Director of Alumni Engagement

University of Arkansas System•Little Rock, AR

About The Position

The Director of Alumni Engagement serves as the University's chief relationship builder for more than 150,000 former students and alumni, creating meaningful opportunities for individuals to reconnect with the institution and with one another. Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Alumni and Development, this position executes the strategic plan for alumni engagement by identifying emerging markets, cultivating volunteer leaders, developing innovative programs, and building partnerships that strengthen lifelong connections between former students, alumni, and the University. As the University enters its second century of service, the Director expands alumni engagement beyond traditional programming by meeting former students and alumni where they live, work, and lead. This position actively seeks opportunities to engage graduates in growing communities across Arkansas and across the nation, celebrating their professional accomplishments while connecting them to the people, programs, and possibilities shaping the University's future. Serving as the primary staff liaison to the Alumni Board of Directors, the Director works collaboratively with development officers, academic leadership, students, volunteers, and campus partners to transform pride in UA Little Rock into meaningful engagement, advocacy, volunteerism, mentorship, and philanthropic investment. The Director is charged with moving the needle on alumni engagement by creating meaningful opportunities, success in this role is measured not simply by the number of programs delivered or events hosted, but by the number of meaningful relationships created, strengthened, and sustained. Through data-informed strategies, innovative programming, regional outreach, volunteer leadership, and strategic partnerships, the Director continually expands the University's network of engaged alumni while deepening the quality of those relationships over time. This position actively identifies underserved alumni populations, emerging markets, geographic regions, industries, and affinity groups, developing targeted engagement strategies that broaden the University's reach and increase participation. The Director believes alumni engagement is about far more than planning events it is about creating relationships that endure across generations. The Director works to open eyes in both directions helping former students and alumni better understand the innovation, research, student success, and momentum shaping their alma mater today, while helping the University recognize, celebrate, and engage the extraordinary accomplishments of its graduates. By strengthening these connections, the Director develops a growing network of engaged ambassadors whose professional success reflects the University's impact and whose continued involvement advances its mission. Working closely with the Director of Alumni, Corporate/Foundation Relations, the National Director of Development, and the University's development team, the Director ensures alumni engagement efforts support the identification, cultivation, and stewardship of prospective donors and volunteer leaders. Every alumni interaction is viewed as an opportunity to deepen relationships, strengthen affinity, identify future philanthropic partners, and advance the University's strategic priorities. Through vision, initiative, and relationship-building, the Director will help shape an alumni engagement program that inspires lifelong connection and positions UA Little Rock for an even stronger second century of service. This position is governed by state and federal laws, and agency/institution policy.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution;
Three years of professional experience in alumni relations, advancement, development, fundraising, volunteer management, higher education, nonprofit management, or a related field.
Must have a valid driver's license.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience building relationships with diverse constituencies;
Experience coordinating programs, projects, volunteer initiatives, or fundraising activities;
Master's degree;
Experience in higher education advancement, alumni relations, annual giving, or fundraising;
Experience working with volunteer boards, advisory councils, or alumni organizations;
Experience conducting donor discovery, qualification, or solicitation activities;
Experience utilizing CRM systems for constituent engagement and reporting.

Responsibilities

Develop and implement strategies to increase alumni engagement and participation across the University's alumni community, including affinity-based constituencies such as Donaghey Scholars, former student-athletes, fraternity and sorority alumni, and other priority alumni groups;
Develop targeted engagement plans for key alumni affinity groups that strengthen lifelong relationships, expand volunteer leadership, increase event participation, and create pathways for philanthropic support;
Identify, cultivate, and maintain relationships with alumni across diverse constituencies;
Conduct a minimum of ten (10) meaningful face-to-face visits each week with alumni to cultivate lifelong relationships, increase alumni engagement, identify volunteer leaders, discover philanthropic interests, and strengthen the University's culture of philanthropy;
Represent the University at alumni, community, and campus events;
Maintain accurate records of alumni interactions and engagement activities within the University's CRM system.
Collaborate with the Director of Alumni, Corporate/Foundation Relations to develop engagement strategies for alumni events and programs;
Develop engagement opportunities and programming that encourage participation from priority alumni affinity groups, including Donaghey Scholars, former student-athletes, fraternity and sorority alumni, and other identified constituencies;
Identify target alumni audiences and support outreach efforts to increase participation.
Utilize alumni events to cultivate relationships, recruit volunteers, identify prospective donors, and strengthen alumni affinity;
Coordinate alumni engagement activities associated with University events and initiatives;
Evaluate event participation data and engagement outcomes to inform future strategies.
Serve as the primary staff liaison to the Alumni Board of Directors;
Coordinate board meetings, committee meetings, and related activities;
Assist with the recruitment, onboarding, and retention of board members;
Support the development of board goals, initiatives, and annual work plans;
Facilitate communication between board members and University leadership;
Encourage board participation in engagement and philanthropic initiatives.
Recruit, train, and manage alumni volunteers;
Develop opportunities for alumni involvement through mentoring, speaking engagements, networking activities, career development programs, and University initiatives;
Maintain a volunteer engagement pipeline and track volunteer participation;
Collaborate with campus partners to identify meaningful volunteer opportunities for alumni.
Promote alumni participation in annual giving and University fundraising initiatives;
Conduct donor discovery and qualification visits to identify philanthropic interests and capacity;
Solicit annual and leadership-level gifts from alumni and friends of the University;
Identify and refer qualified major gift prospects to development staff;
Collaborate with development officers to support cultivation, stewardship, and solicitation strategies;
Maintain records of fundraising activity and prospect movement within the CRM.
Collaborate with University communications staff to promote alumni engagement opportunities;
Identify and highlight alumni achievements and success stories;
Coordinate alumni recognition initiatives and outreach efforts;
Support alumni communications through digital, print, and social media platforms.
Partner with development staff, academic units, and campus leadership to advance institutional priorities;
Provide alumni engagement and participation data to support strategic planning and decision-making;
Assist in the development and implementation of new alumni engagement programs and initiatives;
Support special projects and strategic initiatives as assigned.