Director, Alumni Affinity Program, Advancement

Boston University•Boston, MA

17h

About The Position

Boston University Advancement is expanding its collaborative, matrixed approach to support philanthropic growth and institutional impact. The Director of Alumni Affinity Programs develops, implements, and maintains engagement programs that build lifelong connections between Boston University alumni and students, with strategy aligned to University priorities. The role reports to the Managing Director for Alumni Engagement and leads programs organized around shared interests, identity, and life stage, from acceptance through lifelong affiliation. The Director oversees high-profile alumni councils and initiatives, including the Boston University Alumni Council, Young Alumni Council, Black Alumni Leadership Council, Women's Leadership Council, First Generation programming, Scarlet Key programming, and Golden Terriers reunion programming. The role supervises alumni engagement officers, cultivates and stewards volunteers, coordinates programming and communications across the alumni community, and connects engagement with annual giving and donor cultivation. The position works with campus stakeholders and Advancement teams to set measurable goals, develop volunteer leadership, and assess program effectiveness.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
7–9 years of relevant experience.
Demonstrated experience developing and implementing engagement programs and managing relationships with volunteers, alumni, or other constituents.
Experience leading volunteer groups, councils, committees, affinity programs, or similar constituent-facing initiatives.
Strong strategic, organizational, and project management skills, including the ability to establish goals, manage competing priorities, and evaluate program effectiveness.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate across an organization and with diverse audiences.
Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends and travel as needed.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in a related field.
Experience in higher education advancement or alumni relations.
Experience managing high-touch alumni councils, affinity groups, or senior volunteer leaders.
Experience connecting alumni engagement with philanthropy, annual giving, or donor cultivation.
Experience using CRM systems and engagement data to inform constituent engagement and program strategy.

Responsibilities

Manage and support a team of Alumni Affinity Programs staff, including daily oversight, advice, and operational support.
Work with the Managing Director to prioritize Council goals, assess competing priorities, and determine the viability and strategy of potential new affinity programs.
Hire and train engagement officers in volunteer management, programming strategy, content creation, and budgeting.
Coordinate with Communications and Strategic Events teams to align Alumni Affinity Programs goals and resources.
Develop team goals with measurable outcomes in collaboration with the Managing Director.
Partner with Annual Giving to encourage individual giving and pipeline development through constituent identification, engagement, cultivation of annual gifts, and targeted giving programs, including Giving Day.
Build relationships with campus stakeholders, including Student Life, the Center for Career Development, Athletics, the Newbury Center, and other student-facing offices and programs.
Coordinate programming and outreach with Advancement prospect managers to increase alumni participation, engagement, and communication, and provide frontline information to colleagues.
Initiate and maintain relationships with leading alumni volunteers, donors, and students.
Recruit alumni volunteers for leadership positions in affinity and life-stage programs and identify meaningful volunteer opportunities in consultation with the Managing Director.
Identify and develop volunteer leaders who represent the full spectrum of the alumni body.
Work with Alumni Networks and Career Programs teams on regional alumni interests and digital-first engagement through Career Programs platforms.
Develop a volunteer communications strategy with Advancement Communications, including regular updates and impact reports.
Ensure volunteers receive appropriate and consistent stewardship and recognition for their service.
Conduct annual program evaluations, including volunteer surveys, to assess alignment with departmental strategic priorities.
Partner with database administrators and staff to maintain volunteer and member CRM records, contact reports, updates, and event activity.
Collaborate with the Managing Director to develop a comprehensive program for alumni engagement throughout graduates' lives.
Establish criteria for alumni affinity program creation requests and define annual goals and objectives for each program.
Review and re-envision reunion offerings during Alumni Weekend with the Managing Director.
Oversee the annual programming roster and plan and execute regular meetings for affinity program volunteers.
Evaluate each alumni affinity program annually.