Director, Alumni Council Operations

Princeton University • Princeton, NJ

104d • $142,000 - $180,000

About The Position

Reporting to the Deputy Vice President for Alumni Engagement (DVP), the Director of Alumni Council Operations (Director) plays a critical leadership role in the daily management and execution of the Alumni Council Executive Committee (ACEC), the governing body of the Alumni Association of Princeton University, a separate 501(c)(3) representing all 100,000+ alumni around the globe. In partnership with the DVP and President of the Alumni Association/Chair of the Alumni Council, the Director ensures that the strategic vision and goals set by the ACEC are efficiently translated into high-impact, well-coordinated operational initiatives that support alumni involvement and institutional advancement. The Director oversees core functions such as governance oversight, volunteer pipeline development and succession planning, development of ACEC meeting agendas, event planning, senior-level volunteer management, data management, communications logistics, and cross-departmental collaboration. The ideal candidate is an experienced operations manager with a strong background in alumni relations or a related field, capable of optimizing systems and processes to deliver a seamless alumni volunteer experience, and creating strong relationships with senior-level volunteers and administrators, with an eye to the long-term vision of the Alumni Association.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree and at least ten years of professional advancement-related experience or related work experience.
• Strong familiarity with Princeton University, its mission and its global community of alumni.
• Proven ability to develop and foster relationships with people at all levels of an organization, and to collaborate and influence at a high level.
• Exceptional written, oral and interpersonal skills, and superb organizational skills.
• Experience with financial planning and budgets.
• Evidence of self-motivation and the ability to work both independently and in teams with high personal standards representative of Princeton's commitment to excellence.
• Strong strategic planning and project management skills necessary to set and monitor progress against goals, to develop plans and timelines, and to measure success toward goals.
• Discretion, good judgment and commitment to keep confidential all data related to Princeton and its alumni and donors.
• Ability to respond quickly to changing business needs and priorities. Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously and to produce high-quality and compelling work product under tight deadlines.
• Ability to work with a high degree of flexibility in a highly-collaborative, fast-paced, goal-oriented environment.
• Commitment to University Advancement's mission of fostering alumni engagement and maximizing philanthropic support for Princeton University and to adhering to its guiding principles of High Performance, Innovation, Civility and Collaboration.

Nice To Haves

• Prior experience in an academic environment.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary point of contact, both internally and externally, for the Alumni Council.
• Advise and collaborate with the Alumni Council chair and officers by providing strategic guidance, transferring a deep understanding of University resources and the alumni volunteer ecosystem, and fostering a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing environment.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to the DVP and Alumni Council leadership team by providing expert knowledge, advice and continuity to advance a complex agenda to inspire the network of alumni volunteer leaders to engage Princeton’s 100,000+ alumni through innovative programming resulting in productive business outcomes.
• Demonstrate consistent, rational decision-making, anticipate consequences and provide data-driven arguments to safeguard the reputation of the Alumni Association of Princeton and the effectiveness of its Alumni Council.
• Coach and mentor Alumni Engagement staff to successfully support Alumni Council committee chairs and members to maintain the volunteer infrastructure's delicate balance and achieve results consistent with Alumni Council and Alumni Engagement priorities.
• Ensure Alumni Council compliance with foundational governing documents and work collaboratively with the Office of General Counsel to update and ratify the constitution and by-laws to reflect current board practices and NJ tax codes, as necessary.
• Provide guidance and oversight of Alumni Council endowments, investments, budget planning and tax reporting.
• Build a richly diverse and talented ACEC that reflects today's student and alumni body by advising and guiding the Alumni Council chair and the Alumni Council nominations committee.
• Collaborate with the Director of Volunteer Engagement to identify alumni volunteers and track their progress throughout their volunteer journey.
• Develop strong alumni leaders through onboarding, training, and mentoring to establish a culture of excellence and inclusion that will strengthen the overall pipeline.
• Oversee all written and spoken communications for the Alumni Council chair: draft trustee reports and all-alumni messages, craft Princeton Alumni Weekly letters, partner with Advancement Communications to compose remarks for the Alumni Association meeting at Alumni Day and orientation for the incoming first-year class and produce written and multi-media content for AC and ACEC meetings.
• Promote a consistent schedule of communications to the Alumni Council, ACEC and the honorific John Maclean Society to keep alumni informed and connected.
• Supervise the Office Assistant, Alumni Engagement, including responsibility for staff development, performance evaluations, and performance management.
• Provide support to the DVP for special projects and other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree