Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement, Athletics & Sports Partnerships

Seattle University

2d • $60,000 - $66,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

This Assistant Director will be the key engagement team liaison guiding alumni participation in Athletics & Sports Partnerships. The role collaborates closely with campus partners in athletics, development directors, and university advancement colleagues to implement, and assess programs that foster belonging, professional formation, mentorship, volunteerism, and philanthropic awareness. The Assistant Director will steward relationships, support athletic based-programming, and use data and best practices to inform engagement strategies that expand alumni participation and connect athletics affiliated alumni with central Alumni Engagement efforts.
In addition to acting as the key liaison to athletics, this member of the engagement team will lead university wide alumni engagement initiatives connected to intercollegiate athletics, professional sports partnerships, and conference-related engagement to foster community, school pride, and long-term alumni connection. This role oversees alumni-facing Sports Nights, athletics-aligned programming, and engagement connected to the West Coast Conference (WCC).
This role reports directly to the Director of Alumni Engagement and maintains a dotted-line relationship with the Development Partners in Athletics. The dotted-line relationship reflects close collaboration and partnership in support of unit-specific alumni initiatives and does not involve direct supervision or performance management.

Requirements

• Demonstrated professional experience in alumni relations, advancement, higher education, nonprofit engagement, customer service, or a related field.
• Strong customer service orientation with the ability to create positive, responsive, and professional experiences for alumni, students, donors, and university partners.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to represent the university in a professional and engaging manner.
• Demonstrated project management skills, including the ability to plan, coordinate, and execute programs, events, or engagement initiatives from concept through completion.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and maintain attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
• Self-starter with strong organizational and time-management skills and the ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with colleagues across the university.
• Comfort working with databases, CRM systems, or engagement platforms to support outreach and track participation.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Experience working in higher education, alumni relations, advancement, or volunteer management.
• Experience supporting alumni boards, volunteer committees, affinity groups, or regional networks.
• Familiarity with alumni or donor databases (e.g., Salesforce, Raiser’s Edge, or similar CRM systems).
• Demonstrated ability to use engagement data or feedback to improve programs and strengthen alumni relationships.

Responsibilities

• Participate in select Athletics Division meetings to understand departmental priorities, opportunities, campaign goals, and engagement needs.
• Maintain working knowledge of teams, schedules, programs, alumni demographics, and professional networks.
• Partner with Alumni Engagement colleagues to integrate athletics-based engagement into the broader alumni lifecycle strategy.
• Support alumni-facing athletics initiatives and programs that enhance alumni participation, strengthen school spirit, and strengthen visibility and connection to the university.
• Track and identify opportunities for engagement and volunteer involvement.
• Collaborate with athletics partners to support coordination and execution of intercollegiate sports activities involving alumni. Activities may involve coordinating ticketing, group experiences, and on-site engagement.
• Lead coordination and execution of alumni Sports Nights with professional organizations including but not limited to: - Seattle Mariners - Seattle Kraken - Seattle Seahawks - Seattle Sounders FC
• Ensure Sports Nights are inclusive, mission-aligned, and designed to maximize alumni participation and satisfaction.
• Support alumni engagement connected to Seattle University’s participation in the West Coast Conference.
• Collaborate with Athletics and Alumni Engagement colleagues on WCC-related alumni events, pre-receptions, watch parties, and travel opportunities.
• Leverage conference matchups and rivalries to strengthen alumni affinity and regional engagement.
• Align WCC-related engagement with broader alumni participation and campaign strategies.
• Recruit, train, and steward alumni volunteers who support athletics-related events and engagement activities.
• Develop clear volunteer roles, leadership pathways, and expectations to support sustainable mission aligned volunteer engagement at the unit and university level.
• Ensure coordination between athletics leadership and regional alumni volunteers and networks to encourage alumni participation as ambassadors, hosts, and advocates at sports-related events and gatherings.
• Collaborate with development and university advancement colleagues to activate volunteers in support of alumni facing events, programs, and campaign initiatives.
• Collaborate with the University Events team and Alumni Engagement colleagues to support planning, logistics, outreach, and evaluation for athletics-related engagement activities.
• Support and contribute to execution of university-wide signature events, including but not limited to: - Homecoming & Family Weekend - Reunions - Alumni Awards - SU Gives
• Collaborate with development partners to support alumni-facing campaign engagement initiatives, including ambassador roles, regional leadership activation, and participation-focused efforts.
• Track, document, and assess alumni participation in athletics-related events and initiatives using NXT Raiser's Edge.
• Collaborate with Advancement Services to ensure accurate data entry, reporting, and analysis.
• Assist with budget development, monitoring, vendor coordination, and expense tracking related to assigned programs.
• Evaluate athletics engagement strategies annually and provide recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Maintain strong working relationships with alumni, Athletics staff, campus partners, and external sports organizations.
• Perform additional duties as assigned by the Director of Alumni Engagement.

Benefits

• Seattle University provides generous leave, health plans, and retirement contributions that add to your total compensation package.
• Consistent with its fundamental Jesuit values, Seattle University offers a wide range of benefits designed to care for the whole person.
• Choose from three different medical plans, a dental, and vision insurance programs.
• Protect your income with life, short & long-term disability coverage.
• Plan for your future with up to a 10% employer contribution for retirement benefits, comprised of a 5% nonelective employer contribution and an additional dollar-for-dollar match of your voluntary contributions up to a maximum of 5%.
• You may also take advantage of 100% paid tuition benefits for the employee and dependents, a subsidized transportation benefit, a wellness program with free access to an onsite fitness facility, and a wide variety of campus events.
• Enjoy a generous holiday schedule, including a paid Holiday break closure in December, vacation and paid sick leave, and paid community service leave.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level