ComArtSci Assistant Director of Alumni Relations - College Alumni Coordinator

Overview

Working/Functional

Title:

Assistant Director of Alumni Relations

Position Summary:

The Assistant Director of Alumni Relations leads strategic engagement efforts that strengthen lifelong connection among the College’s 60,000 alumni and build a robust pipeline of future volunteers, advocates, and donors. A central focus of the role is providing leadership and support for the Com Art Sci  Alumni Advisory Board while also serving as a key communicator for alumni engagement, stewardship and annual giving communications, crafting clear, compelling content that informs and inspires.

In collaboration with internal partners and academic departments, the position creates opportunities for alumni to engage with students and the College through mentoring, networking, classroom involvement, and professional development programs. Event planning functions as a secondary responsibility that supports and enhances these broader engagement strategies. The Assistant Director reports directly to the Senior Director of Advancement for the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and works closely with the MSU Alumni Office.

The Assistant Director of Alumni Relations is expected to be an accomplished, responsive, and collaborative member of the Advancement Team. The Assistant Director reports directly to the Senior Director of Advancement for the College of Communication Arts and Sciences and works closely with the MSU Alumni Office. This position has opportunity for a hybrid working schedule with a minimum of three day per week in-office.

Remote work agreements are continuously assessed based on the needs of the organization and follow policies and guidelines provided by the College of Communication Arts & Sciences and Michigan State University. The standard working schedule for this position is 8-5pm with occasional evenings and nights with occasional travel required.

• Alumni Board Management (30%) – Serve as liaison and recording secretary for the College’s Alumni Advisory Board, including serving as the formal communication link between the College and the Alumni Board.
• Plan and coordinate at least two full-day board meetings per year, securing guests, coordinating logistics, and handling other tasks for the Alumni Board.
• Organize executive committee calls and sub-committee meetings.
• Manage the College’s annual alumni award process, ensuring that nominations are submitted and honorees selected.

• Engagement Activities (20%) – Develop short- and long-range goals, strategies, and opportunities to increase alumni engagement with the College, followed by careful execution of plans to engage alumni as ambassadors and advocates for the College.
• Ensure alumni activities align with the College’s priorities and enhance development opportunities.
• Manage a portfolio of alumni as engagement manager.
• Plan and coordinate live and virtual professional development, networking, and mentoring opportunities for alumni.
• Oversee alumni efforts for field experience hosts, including preparing students and providing instruction for field experience courses.
• Plan alumni visits to campus and guest lecture opportunities.
• Coordinate and oversee use of student volunteers for alumni engagement.
• Alumni Office Liaison – Serve as the College’s liaison to the MSU Alumni Office and participate in regular college alumni officer meetings, including coordination of all College nominations submitted for MSU Alumni Grand Awards.

• Communication & Donor Stewardship (20%) – Design, implement, and evaluate communication strategies that keep the alumni informed and engaged with the college through the College website, invitations, newsletters, and surveys.
• Write, edit, update and maintain the Alumni portion of the website, including information about the Alumni Board, events, awards and past award honorees.
• Articulate ways in which alumni can be involved in the College and create mechanisms for alumni to respond.
• Write and execute strategic annual giving campaigns.
• Identify segmented audiences for various email communications and send bi-annual department-specific messages.
• Serve as a resource for college faculty and staff in alumni programming.
• Manage…