Senior Director of Alumni & Constituent Engagement

Overview   The Senior Director of Alumni & Constituent Engagement leads a team and is responsible for the creation and effective implementation of a comprehensive strategy inspiring lifelong engagement and philanthropic support with St. John Fisher University. The Senior Director will continuously assess factors that enhance the loyalty and connection of students, alumni, parents and friends with the University, and use CASE and industry best practices to develop, direct and lead all aspects of Alumni Relations and engagement with all University constituencies. The Senior Director oversees the following areas: volunteer engagement, engagement cultivation and stewardship programming and events, donor engagement (stewardship).

The Senior Director serves a critical role as ambassador for the University, building strong and sustained relationships with all constituent groups and engaging them in meaningful ways. Internal partnerships are essential, especially Deans and Schools and in the areas of marketing and communications, career and academic planning, and admissions.

The Senior Director works closely with the Vice President for Institutional Advancement to develop comprehensive strategies and innovative ways to identify and engage specific audiences of St. John Fisher University; deepen relationships with its constituents; promote a stronger culture of diversity, equity and inclusion about all constituencies and strengthen the visibility and brand. The person in this role will develop, prioritize, and grow engagement initiatives; design and implement systems for facilitating an audience-centric experience; and direct staff as necessary to accomplish goals in the areas under their supervision. This position is critical to creating, sustaining, strengthening, and shaping St. John Fisher University constituency partnerships.   Job Responsibilities

• Works closely and collaboratively with the four other IA leadership team members, the Director of Advancement Services, Director of the Fisher Fund and Corporate Relations and Director of Development, on the creation development and implementation of key strategies and tactics to strengthen engagement and philanthropy results. The Sr. Director works to establish a structured, systematic program of engagement opportunities that will ensure strong connections with alumni, students, parents, friends, and volunteers and inspire philanthropic support.
• Design and implement new engagement strategies and evaluate and execute existing strategies (e.g., Alumni & Family Weekend (traditions), Athletic Events, Alumni Reunions, First Friday Lectures, Presidential Donor Events, Campaign Events) that strengthen engagement and philanthropic support.
• Oversee, organize, support, and implement key campus activities and events, such as Alumni & Family Weekend, Fisher Flight, and First Fridays among others.
• Oversee and lead the creation of a comprehensive Donor Engagement program.
• Assess and set engagement metrics as defined by CASE/AE in collaboration with the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the Director of Advancement Services and Director of Development that measures increased affinity between alumni and constituent groups and the University and develop/provide regular reports to the Vice President.
• Develop and manage volunteer engagement programs that identify, engage, and cultivate strong volunteer relationships with the University implementing the ‘rings of engagement’ model that lead to stronger volunteers and candidates for membership on the Board of Trustees and Alumni Board of Directors.
• Staff the Alumni Board of Directors and School and Athletic based advocacy councils.

• Perform additional tasks as assigned by the Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Education / Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required
• A minimum of five years of related professional experience in one or more of the following areas: volunteer management, major gift fundraising, alumni relations, donor relations; stewardship; annual giving; preferably in a higher education setting.
  or
• A minimum of five years professional experience in a comparable field with similar responsibilities, objectives and outcomes.

Competencies / Skills

• Ability to work collaboratively with a variety of constituents to ensure the achievement of university advancement goals.
• Ability to work independently and to lead a team of skilled professionals.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills.
• Effective organizational and project management skills and proven ability to successfully manage and prioritize multiple projects and/or tasks to achieve goals and meet deadlines.
• Knowledge of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.
• Commitment to the St. John Fisher University mission and its core values.

Supervision of Employees

The Senior Director of Alumni & Constituent Engagement will supervise:

• Associate Director for Alumni and Constituent Engagement
• Associate Director of Donor Engagement
• Senior Administrative Assistant
• Supervision of any work study student who may be working on a specific project related to alumni.

Equipment to be Used

Prior knowledge of basic office equipment, including a personal computer and iPad. Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Engagement Database applications and related modules of GiveCampus software.