ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT
The Role
The Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement is responsible for developing and shaping strategic activities that are valued by Flintridge Prep alumni, sustain lifelong relationships between Flintridge Prep and its alumni, inspire loyalty and financial support, advance Flintridge Prep’s reputation, and involve alumni in meaningful activities to advance the school’s mission. As part of the role, the Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement will help imagine and create new initiatives or enhance existing ones that offer alumni access to a wide range of engagement opportunities in ways that enrich their intellectual, professional, and personal lives.
Additionally, the Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement is expected to help build a culture of philanthropy, to have a strong commitment to Flintridge Prep and the Advancement team’s mission, and to collaborate with Advancement team members to help identify, cultivate, and steward alumni giving. They will also serve as a key partner across campus, working with Admissions, Athletics, Communications, College Counseling, and faculty to facilitate recruitment of alumni for mentoring, volunteering, and experiential learning initiatives, as well as ways of highlighting role model alumni and giving. The Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement is a key member of the Advancement team and reports to the Associate Director of Advancement.
Major Functions and Responsibilities
Strategic Planning:
Develop a comprehensive alumni engagement plan with defined objectives and timelines that successfully engages our diverse alumni base and results in program growth in the following four engagement metrics: philanthropy, volunteering, experiential, and communication.
Implement and oversee an alumni board of volunteers, the Flintridge Prep Alumni Network, who are strategically versed with the school’s mission, vision, values, and aspirations so that they can help us build alliances and support within the alumni body.
Cultivation and Stewardship:
With the assistance of the Database Manager, review alumni prospects screened through Research Point or other prospect research software to identify and develop a portfolio of alumni of interest who can be cultivated as future donors and volunteers.
Conduct monthly alumni visits relating to discovery, cultivation, and stewardship, and participate in prospecting meetings to assist frontline fundraisers in identifying, qualifying, and stewarding alumni prospects for major gifts fundraising.
Routinely visit with alumni on and off campus, through individual meetings or smaller events to gauge their interests, recruit volunteers and assess alumni engagement opportunities with the school.
Alumni Relations:
Serve as the primary liaison for the Prep Alumni Network (PAN) and other key alumni volunteers. Identify, recruit, train, manage, and engage the PAN, its subcommittees, and other volunteer groups to assist in the implementation of the alumni engagement plan.
Work with current students to orient them into the alumni community and cultivate a sense of responsibility and connection with Prep beyond graduation.
Facilitate connections between current students and the alumni community via speaker series, alumni networking opportunities, internships programs, and other creative engagement opportunities.
Program Development:
Create and execute a lively, welcoming, and imaginative annual Reunion Weekend that increases attendance and showcases Prep to returning alumni. Strategically recruit, train, and manage reunion planning committees to drive attendance and create class-specific programming.
Develop creative outreach events beyond reunions to annually engage a broader range of alumni (regional events, speakers’ series, networking events, etc.).
Periodically assess and evaluate alumni engagement activities, considering opportunities to develop new systems or reimagine processes currently in place.
Provide periodic updates related to the school’s alumni engagement program and stay current with peer school best practices. Communications and Marketing:
Develop a robust, strategic multiplatform communications plan in collaboration with the Communications team to attract alumni attention and investment and to reinforce the “Prep for Life” message. This may include email blasts, electronic newsletters, web pages, video, print publications, and professional networking engagement tools.
Collaborate with Advancement team members and the Communications team to create alumni-related content for the annual report, advancement website, annual giving materials, and major gift fundraising materials.
Data Management and Analysis:
Ensure accurate and complete alumni database records. Capture contact, biographical and career information of alumni via surveys, visits, projects, correspondence, etc.
Track and report on alumni engagement metrics, assessing the effectiveness of programs and making data-driven decisions for future initiatives and/or adjustments to programs.
Conduct an annual assessment and analysis of industry trends and best practices. Provide a report of workshops, seminars, training sessions, and/or continued education required to maintain a competitive edge.
Teamwork and Collaboration:
Work in collaboration with the Director of Annual Giving to oversee alumni fundraising and directly solicit alumni to increase participation and dollars raised in the annual appeal.· Work closely with other departments, such as admissions, Athletics, Communications, College Counseling, and Faculty to leverage Alumni involvement in support of institutional goals.
Collaborate with the Volunteer Engagement Manager on initiatives or events in which the Prep Alumni Network and the Prep Volunteer Network overlap.
Support stewardship and donor recognition events as needed.
Skills and Qualifications
5+ years of experience in alumni relations/fundraising and a bachelor’s degree. Experience or familiarity with independent schools a plus.
High energy and enthusiasm to authentically promote Prep and serve as its ambassador to the alumni community.
Demonstrated ability to effectively manage volunteers.
Dynamic interpersonal skills, with a collaborative yet clear and decisive leadership style. Ability to balance working independently and collaboratively with colleagues while interacting effectively and professionally with all members of the school community.
Active and genuine listener with excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Motivated self-starter, strategic thinker, with agility and initiative.
Demonstrated patience and persistence, with an eagerness to set ambitious, challenging, and tangible goals and a drive to achieve them.
A commitment to continuous learning and staying abreast of new developments and best practices.
Ability to work with confidential information with discretion and high ethical standards.
Strong organizational skills for multi-tasking and prioritizing responsibilities to manage competing deadlines.
Solid working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, OneNote, Power Point), Zoom, web tools, and experience with Raiser’s Edge preferred.
Must have the ability to travel and work occasional evenings/weekends.
Salary & Benefits
This position is full-time, onsite, and year-round with a salary of $82k – 90k, depending on skills and experience.
To Apply
Candidates are invited to submit a letter of interest and resume via email to:
Jamie Kidwell
Director of Human Resources prephr@flintridgeprep.org
Applicants will be considered for positions without regard to their actual or perceived race, religious creed (including religious dress or grooming practices), color, national origin or ancestry (including native language spoken), physical or mental disability (including HIV or AIDS), medical condition (including cancer or genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status (including registered domestic partnership status), sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), gender (including gender identity and expression), parental status, age (forty (40) and over), sexual orientation, Civil Air Patrol status, military and veteran status, citizenship, immigration status or any other consideration protected by federal, state or local law.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $82,000.00 - $90,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- 401(k)
- 401(k) matching
- Dental insurance
- Employee assistance program
- Flexible spending account
- Health insurance
- Health savings account
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
- Professional development assistance
- Retirement plan
- Vision insurance
Schedule:
- Monday to Friday
- Overtime
- Weekends as needed
Ability to Relocate:
- La Cañada Flintridge, CA 91011: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person