Director of Alumni Relations

Loras College•Dubuque, IA

About The Position

The Director of Alumni Relations is responsible for overseeing the College's alumni relations strategy. This role involves managing the Alumni Office staff, directing their operations, setting goals and strategy in collaboration with the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, and analyzing benchmarks for success. The position requires carrying out functions in support of the College's Catholic Identity, mission, and Church teachings, as it is a diocesan Catholic college. The Director provides strategic leadership for a comprehensive alumni relations program focused on engagement, affinity, volunteerism, and philanthropic support. This includes overseeing and mentoring staff, planning and coordinating engagement activities and regional programming, and leading strategic planning for Homecoming and Reunion Weekend. The role also involves identifying sponsorship opportunities, directing communications strategies, collaborating on new initiatives, and providing exceptional hospitality to alumni and other stakeholders. The Director will represent the College at events, participate in professional development, and perform additional duties as assigned.

Requirements

Bachelor's Degree (four-year college or university) in a relevant field.
Three to five years of progressively responsible professional experience in higher education, alumni relations, advancement, development, communications, public relations, event management, volunteer management, donor engagement, or related constituent relationship fields.
Experience should demonstrate success in relationship-building, strategic communications, program development, event coordination, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration across diverse constituencies.
Skilled in the use of a personal computer, Microsoft Office Suite, Excel, Publisher and general web applications.
Thorough knowledge of the principles and practices involved in developing and maintaining an effective alumni relations program.
Appreciation for and commitment to Catholic, liberal arts higher education.
Strong organizational and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to implement key communication initiatives through e-newsletter, website and other print and electronic correspondence.
Ability to establish and maintain good social and working relationships with colleagues, alumni, parents and friends of the College.
Ability to facilitate multiple projects, make decisions and meet deadlines.
Ability to manage and motivate volunteers effectively and efficiently.
Ability to identify problems and to develop creative, timely and efficient solutions.

Nice To Haves

Supervisory experience
Fundraising exposure
Experience working with volunteers, alumni boards, or community organizations

Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership, vision, and execution for a comprehensive alumni relations program designed to strengthen lifelong engagement, institutional affinity, volunteerism, and philanthropic support for the College.
Oversees and mentors' alumni relations staff, fostering a collaborative, service-oriented, and high-performing team culture aligned with institutional goals and advancement priorities.
Plans, develops, and coordinates alumni engagement activities and regional programming locally and across the country to cultivate meaningful relationships with alumni, parents, and friends of the College.
Provides leadership and administrative oversight for the National Alumni Board, reunion committees, regional alumni networks, and volunteer engagement initiatives to enhance alumni participation and advocacy.
Leads the strategic planning, growth, and execution of Homecoming and Reunion Weekend activities, with an emphasis on alumni engagement, attendance, donor participation, and class-based fundraising outcomes.
Identifies, cultivates, and manages sponsorship opportunities and partnerships that support alumni programming, events, and institutional advancement initiatives.
Directs and implements a comprehensive alumni communications strategy, including digital communications, direct mail, email marketing, website content, publications, and social media engagement to strengthen alumni connection and institutional messaging.
Collaborates with Advancement and campus leadership to provide strategic insight, innovation, and implementation support for new alumni engagement initiatives, programs, and events that advance the mission and long-term goals of the College.
Provides exceptional hospitality and relationship management to alumni, donors, parents, volunteers, and friends of the College through in-person interactions, phone communication, written correspondence, and electronic engagement.
Represents the College at alumni, campus, community, and donor events while serving on institutional committees and cross-functional initiatives that support advancement and community-building efforts.
Participates in professional development opportunities, industry conferences, and continuing education activities to remain informed on best practices, emerging trends, and innovations in alumni engagement and advancement.
Performs additional duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, the Advancement Division, and the mission of the College.