Director - Alumni Engagement and Affinity Programs

the CIA•Hyde Park, NY

About The Position

The Director of Alumni Engagement and Affinity Programs develops and leads a comprehensive global alumni engagement strategy for the Culinary Institute of America (CIA), positioning the institution as a lifelong learning partner for more than 55,000 alumni worldwide. The role designs a data-informed engagement model that supports alumni throughout their professional journeys and connects alumni with students, faculty, industry leaders, and the institution across CIA campuses and international communities. The Director leads affinity networks, regional engagement, career-focused initiatives, lifelong learning opportunities, volunteer leadership structures, and alumni recognition programs. The position advances alumni relationships and strengthens the CIA’s reputation and influence in the food, beverage, hospitality, wellness, and related industries. It develops engagement strategies, programs, benchmarks, and metrics, and collaborates with internal and external partners to create professional development and career opportunities for alumni.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or significant experience in lieu thereof.
At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in alumni engagement, constituent relations, advancement, membership organizations, professional associations, or related fields.
Experience in higher education development.
Demonstrated success building and scaling engagement programs across diverse constituencies.
Strong understanding of relationship-building, volunteer management, and constituent engagement principles.
Familiarity with hospitality, culinary, food, beverage, or service-related industries.
Ability to build trust and strong collaborative working relationships.
Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills, including the ability to form and mobilize intra-organizational teams to accomplish goals.
Strong communication, presentation, facilitation, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
Proven ability to work collaboratively across complex organizations.
Commitment to innovation and experimentation to build growth strategies.
Strong knowledge of supporting organizational evolution work as part of alumni engagement.
Demonstrated commitment to service, quality, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
Strong computer skills, including effective use of Microsoft Office products: Outlook, Teams, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Availability to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends as required by business needs.
Ability to undertake frequent overnight domestic travel and occasional international travel.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Experience engaging global audiences and international constituents.
Experience leading strategic initiatives with measurable outcomes.
Experience leveraging engagement strategies to support philanthropic outcomes.
Experience working with a robust constituent engagement CRM, such as Salesforce, Slate Advancement, or Dynamics365.
Experience managing budgets, staff, and strategic partnerships.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive global alumni engagement strategy aligned with the CIA’s strategic priorities and presidential vision.
Design an alumni engagement strategy serving alumni with diverse interests and career stages, and establish an alumni journey model from graduation through retirement.
Position the CIA as a lifelong learning organization and build pathways for increasing alumni involvement throughout their lives.
Create a multi-year roadmap with measurable goals for participation, volunteerism, mentorship, lifelong learning, career development, and philanthropy.
Develop scalable in-person, hybrid, and digital engagement models, and serve as the institution’s primary strategist for alumni engagement and affinity programming.
Develop benchmarks, performance metrics, and dashboards to measure engagement, participation, and alumni impact.
Create alumni programs supporting career advancement, executive education, entrepreneurship, leadership development, professional networking, and industry innovation.
Develop and manage a comprehensive U.S. regional engagement strategy and signature programs tailored to local alumni interests and institutional priorities.
Build a global engagement framework for international alumni communities and emerging markets, including ambassador and influencer programs.
Recruit, train, and support regional volunteer leaders and alumni ambassadors.
Establish methods to assess and highlight CIA alumni’s professional and societal impact globally.
Create and lead affinity-based programs and networks organized around industry sectors, career interests, entrepreneurial ventures, alumni-owned businesses, and executive leadership.
Assess alumni professional influence, expertise, industry leadership, and global impact.
Collaborate with academic and industry partners to position the CIA as an ongoing professional development resource for alumni.
Partner with the Vice President – Workforce Development and Industry Solutions to develop alumni-focused continuing education, certificate, executive education, and professional development opportunities.
Create mentorship and career coaching programs connecting alumni, students, and industry professionals.
Perform any and all other duties as assigned.