Director of Alumni Engagement at BC High (Boston College High School, Boston MA)

Carlene Johnson

Position: Director of Alumni Engagement

Department: Advancement

Reports to: Vice President for Institutional Advancement

Type: Full-time, Exempt, On-site (with flexibility)

Summary

The Director of Alumni Engagement serves as a key member of the Advancement team in developing new and traditional broad-reaching engagement opportunities for alumni of BC High.

The Director of Alumni Engagement will report to the Vice President for Institutional Advancement, collaborating closely with the events team, frontline fundraisers, and others to design programs that strengthen alumni involvement with the school. The Director will join BC High at the height of the Illuminating Excellence campaign, which has to date achieved more than $100 Million to fund the school’s ambitious and innovative strategic initiatives. At this exciting time and critical juncture, increasing the depth and breadth of alumni engagement is a high priority of BC High’s leadership and its Alumni Council, and the Director will be building upon a strong existing program. Ideal candidates will be strategic in nature, have demonstrated success managing & mobilizing volunteers and designing/expanding constituent engagement programs, and have the desire to raise campaign funds from a portfolio of alumni donors.

Primary Responsibilities – Program Design and Implementation

• Model Advancement team values of collaboration, teamwork, professionalism, mutual respect, and joy to build a culture of trust within a high performing team.
• Serve as primary ambassador to BC High’s global 15,000-member Alumni Network.
• Assess BC High’s current alumni engagement opportunities and identify areas for growth.
• Building on a strong existing alumni program, create additional opportunities for engagement that result in the expansion of alumni participation across all settings.
• Manage existing volunteer committees including BC High’s Alumni Council, affinity groups, reunions, Hall of Fame and others, to support broad interests and talents related to the school.
• Engage Alumni Council in substantive strategic discussions to gain buy-in and active support for new and existing alumni programs. Manage committee member recruitment according to department strategy.
• Collaborating closely with a skilled events team, lead and manage programmatic features for BC High’s local and regional alumni events.
• Galvanize volunteer committees and the broader Alumni Network to increase alumni participation in all alumni events and volunteer opportunities.
• In collaboration with colleagues across the Advancement department, create meaningful metrics, establish goals, and track progress of alumni engagement.
• Serve as an advocate for engagement of GOLD group young alumni (10+ years post graduation) creating avenues for involvement and motivation to support BC High.
• Provide content for alumni communications, including monthly email Alumni Newsletter and annual Class Notes publication in BC High magazine.
• Manage BC High Alumni LinkedIn group and presence, leveraging alumni activity across BC High’s social media channels in support of philanthropic, engagement, and enrollment goals.
• Collaborate with enrollment department to support focused alumni enrollment initiatives.

Fundraising

• Design, plan and implement engagement activities for alumni with an eye toward expanding BC High’s alumni donor base.
• Manage a portfolio of alumni donors, cultivating relationships and soliciting, renewing and stewarding gifts to meet established goals.
• Provide regular reports on alumni giving to Alumni Council, fostering substantive discussions with Council about strategies to increase alumni giving.
• Collaborate with the VP and gift officers to elevate engagement of reunion classes through peer-to-peer solicitation, establishing and meeting increased reunion giving goals.
• Mobilize Alumni Council as advocates, amplifiers, and askers during BC High’s two annual Giving Days, reunions, and other fundraising initiatives.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and a demonstrated body of work in creating alumni and/or community-building programs and high-touch volunteer management is required.
• Fundamental understanding of Advancement practices is required, within an educational institution preferred.
• Demonstrated experience and a desire to build relationships, recruit, manage, and sustain engagement with alumni volunteers.
• Demonstrated ability to work across a matrixed team structure, sharing leadership to achieve the best possible results for the organization.
• Exceptional writing, communication, organizational, follow-through, and interpersonal skills are essential.
• Successful candidate will be a strategic thinker with boots-on-the-ground execution. Flexibility and a sense of humor are a must.
• Proficiency in the use of Microsoft Office, digital communication tools, social media, and databases is required, proficiency in Raiser’s Edge fundraising software is preferred.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively across internal and external constituencies; ability to handle multiple projects with high attention to organization and detail; ability to travel and work outside of regular business hours when necessary.

To submit your cover letter and resume, click here:

Should you have questions, please contact
Sue Glover
Director of Human Resources
sglover@bchigh.edu