The Associate Director of Alumni Relations will build and strengthen the William Paterson University alumni community of more than 80,000 graduates by creating and implementing engagement opportunities. Reporting to the Executive Director of Alumni Relations, the Assistant Director will work closely with the alumni relations team to lead both alumni communications and assigned segments of the alumni engagement program. This individual will foster alumni connections developing and implementing strategies and key modes of engagement that include, but are not limited to philanthropic, volunteer, experiential, and communication.

Duties and responsibilities:

• Conceptualize, plan, implement, and manage programmatic initiatives for assigned segment areas of alumni relations program.
• Plan, execute, and oversee events and activities; articulate purpose and objectives, create and maintain budget, identify audience, develop communications, manage logistics, and conduct assessment
• Develop and sustain strong relationships; work closely with alumni volunteers to identify and manage meaningful and impactful interactions and volunteer opportunities; identify opportunities to collaborate with on campus partners
• Develop and implements a multi-channel communications to engage alumni in the life of the University; create impactful digital and print communications such as invitations, announcements, reminders, follow up messages, and marketing materials; assess impact through metrics and data analysis
• Manage alumni relations website and social media platforms; continuous update and improvement of the alumni section of the alumni relations webpage and alumni social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube; develop compelling content that increases traffic and grows engagement; liaise with University Marketing and Public Relations groups
• Contribute to digital engagement initiatives to expand digital programming; webinars and workshops, online talks and lectures, virtual networking gatherings, interactive social activities, etc.
• Actively participate in fundraising initiatives; achieve personal fundraising goals by managing a portfolio of prospects; work closely with Annual Giving to identify and implement fundraising initiatives
• Provide timely, accurate, and impactful customer service to constituents; in-person, phone and email
• Perform other duties as assigned that are appropriate for the position

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from accredited college or University
• Three or more years of professional work experience
• Demonstrated skill in digital communications including web, e-communications and social media
• Ability to create, plan and execute effective engagement programs, events, and activities
• Able to work flexible hours, including evening or weekend to attend University-hosted events and meetings as required

Preferred qualifications:

• Master’s degree
• Alumni engagement experience
• Communications experience
• Higher education experience
• Fundraising experience in higher education or not-for-profit settings

Personal attributes and traits:

• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in both written and oral format
• Ability to determine how long it will take to complete a project and to then effectively break the project down into components and develop specific time frames to meet deadlines.
• Able to analyze multiple aspects of a situation, gain insight, and make decisions that lead to desired outcomes.
• Capable of understanding, managing, and addressing competing wants and needs in a diverse environment
• Demonstrated ability to exhibit persistence in the face of obstacles