Company: Chicago State University
Job Location: Chicago, Illinois
Category: Alumni Relations
Type: Full-Time
Posting Number: S26374P
Working Title: Director of Alumni Engagement, Chicago State Foundation (CSF)
Salary Range: $100,000 Annual
Employee Class: Administrator
Department: CSU Foundation
Full-time/Part-time: Full-time
Hours Per Week: 40
Standard Work Week: Monday-Friday
Benefits: This position is eligible for health, dental, life insurance and other benefits through Chicago State University. Click here for a complete list of benefits: https://csu.edu/humanresources/benefits.htm
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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