Director Of Alumni Relations
Southern Oregon University
POSITION SUMMARY:
Date application must be received for priority consideration by: October 9, 2026 Anticipated Appointment Begin Date: October 26, 2026 Closing Date or if blank, Open Until Filled: Job Family Group: Administrative and Professional Division/Department: University Advancement Compensation Range (commensurate with experience): $79,283.10-$84,504.83 annually FLSA Status: Exempt Appointment Basis: 12-month Time Type: Full-time Benefits Eligible: Yes Renewable/Non-renewable/Grants/Limited Duration:…
Renewable This position must possess and maintain a current, valid Driver License: Yes This position is designated as a critical, security-sensitive or safety-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal Background Check: Yes Remote Work Type: On Campus Work Hours: M-F (8:00a - 5:00p) Hours are subject to change with notice.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS TO APPLICANT:
- Each applicant is required to provide (as attachments to the online application) the following supplemental documents: (1) a letter providing some detail of the applicant's qualifications and interest in the position; and (2) current resume/CV. - PLEASE NOTE - during the application process, you will be prompted to attach these documents in the area titled "Resume." Please either combine ALL documents into ONE attachment, OR upload each item separately in this section. Failure to upload ALL of the required documents may disqualify application from consideration.
- For inquiries and additional information, please contact Human Resource Services via email at hrs@sou.edu or by phone at (541)552-8553.
- To view SOU's very generous benefits and pension programs available to eligible positions, please visit https://inside.sou.edu/assets/hrs/Benefits/Benefit_Flyer/2024_Prospective_Candidate_Benefit_Overview_012024.pdf
- Our benefits package is an important complement to the offered salary and our Total Compensation Calculator, https://inside.sou.edu/hrs/comp-calc.html, demonstrates our value and commitment to our employees.
POSITION DESCRIPTION:
The Director of Alumni Relations provides strategic leadership for the design, implementation, and implementation of the university's comprehensive alumni engagement program. Operating with a small unit, this role balances high-level vision with direct, hands-on execution to connect a diverse alumni base with Southern Oregon University. Reporting to the Vice President of University Advancement and Director of the SOU Foundation, the Director is responsible for building lifelong affinity, increasing volunteerism, managing community traditions, and generating active support for the university.
This position requires a highly energetic, organized, and collaborative professional capable of working in tandem with the SOU Alumni Association and the Assistant Director of Engagement to integrate alumni engagement initiatives directly into broader university advancement and development goals.
Minimum Requirements
- Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
- At least four years of progressive, professional experience in alumni relations, higher education administration, admissions, public relations, fundraising, or nonprofit management.
- Demonstrated ability to build programs, manage complex projects independently, and execute major public events with minimal administrative support.
- Exceptional public speaking, presentation, writing, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Flexibility and willingness to work evenings and weekends for campus events, regional programs, and professional travel.
- Must possess and maintain a current, valid Driver License.
- Proficiency in managing social media platforms as well as in standard Microsoft 365 software.
Preferred Requirements
- Master's degree in higher education administration, communications, business administration, or a related field.
- Supervisory experience.
- Direct experience working within a university environment.
- Proficient working knowledge of advancement databases and donor management software (such as Raiser's Edge or Salesforce).
Essential Functions
Duties - The following examples are typical work activities that are meant to illustrate the general range of work functions and are not meant to be all-inclusive or restrictive:
(35%) Strategic Leadership and Administration
- Plan and execute an annual strategic alumni engagement operating plan aligned with University Advancement objectives.
- Plan, develop, and exercise budget authority over the Alumni Relations operational budget to maximize program return on investment.
- Utilize data analytics and assessment tools to evaluate the effectiveness of programming, develop and maintain alumni tracking metrics, and report trends to leadership.
- Partner with development staff to align alumni activity with the university's ongoing major giving priorities and philanthropic pipeline.
- Provide executive staffing and logistical support to the SOUAA Board of Directors; partner directly with the Board Development & Nominating Committee to manage board recruitment, facilitate regular elections, coordinate the orientation program for newly elected board members, and maintain oversight of bylaws and governing policies
(35%) Event Planning and Program Management
- Serve as chair and logistical lead for major high-visibility campus milestones, working alongside the SOUAA Alumni Engagement & Programming Committee to coordinate Homecoming, reunions, and family weekends.
- Identify, recruit, and guide volunteer leadership to develop and approve official charters for regional alumni chapters and industry-specific affinity networks across the state and country.
- Establish engagement opportunities tailored specifically to diverse subgroups, such as first-generation graduates, young alumni, and athletic or academic affinity cohorts.
- Partner with the SOUAA Career Services & Mentorship Committee and the campus career center to expand internship pipelines, promote professional development webinars, and mobilize the digital Raider Network platform to support student-to-alumni mentoring channels.
- Oversee the selection and distribution of institutional alumni distinction awards in collaboration with the SOUAA Awards and Recognition Committee.
(25%) Communications, Marketing and Data Integrity
- Design and deploy demographic-driven communication strategies through newsletters, web portals, targeted email marketing, and editorial content for The Raider alumni magazine.
- Direct the university's official alumni social media platforms to promote alumni programs, manage digital content, boost event registrations, and elevate campaign visibility in collaboration with the university's marketing department.
- Partner with Advancement Services to regularly update contact info, business records, and biographical fields within the central database; execute trace strategies with the committee to enrich missing information for "lost" alumni.
- Serve as an official face, liaison, and informational spokesperson for the university's alumni base, publicizing outstanding professional, civic, and philanthropic milestones to boost institutional pride.
(5%) Supervisor responsibility and other duties as assigned
Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
- Excellent communication skills; demonstrated ability to effectively communicate information in a clear and understandable manner, both verbally and in writing.
- Demonstrated customer service experience requiring a very high level of diplomacy and professionalism to effectively handle a broad range of sensitive interpersonal situations.
- Demonstrated ability to interpret and consistently apply a wide variety of complex policies and procedures where specific guidelines may not always exist.
- Expressed ability to work with frequent changes in policies and procedures, under pressure of deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
- Strong analytical and research skills; demonstrated ability to gather, evaluate, and to develop well-reasoned conclusions and recommendations.
- Demonstrated ability to proactively assess work operations and anticipate potential problems; ability to develop and implement strategies for preventing/resolving problems.
- Great ability to effectively perform work of a highly sensitive and confidential nature that requires access to information. Must be able to exercise sound judgment and discretion, tact, and diplomacy.
- Takes initiative in independently planning, organizing, and performing work assignments within broadly defined parameters
- Demonstrated ability to work with a high level of productivity and accuracy/attention to detail.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills with the demonstrated ability to set own priorities to coordinate multiple assignments with fluctuating and time-sensitive deadlines.
- Expressed skill to independently analyze software functionality through technical documents, and design and document efficient/effective work processes; ability to independently analyze software problems, test probable causes, and recommend sound solutions.
- Excellent computer skills and proficiency with a variety of computer applications including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, online systems, social media platforms, Internet as well as online calendaring and email.
- Demonstrated ability to initiate, establish, and foster communication and teamwork by maintaining a positive, cooperative, productive work atmosphere in and outside the University with the ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within a diverse population and with those from various cultural backgrounds.
- Willingness to and work effectively in a heavily bureaucratic environment which requires regular interaction with a number of levels within the organization and multiple outside agencies.
- Working knowledge or ability to quickly learn, university infrastructure, policies, and procedures.
- Demonstrated skills in an institutional/educational environment utilizing a customer-oriented and service-centered attitude.
Physical Demands
- Normal office activities such as sitting/standing at a desk, using a computer, answering phones, and communicating in person both in writing and via phone with others.
- Event setup, including but not limited to move/transport trade show type equipment.
- Travel to and from events.
Special Conditions
- Must be willing to travel and attend training programs off-site for occasional professional development.
- Must be able to work additional hours and adjust working hours to meet special jobs. May be called back periodically to perform work as needed on an emergency basis.
- Must be able to successfully pass a pre-employment background check.
- This position classification has been defined as exempt and is not subject to the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
- The person holding this position is considered a mandatory reporter under the Oregon Revised Statutes and is required to comply with the requirements set forth by the Oregon Department of Human Services.
- This position requires driving for university business. Final candidates will be contacted by Human Resources to complete the university's driver clearance process. Candidates who hold driver's licenses issued outside the State of Oregon will be required to provide a certified driving record from their state of residence during the assessment phase.
SOU is an equal access AA/EOE committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Southern Oregon University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodation to applicants in need of accommodation in order to provide access to the application, interviewing, and selection process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on this application. If, however, you require a reasonable accommodation in the application and/or interview process due to disability, requests must be made in a timely manner to Human Resources.
Diversity Statement:
Southern Oregon University is a welcoming community committed to inclusive excellence and the celebration of diversity. Without diversity, our educational process is diminished. Working together in support of our commitment to diversity, we strengthen and enrich our role as learners, educators, and members of a tightly connected global community. We encourage those who share in our commitment to diversity, to join our community and we expect all our employees to demonstrate an ability and desire to create an inclusive campus community.
SOU Land Acknowledgement
We want to take this moment to acknowledge that Southern Oregon University is located within the ancestral homelands of the Shasta, Takelma, and Latgawa peoples who lived here since time immemorial. These Tribes were displaced during rapid Euro-American colonization, the Gold Rush, and armed conflict between 1851 and 1856. In the 1850s, the discovery of gold and settlement brought thousands of Euro-Americans to their lands, leading to warfare, epidemics, starvation, and villages being burned. In 1853 the first of several treaties were signed, confederating these Tribes and others together - who would then be referred to as the Rogue River Tribe. These treaties ceded most of their homelands to the United States, and in return, they were guaranteed a permanent homeland reserved for them. At the end of the Rogue River Wars in 1856, these Tribes and many other Tribes from western Oregon were removed to the Siletz Reservation and the Grand Ronde Reservation. Today, the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon (www.grandronde.org) and the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (www.ctsi.nsn.us) are living descendants of the Takelma, Shasta, and Latgawa peoples of this area. We encourage YOU to learn about the land you reside on and to join us in advocating for the inherent sovereignty of Indigenous people.
Notice to Prospective Employees
Section 485 of the Higher Education Act, and The Federal Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act of 1990 (now referred to as the "Clery Act"), require that prospective employees be notified of the availability of SOU's Annual Security and Fire Safety Report. The report provides the annual statistics and campus policies for the reporting of and responding to campus crimes and fires; access to campus facilities; conduct code and campus policies on the use, possession, and sale of drugs/alcohol; and educational/information programs to inform the campus community about campus security procedures and crime prevention.
An electronic copy of the Annual Security Report (ASR) can be accessed at the following link: https://cps.sou.edu/clery-act-annual-security-report/. A physical copy of the ASR is available at no charge upon request. To request a copy, please visit the Office of the General Counsel located in Churchill Hall, 1250 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, Oregon 97520. For more information, call 541-552-7095, or email clerycoordinator@sou.edu.
To apply, please visit: https://sou.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/Southern_Oregon_University/job/Southern-OregonAshland-Campus/Director-of-Alumni-Relations_R0001144
Welcome to SOU
The University
Southern Oregon University (SOU) is a contemporary, public liberal arts and sciences university with selected professional programs at the bachelor's and master's levels. One of seven institutions in the Oregon University System (OUS), SOU is an inclusive campus community dedicated to student success, intellectual growth, and responsible global citizenship. Last year, The New York Times named Southern Oregon University as a "hidden gem" of higher education.
Southern Oregon University is committed to providing its 5,000 students a challenging and practical liberal arts education centered on student learning and civic engagement. SOU offers more than 100 areas of study with 34 majors, as well as partnerships, public service, outreach, sustainable practices, and economic development activities that address regional needs. SOU's outstanding programs draw on and enrich our unique arts community and bioregion.
SOU serves the whole of southern Oregon and the northernmost counties of California. The University is a major partner in the economic, cultural, and environmental developments of this vast area, offering students valuable opportunities to find their place within our unique bioregion with its diverse community. An OUS-designated Center of Excellence in the Fine and Performing Arts, SOU has also gained recognition for its outstanding education and research in science fields and technology.
SOU's culture of close faculty-student mentoring relationships is ideal for undergraduate instruction (21:1). Classes are taught by faculty, who are experts in their fields—93 percent hold terminal degrees—in a friendly, service-oriented environment.
