Executive Director, Notre Dame Alumni Association

University of Notre Dame•Notre Dame, IN

About The Position

The Executive Director of the Notre Dame Alumni Association and Associate Vice President for University Relations provides strategic leadership for Notre Dame’s lifelong engagement with alumni, parents, families, and friends worldwide. Reporting to the Vice President for University Relations, the Executive Director is the University’s senior leader for alumni engagement and a highly visible ambassador and spokesperson for Notre Dame. The Executive Director leads the Alumni Association team and a broad network of volunteer leaders, building relationships that strengthen the Notre Dame community and advance the University’s Catholic mission. The role calls for exceptional energy, judgment, relationship-building skills, and appreciation for Notre Dame’s mission, traditions, and global community. It requires significant travel and frequent evening and weekend commitments. The position sets the vision and strategy for alumni engagement; leads and develops the Alumni Association team; partners with the Alumni Association Board of Directors and volunteer leaders; advances lifelong alumni relationships and signature programs; represents and communicates on behalf of the University; and navigates complex institutional and public issues with diplomacy and sound judgment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Significant progressively responsible leadership experience, preferably in alumni relations, advancement, higher education, nonprofit leadership, external relations, constituent engagement, or another highly relational organization.
Demonstrated experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
Significant experience working with boards, volunteer leaders, or other influential external constituencies.
Exceptional written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to build trusted relationships with people representing a wide range of experiences, perspectives, generations, and backgrounds.
Strong strategic thinking and organizational leadership capabilities, including experience using data and insights to guide priorities and resource allocation.
Exceptional judgment, discretion, integrity, and emotional intelligence.
Ability and enthusiasm for extensive travel and frequent evening and weekend responsibilities.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree.
Senior leadership experience within a complex, mission-driven institution.
Experience in higher education, advancement, alumni engagement, volunteer management, or a similarly relationship-intensive environment.
Understanding of and appreciation for the mission, traditions, culture, and global community of the University of Notre Dame.
Experience engaging geographically dispersed constituencies and leading large-scale volunteer networks.
Familiarity with opportunities and challenges facing contemporary higher education and alumni engagement.

Responsibilities

Establish a compelling long-term alumni engagement vision and strategy aligned with University and University Relations priorities and mission.
Anticipate alumni needs and expectations across generations, geographies, backgrounds, and life stages, and evolve programs and engagement strategies accordingly.
Use data, technology, research, and alumni feedback to evaluate impact, set priorities, allocate resources, and identify engagement opportunities.
Serve on the University Relations leadership team and advise the Vice President for University Relations and other University leaders.
Recruit, develop, inspire, and retain the Alumni Association team, fostering collaboration, accountability, innovation, service, and care.
Set clear expectations and empower organizational leaders to increase collective impact.
Align organizational structures, talent, resources, and programs with strategic priorities.
Develop future leaders and provide professional growth and succession opportunities.
Build a strong partnership with the Notre Dame Alumni Association Board of Directors and engage its members as ambassadors and volunteer leaders.
Work with the Board president, president-elect, past president, executive committee, and other volunteer leaders to strengthen alumni engagement.
Inspire, equip, and steward club, class, affinity, professional, and other volunteer leaders.
Ensure volunteers understand University priorities and can represent Notre Dame thoughtfully and effectively.
Strengthen lifelong alumni relationships through opportunities for faith, service, learning, career and professional development, student engagement, fellowship, travel, athletics, and connection with the University.
Lead major alumni experiences and traditions, including Reunion, football weekends, club and class engagement, alumni travel, and other signature programs.
Deepen engagement across generations and around the world, enabling alumni both to receive value from and contribute value to the Notre Dame community.
Partner with colleges and schools, Athletics, Student Affairs, Mission Engagement and Church Affairs, and other University units to connect alumni with Notre Dame’s broader life and mission.
Represent Notre Dame to alumni, parents, friends, volunteers, and communities around the world.
Communicate the University’s mission, priorities, opportunities, and challenges with authenticity, warmth, credibility, and clarity.
Represent Notre Dame at alumni gatherings, University and athletic events, celebrations, memorials, and other occasions requiring senior University presence.
Build trusted relationships across the Notre Dame community, demonstrating interpersonal judgment and discretion.
Navigate complex cultural, social, institutional, and public issues with wisdom, diplomacy, courage, and sound judgment.
Build relationships across differing perspectives while centering Notre Dame’s Catholic mission, institutional values, and commitment to community.
Anticipate issues that could affect alumni relationships or the University’s reputation and partner with University leadership and communications colleagues.
Model civil dialogue, intellectual openness, respect, and a commitment to sustaining relationships amid disagreement.