Assistant Director of Alumni Career Engagement Programming

Colgate University • Hamilton, NY

31d

About The Position

Colgate University, a premier liberal arts university of approximately 3,200 students, seeks to hire an energetic, relationship-focused professional. It is an exciting time for the University as Colgate enters its third century. President Brian W. Casey is leading the campus through a comprehensive Third-Century Plan to raise the institution's profile as a distinctive and strong undergraduate liberal arts institution to even-higher levels of achievement. Under the leadership of Vice President and Dean of the College Paul J. McLoughlin II, there has been tremendous growth. The energy on campus is palpable as four Residential Commons living-learning communities have been developed over the last five years, and long-term goals have been established for further developing the residential college system through the creation of an upper-level residential system, career services, and integrated wellness. Career Services benefits from strong alumni engagement and institutional support, reinforced by a clear commitment from Dr. McLoughlin. Under Colgate's Third Century Plan, Career Services is committed to achieving best-in-class preparation to launch liberal arts graduates into a global, ever-changing workplace. By carefully harnessing Colgate's assets and providing extraordinary opportunities, the Career Services team ensures that all students build core, practical skills and gain competitive experiences that prepare them for a lifetime of success. The assistant director of alumni engagement career exploration programming would join this highly-motivated team of 15 professionals at a particularly exciting moment. In fall 2021, the team launched Colgate's four-year career development plan. This plan knits together many of the existing and successful initiatives for which the office is known, in addition to providing further opportunities for self-assessment, exploration, and alumni networking. Learn more about Colgate University and the Dean of the College Division by reviewing A Candidate's Guide to Colgate. In 2021, and again in 2022, the Dean of the College Division was acknowledged by Diverse Issues in Higher Education and Inside Higher Ed as one of the Most Promising Places to Work in Student Affairs. And in 2025, Dean McLoughlin was named a NASPA Pillar of the Profession. Colgate's four-year career development plan prepares students to achieve excellent internship and post-graduate outcomes by guiding them to engage in timely and high-impact advising, skill development, networking, and experiential learning. The assistant director of alumni career engagement programming collaborates closely with the career advising team and departmental leaders to design industry exploration and student preparation programs that leverage alumni and parent volunteers. These initiatives support students to gain perspective on career areas of interest and to hone their career readiness skills. This role reports directly to the Milone Family AVP of Career Initiatives.

Requirements

• The ideal candidate will maintain strong relationships across a variety of internal and external stakeholders.
• They must be adept at displaying tact and political savviness in settings with key influencers.

Responsibilities

• To ensure coordination and quality stewardship of alumni and parent volunteers, the assistant director partners closely with Colgate's fundraising and alumni engagement colleagues to identify potential volunteers, maintain accurate records, and ensure participants are appreciated for their service.
• The assistant director is responsible for partnering with members of the career services team, faculty, student life professionals, and Advancement staff (e.g., fundraisers and alumni engagement) to imagine, operationalize, and execute career exploration and preparation initiatives that leverage alumni and parents. This role manages large-scale initiatives (e.g.: SophoMORE Connections) and industry-specific programming across a variety of industries.
• Tapping into Colgate's uniquely dedicated alumni and parent network, the assistant director is responsible for recruiting volunteers to share their experiences and expertise with current students. This role oversees both on-site and virtual initiatives, which may include small and large-scale career panels, workshops, mock interviews, immersion trips, and job shadowing events. The assistant director is responsible for orienting volunteers to the initiative's intended student learning outcomes to ensure congruence with the team's vision.
• A priority for the team is to increase the quantity, diversification, and satisfaction of volunteers engaged with Career Services initiatives. This role is responsible for managing sustained, longitudinal volunteerism across multiple segments of alumni and parents (i.e., highly-influential, representing marginalized populations, <10 years post-graduation). The assistant director will also seek out new volunteers to match students' needs. This role will ensure accurate tracking and reporting on alumni/family volunteerism with Career Services.
• As a member of the Career Services operations team, during non-peak alumni/student programming periods, the assistant director will provide operational support for the team's key initiatives, such as Summer Internship Funding, communications projects, etc. This role may also supervise one or more student interns.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Industry: Educational Services
• Education Level: No Education Listed
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees