Assistant Director, Alumni Relations

Brandeis University – a distinguished top-tier private research university recognized for its academic excellence and leading-edge research – has an exciting opportunity for a talented and motivated Assistant Director, Alumni Relations.

Position Summary:

As a member of the Alumni Relations’ team, the Assistant Director will be responsible for leading and managing six or more class committees celebrating a milestone reunion as well as affinity clubs and organizations who are interested in planning a reunion to be held during Alumni Weekend. In this role you will support committee planning, organization and promotion of the intended programs while working closely with Annual Giving colleagues in creating agendas that promote attendance, leverage giving opportunities, and fosters an overall positive relationship between alumni and the University.

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume/CV.

Position Responsibilities:

Class volunteer and program management

• Manages six or more undergraduate classes celebrating a reunion. Recruits, organizes, trains, and motivates reunion class volunteers for key reunions, and assists other quinquennial classes with volunteer-driven programs. Collaborates with schools and departments to provide integration and coordination of efforts. Provides strategic direction for volunteers and manages expectations, both of which occur through careful planning, relationship building, and ongoing high-touch communications.
• Oversees yearbook publications for reunions, as well as a number of social media platforms for associated groups (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc). Promotes strategies, crafts marketing communications, and establishes best practices that yield increased levels of attendance and participation for individual classes, all of which contributes significantly to the overall reunion component of Alumni Weekend.
• Fosters ongoing relationships with graduates for further engagement with alumni activities throughout their lifetime.

Salesforce CRM

• Participate in in-depth training for new Salesforce CRM suite of products, including Ascend, Linvio, and Pardot.
• Serve as team liaison for all CRM related questions and troubleshooting. Create and manage event registration and landing pages.
• Manage approved communications templates. Oversee creation of communications, including email and website.

Alumni weekend planning and management

• Plans, coordinates, and manages aspects of the Alumni Weekend program with other campus offices, including the Lemberg Children's Center, Brandeis Bookstore, Athletics and the Office of Student Activities and engages faculty to participate in select programs.
• Schedules on- and off-campus programs, including religious services, and outings. Selects, hires, and trains a host of outside vendors who provide apparel,  on-site decor, printing and program supplies.
• Ensures compliance with Brandeis Procurement and Facilities Management policies and procedures. Provides on-site management of assigned events and programs, orchestrating activities, problem-solving and troubleshooting issues as they arise.

Student worker training and management

• Works with the Associate Director, Alumni Relations to recruit and hire student workers, and directly leads the training and management of approximately 60 student liaisons who work leading up to and during Alumni Weekend.
• Develops and trains the student supervisors and secures housing for their use leading up to and through the weekend. Provides on-site supervision and coordination of all student roles and responsibilities carried out through the event.

Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent plus 3-5 years; 1-3 years of supervisory experience preferred
• Must have excellent MS Excel skills.
• Must have project and database management skills.
• Ability to multi-task required.
• Basic event-planning experience preferred.
• Experience training, coordinating activities, and managing 60+ student workers
• Experience working with volunteer committees and 100+ individual volunteers

Additional Information:

• Travel and evening and weekend hours are required.
• High level of computer, technical and social media proficiency, including use of CRM database systems, Office suite, events management software, email marketing and communications software, graphics programs (Adobe In-Design), survey tools, committee and community management software, etcAbility to design multi-level registration forms, logic-based smart-forms and surveys, etc. Ability to problem solve and "think on your feet" to address questions and troubleshoot issues that arise with individuals and committees or during the management of on-site events.
• Exhibits excellent written and oral communication skills that promote academic and business professionalism and convey information clearly and concisely.
• Ability to successfully interact and collaborate with varied constituencies and at all times represents Brandeis University in an exemplary and professional manner.
• Ability to apply sound judgment, discretion, and a commitment to professional ethics, data security and nondisclosure when dealing with highly confidential constituent, donor, and prospect information.
• Adheres to University and departmental business policies and procedures.
• Excellent organizational skills with high attention to detail and follow-up.
• Self-motivated with an ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Must be able and willing to work occasional evenings and weekends with an attitude of doing what it takes to get the job done.

About Brandeis:

Brandeis is dedicated to first-rate undergraduate education while making groundbreaking scientific discoveries, advancing artistic and creative expression, and tackling some of society’s most pressing economic, human rights, and health policy issues. Brandeis offers a culture of learning and mentorship essential to a 21st-century liberal arts education where close relationships with professors and research opportunities enable students at all levels to collaborate with faculty members and peers across the institution.  Established as a nonsectarian university in 1948 by members of the American Jewish community, our visionary founders shared a commitment to social justice and to making the world a better place. Our founders’ pioneering spirit and intellectual pursuits continue today at Brandeis – from helping to solve a national public health crisis through work at its Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, to the biological discoveries that, in 2017, earned two faculty members a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

We aspire to further such important endeavors and are looking to grow our team with individuals who share our passion and commitment. In preparation for its next ambitious campaign, the Division of Institutional Advancement (IA) seeks to strengthen the bonds with the university’s many constituencies. By working together, we will secure the financial resources necessary to continue the legacy of excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship at Brandeis.

Located nine-miles west of downtown Boston, a global hub for higher education and innovation, Brandeis University is accessible via major highways (I-90 and I-95) and the MBTA Brandeis/Roberts commuter rail stop.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Diversity, equity and inclusion are important values at Brandeis today and always have been for they are rooted in our founding as an institution. These values serve as a reminder for self-reflection, and a continuous call to grow for us as Brandeisans.  Founded as a model institution for ethnic and religious pluralism, Brandeis University welcomes students, faculty, and staff of all nationalities, religions, and orientations.  Moreover, social justice is central to the mission of Brandeis, which endeavors to foster a just and inclusive campus culture that embraces the evolving diversity of our larger society.  Read more online about our Mission and Diversity Statements at Brandeis Mission and Diversity Statements. If you are interested in a role and have relevant experience but your work history does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we nevertheless encourage you to apply.

Closing Statement

Brandeis University is committed to providing its students, faculty and staff with an environment conducive to learning and working and where all people are treated with respect and dignity. We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, ethnicity, caste, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, including transgender identity, religion, disability, age, genetics, active military or veteran status and any other characteristics protected under applicable federal or Massachusetts law.

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