Faculty & Staff > Human Resources > Employment Opportunities > Position Description

Director of Alumni Services

This is an exciting time to be a part of Thiel's Advancement Team as the College is now in the planning stages of its largest comprehensive capital campaign coinciding with our 150th anniversary. Now, more than ever, the role of alumni engaging with their alma mater is critical, and we're looking for an individual who has the transferable qualifications to enhance relationships and build support of Thiel graduates to fulfill our mission and strategic initiatives.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director of Alumni Services is responsible for the planning and implementation of programs and opportunities that strategically engage Thiel College alumni. The director will focus on various projects, events and individual relationships in building affinity with Thiel alumni to support their alma mater through time, talent and donations. Serving as staff liaison to Thiel’s Alumni Association, the Director shall work closely with its board of directors in facilitating Association initiatives. As a senior member of the college's Advancement team reporting to the Vice President, the Director shall also develop and maintain a portfolio of major donor prospects for cultivation, solicitation and stewardship for various fundraising initiatives.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establish and build positive relationships with a wide range of alumni: locally, regionally, nationally and internationally; maintain regular communication with alumni via direct contact, email blasts, alumni web pages, print publications and social media.
• Work in conjunction with Advancement staff in developing and executing annual calendar of events for engaging alumni.
• Enlist, motivate and train a corps of volunteers committed to successful alumni programming, including recruitment of class agents to facilitate peer-to-peer alumni engagement.
• Supervise all aspects of planning and implementation for the college's reunion programming, including Homecoming, class reunions and other affinity group gatherings, which includes recruiting and collaborating with regional hosts.
• Design and facilitate volunteer opportunities at the college for graduates through the Alumni Association, and collaborating with Admissions, Career Services and Student Life offices to connect alumni with student activities, networking and prospective student recruitment.
• Develop opportunities with current students and graduating seniors to engage as future alumni and lifelong Thiel supporters. This includes coordinating an annual Senior Class gift.
• Plan and manage annual balanced budget for Alumni Services and related activities.
• Work closely with the Alumni Association Board of Directors, arranging/staffing its meetings and ensuring strong and productive relationships between its members and the administrative leadership. This includes helping to identify and recommend prospective board members.
• Serve as a collaborative member of the College Advancement team on various fundraising initiatives, alumni cultivation, and campaign-level events.
• Work closely with development colleagues in increasing support from alumni; routinely ascertain and qualify alumni prospects for gifts; communicate development-related activities via written contact reports and participate in prospect management meetings.
• Identify, cultivate, and solicit major gifts from a portfolio of alumni donors through meaningful relationships.
• Work closely with Advancement staff to secure accurate, current and complete alumni database records; capture contact, biographical and career information of alumni via surveys, projects (e.g. alumni directory), correspondence, website, postal returns, etc.
• Track data and trends for reports related to alumni activities and participation.
• Travel and work evenings/weekends as necessary to fulfill duties of the position.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree.
• Understanding and appreciation of private higher education in the liberal arts tradition.
• Demonstrated abilities/background in communications, development, special-event planning, and/or other related fields is a plus.
• Excellent organizational, writing, and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
• Capable of prioritizing own workload in a dynamic environment to achieve measurable goals.
• Thrives in both creative planning and attention to detail.
• Service-oriented, flexible and able to multi-task with a variety of constituencies.
• Conveys professionalism in representing the college.
• Possesses a positive outlook, exhibiting a "contagious" enthusiasm for Thiel College and its mission.
• Impeccable character and discretion, capable of working with sensitive information with complete confidentiality.
• Ability to work with donor databases (CRM), spreadsheets, and word processing programs.
• Analytical of various data to inform decision-making
• A tenacious and intuitive self-starter, who is dependable and able to fulfill initiatives within the context of the college's Advancement program.
• Willingness to travel as necessary.
• Flexibility to work weekends and evenings when required.

Email letter of interest, resume, and three professional references to employment@thiel.edu, or send application materials to: Human Resources, Thiel College, 75 College Avenue, Greenville, PA 16125. Applications will be reviewed as received and accepted until the position is filled.

Visit our main website for more information about Thiel College. Thiel College is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to increasing diversity among its faculty and staff. Qualified minority applicants are encouraged to respond.