Engagement and Alumni Relations Senior Associate

The Ohio State University•Columbus, OH

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Arts and Sciences (ASC) Engagement Team builds and deepens relationships with alumni, donors, and friends of the college to strengthen connections to the college and university and increase engagement, philanthropy, and awareness. Under the direction of the Engagement and Alumni Relations Consultant, the Senior Associate leads the planning, coordination, and execution of virtual and in-person events and programs that connect alumni and donors to the life of the college. The role serves as project manager for the ASC Engagement Team’s event workflow and as the primary planner, contact, and decision-maker for ASC-owned events. The Senior Associate establishes strategic goals with development partners, oversees event logistics and timelines, assigns responsibilities during high-volume periods, and provides resources to colleagues and faculty and staff who plan engagement activities. In partnership with departments and centers, the role develops programming that highlights ASC’s academic and research strengths and supports its mission. The position supports 38 departments and more than 20 centers and institutes. The Senior Associate maintains event expenditures within budget in coordination with a fiscal associate, evaluates outcomes, develops follow-up plans to assess return on investment, maintains relationships and communication across campus, researches and negotiates vendor contracts, manages volunteers, and ensures accurate data capture in The Advancement System (TAS). The role requires flexibility to work evenings and weekends and occasional travel as needed. This is a regular, 40-hour-per-week, first-shift position designated as standby under the university’s Disaster Preparedness and University State of Emergency Policy.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Two years of professional experience in event management, alumni relations, constituent engagement, donor relations, or a related field.
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and relationship-building skills.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to identify opportunities to share compelling content.
Comfort with technology and proficiency with tools such as video conferencing platforms, Excel, and CRM systems.
Flexibility to work evenings and weekends and travel occasionally as needed.

Nice To Haves

Experience in higher education alumni or constituent relations.
Experience with program planning and administration.
Experience working with and managing high-level volunteers or donors.
Familiarity with content and constituent management systems and other web-based communication and tracking tools.
Experience with digital communication and event tools such as Zoom, MS Teams, or Webex.
Proficiency with Adobe Creative Cloud.

Responsibilities

Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of virtual and in-person alumni and donor events.
Serve as the primary planner, contact, and decision-maker for ASC-owned events, setting strategic goals with development partners and designing experiences to achieve them.
Oversee event logistics and timelines and ensure exceptional customer service.
Project-manage the ASC Engagement Team’s event workflow, assign responsibilities during high-volume periods, and support colleagues managing events outside the team.
Develop toolkits and resources to help faculty and staff deliver high-quality engagement experiences.
Partner with departments and centers to create programming that supports ASC’s academic and research mission.
Maintain event expenditures within budget in coordination with the fiscal associate.
Evaluate event outcomes and develop follow-up plans to assess return on investment.
Maintain ongoing communication with departments and build campus relationships to improve collaboration and efficiency.
Research and negotiate contracts with vendors for event-related goods and services.
Manage volunteers.
Ensure accurate data capture in The Advancement System (TAS).
Perform other duties as assigned.