Pursue Your Passions—Students engage in hands-on research and community projects that complement classroom, laboratory, and studio learning. SOU also offers numerous postbaccalaureate certificates and the Accelerated Baccalaureate Degree Program, which allows students to graduate with their four-year degree in three years.
SOU, committed to student success, offers the Ronald E. McNair Achievement program. The McNair program provides undergraduate students assistance in locating, applying for, and being accepted into doctoral programs. With state-of-the-art equipment and techniques, the SOU Biotechnology Center enhances undergraduate research in the emerging interdisciplinary fields of biotechnology.
The University's Schneider Museum of Art (SMA) hosts major art exhibitions and youth programs, and the Center for the Visual Arts (CVA) features artwork by faculty, students, and visiting artists. SOU is home to the Southern Oregon Singers, the Rogue Valley Symphony, and the Chamber Music Concert Series (CMC). Its Music Department also provides frequent concerts and recitals by exceptional faculty and students.
Become a Global Citizen—Named to the President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll in 2007, Southern Oregon University emphasizes worldwide citizenship through international student enrollment, exchange programs, and longstanding sister university alliances—the most notable alliance is the Universidad de Guanajuato, Mexico. SOU students are globally engaged with international internships in 45 different countries on six continents.
The University's rising national reputation is based on its faculty's notable research and creative talents, as well as its practical liberal learning. Southern is one of 24 institutions across the nation to be selected for membership in the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges (COPLAC).
SOU is environmental progressive as one of the first universities in the nation to offset 100 percent of its electric and natural gas use with clean, renewable power. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized SOU's commitment to sustainability by naming the University the 2007-2008 Individual Conference Green Power Challenge Champion.
Find Your Place—Southern Oregon University's main campus in Ashland is largely residential, where students live on campus or in Ashland's student-friendly neighborhoods. On-campus housing includes three complexes with residence halls and superb dining, as well as apartments for upper-class students, family housing in Old Mill Village with childcare service, and a facility for groups participating in SOU's educational enrichment offerings. SOU serves a growing number of students who commute from as far away as Grants Pass, Oregon, and Redding, California, as well as providing many educational programs and services at the Medford Campus. SOU has fruitful and growing partnerships with community colleges such as Rogue Community College (RCC) and the College of the Siskiyous, and with universities such as Oregon Health & Science University.
SOU and the community are focal points for rich cultural activities and organizations. Created in 1935 by SOU's Theatre Professor Angus Bowmer, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is now one of the top five regional theatres in the nation and one of the top three rotating repertory theaters with Shakespeare at their core worldwide. The festival draws more than 380,000 patrons annually.
Distinguished Alumni include:
Michael Geisen (Master's of Arts in Teaching, 2001) was named 2007 National Teacher of the Year.
Tyler Burrell (Bachelor's of Arts in Theater Arts, 1993) stars in the CBS comedy, "Back to You," as well as appearing in The Incredible Hulk (2008), National Treasure II: Book of Secrets (2007) Friends with Money (2006), In Good Company (2004), Black Hawk Down (2001).
José Luis Romero Hicks (Master's in Social Science, 1979) serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Guanajuato, the managing partner of the law firm RomeroHicks & Galindo, and a member of the Mexican Council on Foreign Affairs
Ashland Campus
Southern Oregon University occupies a 175-acre campus with fourteen academic buildings, thirteen residence halls, family housing, a student union, and multi-use facilities. All classrooms on campus are accessible to disabled students. Beautifully landscaped grounds and architecturally pleasing buildings provide a pleasant environment for academic endeavors, student club activities, and opportunities to think and study together with peers and faculty. Among the newer facilities are the Computing Services Center, the ACCESS Center for Student Services, the Schneider Museum of Art addition, and the Center for the Visual Arts.
SOU recently dedicated the Lenn and Dixie Hannon Library following a major renovation and expansion. The project nearly doubled the size of the existing library and yielded a new learning center with contemporary services and technologies, ample study spaces, seminar rooms, reading areas with fireplaces, and a coffee shop. The academic and student services are exceptional. Hannon Library won the 2004 Federal Depository Library of the Year award from the U.S. Government Printing Office.
