Senior Director, Alumni Relations

Job Summary

The University of Illinois College of Medicine is at a pivotal point in its mission to advance health for everyone through outstanding education, research, clinical care, and social responsibility. With groundbreaking new research led by world-class faculty, an outstanding and diverse student body, and leadership dedicated to improving and saving lives, the College stands ready to build upon it’s many successes as a premier academic medical institution. As part of our growth, we are seeking a Senior Director of Alumni Relations who will further national impact by developing a robust, comprehensive alumni program that expands relationships, recognition, and pride. This is an exciting opportunity for a skilled alumni relations leader to be a part of the College of Medicine Advancement’s senior management team.

The Senior Director of Alumni Relations leads the strategic planning, development, and execution of innovative local and regional programs that build community, augment the intellectual and social engagement of College of Medicine alumni, and increase financial support from alumni and friends of the College. This position works with alumni across the Chicago, Rockford, and Peoria campuses. S/he will be based in Chicago although expected to regularly travel to other campuses to meet with alumni and leadership.

The Senior Director works collaboratively with the Director of Events to plan and execute in-person and online programs and is responsible for the overall engagement strategy. S/he also works closely with the Individual Giving and Major Gifts teams to help develop and implement regional alumni fundraising strategies that will build a pipeline of support across giving levels. In addition, the Senior Director is responsible for developing new programs and volunteer opportunities to increase the engagement of key target demographics, such as alumni within certain years, fields, or regions.

Additional collaborators include College of Medicine faculty, academic center division heads, marketing and strategic communications teams, and the Executive Dean of the College of Medicine. This role will also have a dotted line reporting up to the Executive Director, UIC Alumni Association in Central Advancement to ensure collaboration, consistent communication, and adherence to university processes. This individual must meet core values of teamwork, integrity, accountability, respect, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Job Responsibilities (Essential Duties)

• Works closely with the Chief Advancement Officer and Executive Director, UIC Alumni Association in Central Advancement on the development, execution, and annual analysis of a College of Medicine Alumni Relations strategic plan focused on increasing alumni engagement and alumni financial support.
• Work toward measurable goals and metrics for success to track increased engagement and giving comprehensively and through individual programs. Metrics for success may include number of alumni that had multiple engagement touch points, number of volunteer opportunities, attendance at and participation in events/programs, communications and social media engagement, board/council service, and annual giving benchmarks.
• Using the Alumni Engagement Metrics project from CASE (Council for the Support of Education), works with data management teams to build and maintain tracking and reporting procedures within the University’s CRM for contact information and engagement activity of alumni, residents, and fellows. Strategizes on how to regularly collect and update contact and profile information for alumni, residents, and fellows to ensure accurate and effective data.
• Oversees the strategy, planning, and execution of alumni-related annual events and programs across Chicago, Rockford, and Peoria campuses, including medical college reunions. Responsible for developing new events and programs that increase engagement and foster connectivity among alumni and with the College.
• Manages the operations of the alumni programs, which includes budget development and expense monitoring. Supervises data management and reporting within the University of Illinois fundraising database to log and track all alumni engagement activities and interactions.
• Supervises the preparation of reports, meeting materials, and briefings for the respective deans, boards, and committees related to the alumni engagement efforts.
• Creates and oversees volunteer engagement opportunities for alumni, which may include board/council service, speaking opportunities, mentorship opportunities, and other participation activities as identified. Responsible for tracking alumni engagement and interactions with Executive Dean, other senior deans/leadership, and other boards/committees.
• Partners with Individual Giving team on all alumni-related strategic content and messaging on website, email outreach, publications, social media, and other communication channels. Partners with Communications and Individual Giving teams to increase visibility of the College of Medicine and its initiatives among key audiences.
• Partners with Individual Giving and Communications teams to drive new alumni outreach efforts through regular dissemination of information to alumni via newsletters or other avenues, thinking of creative ways for alumni to connect with one another and stay in touch with the College.
• Partners with Individual Giving and Major Gifts teams to implement alumni fundraising strategies that will increase base of support, acquire donors from new demographics, and build a pipeline of giving across all levels.
• Works with gift officers on the identification, cultivation, and engagement of high-level alumni donors and prospects; works with gift officers on alumni donor engagement for select programs and events hosted by the College.
• Represents the College of Medicine as needed within the University and beyond through presentations and participation at events, conferences, and other high-profile activities. Meets with alumni locally and nationally.
• Regularly visits campuses in Rockford and Peoria to establish a presence, engage with alumni, and meet with the deans and faculty.
• Collaborates with staff in the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Advancement (OVCA) to ensure coordination on strategy and programming and help increase engagement of alumni with UIC. Participates in engagement activities organized through the OVCA. Serves as primary liaison between the college and both the OVCA and the University of Illinois Foundation concerning alumni participation activities.
• Represents interests of Alumni Relations in College and University fundraising, communications, and strategic planning. Interacts with senior staff across the University to inform and represent College of Medicine alumni-related programs and issues of note. 
• Manages one to two staff to assist in program execution.
• Performs other related duties and participates in special projects as assigned.

Job Knowledge & Skills, Education, Experience

• Bachelor's degree required. Advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years in the development/alumni relations field, with preference for experience in annual fund, program building, and events in an academic medical environment.
• Management/supervisory experience in alumni/major gifts fundraising setting.
• Ability to efficiently multi-task, establish priorities, evaluate materials, and render decisions required.
• Must exercise good judgment and discretion with people and situations and handle on-site problem solving with aplomb.
• Strong organizational, communications, and management skills required.
• Must be willing to travel and be available to work evenings and some weekends as needed.
• Must have strong teamwork and leadership skills and seek to achieve the department’s objectives and goals at its highest level of efficiency.
• Must be a strong and motivated team member and strategic brand representative.
• Demonstrated experience in budget development and management in a university setting.
• Strong computer skills using Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) as well as related fundraising software.

To apply for this position, please include a cover letter and resume.

Application Link: https://uic.csod.com/ux/ats/careersite/1/home/requisition/3743?c=uic

Application Close Date: April 19, 2023

Working Conditions

General office environment. Requires sitting for extended periods of time, standing, visual acumen, manual dexterity and fingering for working with computer key boards.

As an EOE/AA employer, the University of Illinois encourages applications from individuals regardless of an applicant’s race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, and Veteran or disability status.

The University of Illinois may conduct background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

The University of Illinois System requires candidates selected for hire to disclose any documented finding of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment and to authorize inquiries to current and former employers regarding findings of sexual misconduct or sexual harassment. For more information, visit https://www.hr.uillinois.edu/cms/One.aspx?portalId=4292&pageId=1411899.

University of Illinois faculty, staff and students are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are not able to receive the vaccine for medical or religious reasons, you may seek approval for an exemption in accordance with applicable University processes.