Manager of Development and Alumni Relations

Dine College•Tsaile, AZ

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager of Development and Alumni Relations provides strategic leadership for Diné College’s development and alumni relations functions. The role directs the design, execution, and evaluation of a comprehensive fundraising and alumni-engagement program that builds philanthropy in support of the College’s mission and Sá'ah Naagháí Bik'eh Hózhóón principles. Reporting to the Vice President of Institutional Advancement, the Manager sets annual-giving, capital-campaign, and alumni-engagement strategies; supervises staff and interns; manages the department’s operating budget; and represents the College to donors, businesses, tribal enterprises, foundations, and Board of Regents members. The position also ensures consistent collection, sharing, and use of donor, prospect, and alumni data, and collaborates with Marketing and Communications on donor relations, fundraising initiatives, campaign communications, donor recognition, and promotion of philanthropic impact. The Manager oversees multi-year fundraising plans for annual giving, major gifts, and alumni giving; donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship; alumni engagement; campaign planning; departmental financial management; staff supervision; fundraising systems and digital campaigns; and regular reporting to College leadership and the Board of Regents. The position is based at the Tsaile Campus, with an 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Monday–Friday schedule and regular evening and weekend work and travel across Diné College sites and to donor, campaign, and conference locations. Work is primarily in an office setting and includes regular computer use. The position requires a valid state-issued driver’s license and successful completion of a background check. It is funded 55% by general funds and 45% by grant funds for fiscal year 2026–2027.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Public Relations, Marketing, or a closely related field, plus five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in higher education or nonprofit development, alumni relations, or donor solicitation, including at least two years in a supervisory or team-lead capacity.
Equivalent experience may substitute for the degree at the stated rate: an additional three years for an Associate’s degree, five years for a Bachelor’s degree, or seven years for a Master’s degree.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including donor correspondence, proposals, and Board-level reporting.
Advanced knowledge of philanthropic trends, moves management, and gift-range and campaign methodology.
Knowledge of donor and alumni customer-service principles, needs assessment, and satisfaction evaluation.
Working knowledge of nonprofit or higher-education budget development and management, including stewardship of restricted and unrestricted funds.
Familiarity with Bureau of Indian Affairs, federal, and Navajo Nation funding structures as they relate to private philanthropy.
Staff supervision, coaching, and performance-management skills.
Strategic finance and budget-planning skills, including forecasting and reporting on fundraising and departmental financial performance.
Communications and media skills, including producing, disseminating, and evaluating donor- and alumni-facing content across written, oral, and digital channels.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and donor management software such as Jenzabar, with the ability to learn additional software.
Ability to lead and develop a team, delegate effectively, and hold staff accountable to fundraising and stewardship goals.
Ability to exercise sound judgment, initiative, and strict confidentiality at a senior level, including in work with the Board of Regents and executive leadership.
Ability to build and sustain relationships with major donors, tribal enterprises, foundations, alumni, and other external stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple concurrent priorities across development, alumni relations, and campaign work and coordinate cross-departmental activities with attention to detail.
Ability to represent the College publicly and persuasively, including public speaking and donor solicitation.
Ability to travel frequently across Diné College campuses and to donor, campaign, and conference locations; ability to maintain confidentiality and use a College vehicle.
Valid state-issued driver’s license and successful completion of a background check.
Application must include a resume, three letters of recommendation dated within one year of application, and copies of academic transcripts; additional documents may be required for applicable preferences, certifications, or licenses.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related field.
Three years of higher-education or tribal-college development experience, including capital campaign experience.
Demonstrated success securing major and leadership gifts from individuals, tribal enterprises, or national foundations.
Prior supervisory experience in a development or alumni relations office.
Oral fluency in Navajo is highly desirable but not mandatory.

Responsibilities

Direct and refine a comprehensive, multi-year fundraising plan covering annual giving, major gifts, alumni giving, and solicitation strategies aligned with the College’s capital campaign and institutional priorities.
Set donor acquisition, upgrade, renewal, and stewardship strategies and annual goals; assess Annual Fund performance and report results and recommendations to College leadership and the Board of Regents.
Direct alumni engagement, including database integrity, lost-alumni recovery, volunteer and mentorship pipelines, alumni/parent/grandparent giving programs, and alumni-facing digital and social media content.
Serve as a senior liaison to prospective and current donors, tribal enterprises, foundations, and other organizations; lead cultivation and solicitation strategy for leadership- and major-gift prospects in coordination with the Vice President of Institutional Advancement.
Represent Development and Alumni Relations in the capital campaign, including gift-range strategy, prospect identification, campaign materials, and donor stewardship.
Create and maintain a fiscal management system tracking restricted and unrestricted revenue, pledge payments, expenditures, and grant and gift compliance; produce regular financial reports.
Supervise, coach, and evaluate development and alumni staff and interns, including hiring, onboarding, performance management, and professional development.
Develop and manage the department’s annual operating budget, monitor expenditures, and ensure proper use of restricted and unrestricted funds, including P-Card and purchase requisition processes.
Collaborate with Marketing & Communications, the Diné Policy Institute, Diné Education, other College departments, and College partners to support shared fundraising and engagement goals.
Oversee use of Jenzabar and other internal systems to develop and maintain segmented prospect and donor pools; direct digital campaigns such as #GivingTuesday, Giving Days, and digital challenges.
Research and evaluate emerging fundraising technologies and recommend process, objective, and goal improvements based on program performance.
Ensure donor, prospect, and pledge data are tracked consistently in a unified system and that acknowledgments, reports, and impact updates are completed on schedule.
Prepare and present regular Board of Regents reports on development initiatives, campaign progress, fundraising performance, major-gift and prospect pipelines, and alumni engagement outcomes.
Perform other duties as assigned.