Associate Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving, Owen

Vanderbilt University•Nashville, TN

About The Position

The Associate Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving leads the Owen Graduate School of Management’s (Owen) alumni engagement initiatives, including the production of Owen Reunion, regional alumni events, and virtual event opportunities. The Associate Director manages comprehensive communications initiatives related to annual giving and engagement across multiple channels, including the annual reunion, giving day, monthly newsletter, and calendar and fiscal year-end campaigns. The role encompasses all aspects of alumni event planning, volunteer engagement, annual fund execution, and communications to drive alumni and volunteer engagement and unrestricted financial support.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree, or the equivalent, is necessary.
4 years professional experience is required, ideally in higher education, fundraising/development, communications, event planning, or sales.
Excellent written and oral communication skills due to heavy interaction with high level alumni executives.
Proficient in utilizing CRM systems (Salesforce preferred), databases, and other relevant software to manage and analyze alumni data and engagement efforts.
Service mentality – a spirit of hospitality; enjoys being of service to alumni, faculty and staff.
Strategic thinker – enjoys flexing strategy, innovation, and creativity muscles. Thought partner for Senior Director that can brainstorm strategy, embrace feedback and take direction.
Ownership mentality – proactively anticipates what needs to be done.
Executively mature - Applies sound judgment in all situations.
Experience with planning and implementation of events and programs.
Strong volunteer outreach and engagement skills (including written and in-person interactions).
Excellent organizational skills with a meticulous attention to detail.
Manages multiple projects simultaneously, meets deadlines, and adapts to changing priorities.
Strong relationship building skills.
Analytical approach – ability to analyze data and find actionable insights.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a goal-oriented team environment.

Responsibilities

Lead all aspects of event planning including coordination, logistics, and management for Reunion as well as ad hoc virtual, local, and regional Owen alumni events, and the Owen Event-in-a-Box program.
Plan and execute reunion and event communications, including data preparation, list and email management, and content editing for direct mail, email, print, web, and social media communications.
Monitor event ROI based on key metrics and data-driven goals and outcomes to ensure continued event improvement.
Support the Senior Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving in executing the Owen Annual Fund strategy to increase alumni giving in both funds raised and annual support participation.
Oversee the production of high-quality communications content for newsletters, websites, social media, annual fund solicitations such as reunion, giving day, calendar and fiscal year end, and promotional materials in partnership with the Owen and DAR Marcomm teams.
Manage the content for Owen Graduate School of Management’s alumni pages with an active focus on developing the website as an effective and clear tool for information sharing.
Oversee the marketing and communications content and annual fund fundraising calendar for the Owen team, ensuring timely updates and alignment with the school’s voice and branding.
Tailor content to meet the needs of various audiences, including alumni, students, parents, etc.
Partner with leadership to develop strategic plans for Owen alumni engagement and annual fund communications and evaluate effectiveness on a yearly basis.
Support all event marketing, Owen alumni website, LinkedIn Owen Alumni Group, and Inside Owen alumni e-newsletter.
Assist with Vanderbilt Business Magazine.
Manage volunteer communities such as Class Secretaries and Class Agents which increase alumni giving participation and engagement through peer-to-peer outreach, and DAR Fellows (student volunteers).
Cultivate and maintain relationships with alumni and donors through strategic outreach and engagement activities.
Develop strong communications with alumni through regular contact and relationship building.
Maintain volunteer lists, event calendars, timelines, and event attendance records.
Manage information flow for Salesforce VandyQuest (Development CRM Database).
Assist with ad hoc data analysis, reports, and requests such as alumni and donor lists.
Collaborate & Engage - Partner across Owen, Vanderbilt, Development and Alumni Relations, and professional school counterparts.
Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
Some travel could be required.
Some evening and weekend events as needed.
Other duties as assigned.