Ashland and SOU are home to many unique facilities and services, such as the nation's only Fish and Wildlife Forensics Laboratory and the nationally recognized Jefferson Public Radio (JPR). Southern Oregon University hosts one of the largest Native American powwows and a popular Hawaiian luau, both of which are coordinated by student multicultural groups. SOU offers the only Native American studies certificate and minor programs in Oregon, in addition to providing a popular education camp for Native American youth in the summer. Among its extensive array of youth programs is the award-winning Academia Latina for middle school Hispanic and Latino children. SOU also has an established reputation for the size and scope of its extended programs for senior citizens.
Medford Campus
Established in 1984, the Medford Campus provides many of the courses and services available on the main campus in Ashland. The Medford Campus includes degree completion and graduate programs, classrooms, computer labs, registration, academic advising, a bookstore, and distance-learning capabilities.
The Medford Campus is part of the Higher Education Center (HEC), which represents a one-of-a-kind partnership in Oregon. The HEC strengthens the shared commitment SOU and Rogue Community College (RCC) have had for years. Their collective efforts better serve students at both institutions through more efficient class scheduling, increased communication, and centralized services.
The HEC also serves as the hub for professional development in the Rogue Valley. The business community benefits from seminars, customized training, a business communication institute, mentorship and internship programs, and networking opportunities.
Accreditation
Southern Oregon University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). The Department of Chemistry programs have earned the approval of the American Chemical Society. The programs of the School of Education are accredited by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission. The Department of Music is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Music.
The Region
In 2003, Outside Magazine ranked Southern Oregon University twentieth in the nation on their list of coolest places to study, live, and work. The region is a uniquely diverse geographic, geological, and ecological area. It is distinguished by the Rogue, Umpqua, and Klamath Rivers; Crater Lake National Park; many lakes; and the convergence of three mountain ranges: the Cascades, the Siskiyous, and the Coast Range. Such qualities give rise to the University's distinctions in environmental studies, as well as its tremendous recreational opportunities, ranging from golf, rafting, fishing, and sailing to hiking, skiing, biking, horseback riding, and camping.
Arts and culture, recreation, tourism, retail sales, natural resources, and burgeoning health care services are the driving forces of the region's economy. Technology industries are diversifying the economy as new companies move into the area, start-up firms emerge, and technology advances locally. There are three medical centers that offer world-class health care services.
The region hosts five fairs and thirteen festivals, in addition to nearly thirty art galleries and more than two dozen cultural and art museums. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland and Britt Music Festivals in Jacksonville are the most notable festivals. Theatre venues include Oregon Cabaret Theatre and Medford's Craterian Ginger Rogers Theater. Recreational facilities include 151 public and 110 commercial campgrounds, seventeen golf courses, three racetracks, two ski areas, two ice-skating rinks, and four horse stables. There are sixty-four registered guided tours in southern Oregon.
Ashland and SOU
Southern is located in Ashland at the base of the Siskiyou Mountains in the Rogue Valley. It is a five-hour drive or a one-hour flight from Portland to the north or from San Francisco to the south. With a population of 20,000, this charming town boasts eighty-five restaurants and ninety-three lodging facilities, sixty-six of which are bed and breakfasts. Its restaurants, delis, bakeries, banks, bookstores, ice-cream parlors, vintage movie theatre, specialty shops, and clothing stores are within easy walking distance of campus. The annual Ashland Independent Film Festival (AIFF) is a popular attraction. A bicycle path leads from SOU to downtown Ashland and beyond. The city offers an ideal setting for picnics and strolls in its beautiful Lithia Park with its duck ponds, paths, arboretum, and creek.
Ashland is surrounded by forests, mountains, lakes, and rivers that provide spectacular areas for outdoor sports and ecological studies. Benefiting from a mild four-season climate, Ashland's average rainfall is twenty inches, less than half that of Portland or Eugene. Although the valley floor is generally free of snow, winter recreational facilities are just a thirty-minute drive away at Mt. Ashland Ski and Snowboard Resort. Cross-country ski opportunities are available in the Siskiyou and Cascade Mountains. Just minutes away, Emigrant Lake offers waterslides, sailing, and a park. Lake of the Woods, located at the base of Mount McLaughlin, is less than an hour's drive from campus.
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