needed and eager to be involved in the life of the school;
• Capable of working with sensitive information with complete confidentiality;
• Willingness to travel, flexible with work schedule with availability to work weekends and evenings as needed;
• Additional responsibilities as warranted.

 

Additionally, all Fordham Prep faculty & staff, as Ignatian educators, are expected to demonstrate involvement in the larger school community, i.e., participating in retreats, attending programs/events, possibly moderating a club, and supporting formation programs in our Catholic, Jesuit tradition. Participation in Ignatian formation programs for new faculty and staff is required.

 

Other Considerations

The candidate will be eager to learn the role and adapt with the goal of gaining more professional latitude and taking on larger responsibilities within the office.  A high degree of initiative is expected along with strong organizational skills and the ability to identify and construct solutions. Strong consideration will be given to candidates who demonstrate skills in planning, multi-tasking, and communication, as well as a clear ability to coordinate across rapidly changing deadlines and with multiple offices and external constituents. Additionally, personal initiative, interpersonal relations, salesmanship, persistence and patience are keys to successful candidates. Excellent written and verbal communications skills and an ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously (working both independently and as a member of a team) are expected. A familiarity with The Raiser’s Edge and monday.com software programs is a plus but not required. 

 

Education & Experience

A Bachelor’s degree is required. At least two years of prior work experience. Special consideration will be given to those with direct fundraising, event or project management, or a related field will be strongly considered.

 

Application Process

Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Review of applications and interviews will take place immediately; the position will be filled shortly thereafter. Please email a letter stating personal interest, a comprehensive resume, and the names and phone numbers of at least two references (who will not be contacted until later in the interview process) to the attention JP Feighery ’03, Director of Alumni Engagement, at:

 

employment@fordhamprep.org

 

Fordham Preparatory School is an EOE (Equal Opportunity Employer). This is a 12-month full-time role with all staff benefits, including medical, retirement, and tuition remission at Fordham Preparatory School and Fordham University.