Director, Leadership Relations

Northeastern University•Boston, MA

4d•$87,785 - $123,999

About The Position

The Director, Leadership Relations leads the design, activation, and scaling of Northeastern University’s global volunteer and engagement ecosystem. Reporting to the AVP of Leadership Relations, the role focuses on building and growing the Global Ambassador model by identifying, recruiting, and activating volunteers throughout their lifecycle and relationship with the University. It combines strategic program design with the operational discipline needed to deliver engagement programs in complex, global environments. The Director develops volunteer pathways for alumni, students, parents, and emerging leaders; oversees affinity volunteer networks; and builds intergenerational engagement, mentoring, and leadership development programming. The role also partners with university teams on Global Giving Day, volunteer communications and resources, and consistent program operations, engagement tracking, and reporting.

Requirements

7–10 years of experience in alumni relations, advancement, volunteer management, or a related field, with demonstrated success managing complex programs across global constituencies.
Proven experience building and scaling volunteer networks, affinity communities, or leadership programs in higher education, nonprofit, or a comparable institutional environment.
Experience leading or co-leading large-scale campaigns or events with international reach, including digital and in-person engagement strategies.
Strong relationship management skills, including the ability to engage, influence, and steward senior-level volunteers, donors, and institutional partners.
Experience developing mentoring programs, generational engagement strategies, or leadership development curricula for diverse stakeholder cohorts.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex programming into compelling narratives for volunteer, donor, and institutional audiences.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent programs, priorities, and cross-functional partnerships with minimal supervision.
Bachelor’s degree required.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
Experience working across international markets or with MENAT, LatAm, Asia-Pacific, or European alumni communities.

Responsibilities

Build and lead the Global Ambassador lifecycle, including recruitment, nomination, onboarding, toolkit development, and ongoing activation, in partnership with LRT’s signature affinity networks.
Scale the Global Ambassador model by activating volunteers from existing LRT networks and developing new volunteer pipelines.
Oversee application, nomination, and onboarding cycles across LRT affinity networks, ensuring consistent processes and a seamless volunteer experience.
Identify volunteer pipeline potential and flag prospects for expanded university roles and philanthropic engagement.
Partner with Leadership Relations colleagues and university partners to develop ambassador toolkits, communications, and resources.
Design and implement volunteer engagement pathways for alumni, students, parents, and emerging leaders, tailored to interests, industries, geographies, and career stages.
Develop and execute a generational engagement strategy for students, Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers.
Oversee leadership development programming that deepens volunteer engagement and prepares volunteers for expanded roles, including skill-building and philanthropic leadership development.
Manage mentoring initiatives connecting alumni, students, faculty, and staff.
Serve as the LRT network strategist for Global Giving Day, developing peer-to-peer engagement, volunteer-led challenges, and network activation strategies with Annual Giving and LRT campaigns and marketing.
Manage and grow LRT affinity volunteer networks through identification, recruitment, training, and ongoing cultivation.
Develop an annual engagement plan that includes signature network convenings and activations.
Identify and cultivate shared affinity groups connecting faculty, staff, alumni, students, and parents with targeted volunteer opportunities.
Maintain operational consistency and quality across network programs, including volunteer management processes, engagement tracking, and program reporting.