Director of Alumni Engagement

Job Summary

The Director of Alumni Engagement is responsible for designing and executing a comprehensive alumni engagement strategy for Chicago State University (CSU), an institution with a tight-knit alumni community and a strong mission-driven culture. This position serves as the University's lead alumni engagement strategist and primary point of contact for alumni relations-building programs that deepen alumni pride, improve participation, increase alumni giving and strengthen long-term philanthropic support.

Job Description

Alumni Engagement Strategy & Program Execution

• Develop and implement an annual alumni engagement plan aligned with CSU and Foundation priorities
• Establish measurable goals for alumni participation, event engagement, volunteerism, and giving
• Serve as lead staff liaison to the Alumni Association (board/leadership as applicable), supporting planning, communications, and operations
• Build a scalable annual programming calendar with a balanced mix of signature events, regional/virtual offerings, and affinity-based engagement

Programming, Events & Volunteerism

• Plan and execute CSU alumni programs and events such as:
  • Homecoming alumni experiences and class-year reunions
  • Regional alumni gatherings and virtual networking sessions
  • Alumni mentoring and career engagement (especially aligned with student success and workforce outcomes)
  • Affinity engagement (Greek organizations, athletics alumni, academic colleges, young alumni, etc.)
• Recruit and manage alumni volunteers and ambassadors to expand reach and capacity
• Develop run-of-show, content, vendor coordination, and logistics for events with limited internal staffing

Advancement Collaboration & Philanthropic Pipeline

• Partner closely with Fundraising Staff to:
  • Grow alumni giving participation through Giving Day, the annual Gala, annual giving, and targeted campaigns
  • Cultivate and engage alumni leaders who can serve as fund champions, matching gift prospects, and peer fundraisers
• Partner with Individual Giving on alumni-to-donor pipeline strategy and coordinated recognition efforts
  • Identify and refer engaged alumni with philanthropic capacity to Individual Engagement
  • Maintain regular pipeline review meetings with Individual Engagement using agreed criteria to define "ready for cultivation".

Communications & Digital Engagement

• Serve as content lead for alumni engagement messaging (working with the Foundation Marketing Associate and CSU Marketing & Communications as needed)
• Produce alumni newsletters, event promotions, engagement campaigns, and digital updates
• Ensure consistent messaging and brand alignment across alumni touchpoints (email, web, social platforms, video, etc.)
• Elevate alumni storytelling-highlighting career outcomes, community impact, and CSU pride

Data Management & Systems Improvement

• Maintain and improve alumni data systems and engagement tracking (CRM, email lists, segmentation)
• Develop dashboards and reporting to evaluate program performance and alumni participation trends
• Strengthen data capture at events and online interactions to improve engagement and giving outreach

Cross-Campus Leadership & Relationship Building

• Collaborate across campus to co-produce alumni programming and communications with:
  • Deans and Colleges
  • Athletics and student success initiatives
  • Career Services / Workforce Equity initiatives
  • University Marketing & Communications and Student Affairs as applicable
• Represent CSU and the Foundation professionally in alumni-facing spaces

Alumni Participation Metrics (Performance Outcomes)

The Director is expected to establish baseline metrics and drive annual improvements, including:

• Increase unique alumni engagement 15% year-over-year
• Deliver 6 alumni programs/events annually (minimum 3 in-person and 3 virtual/hybrid)
• Achieve 400 total alumni participants annually, including 100+ alumni engagement during Homecoming programming
• Recruit and activate 25 alumni volunteers annually, including 10 Giving Day ambassadors
• Increase alumni Giving Day participation 15% year-over-year (in partnership with Individual Engagement)
• Improve deliverable alumni emails/data quality 10% annually through data capture and outreach

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred
• 6-8 years of relevant experience in alumni relations, advancement, donor engagement, nonprofit engagement, or related field
• Demonstrated success developing engagement strategies and delivering programs with limited staffing/resources
• Strong project management capabilities with high attention to detail and deadlines
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfortable hosting events and engaging senior stakeholders
• Demonstrated success working as a single contributor
• Experience using CRM, donor databases, email marketing tools, or engagement platforms

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in higher education advancement or alumni engagement at a public institution
• Familiarity with CRM platforms and peer fundraising
• Experience engaging alumni boards, volunteer leadership, or affinity networks

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Self-directed leadership and independent execution
• Strategic planning and accountability
• Volunteer management and influence without authority
• Event production and operational excellence
• Relationship-building and diplomacy
• Equity-centered engagement and inclusive programming
• Data-driven decision-making
• Demonstrated commitment to working with integrity and strong values

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