Overview
The Director of Engagement Communications creates, manages, and directs alumni and constituent
communications that promote a lifelong relationship with the College. This position leads strategy, implementation, and analysis for
engaging alumni and parents and families, cultivating and stewarding their relationships with the College with a goal of ultimately
increasing philanthropic support .
A central part of this work is crafting fundraising solicitations, stewardship messages, and
impact reporting in close collaboration with the AVP of Engagement. The director will also set and facilitate regular strategy and content
development meetings with colleagues across engagement and advancement, serving as a strategic partner across teams and creating a
holistic communications experience for our constituents.
Working within a shared production model, the director partners with
content-providing offices across Advancement, allowing the director to focus on strategy, writing, and quality, while staying current on
digital communications best practices and driving continuous innovation in the field.
About the Department
When students
choose Macalester, they join a lifelong community of support. The Macalester Engagement department—made up of the alumni engagement, annual
giving, parent and family, and special events teams—fosters meaningful relationships with students, alumni, and parents through increasing
levels of engagement with the college over a lifetime.
Our work is about growing the number of constituents who connect with
Macalester: inspiring active engagement through campus- and volunteer-driven events, fostering community, connecting audiences to volunteer
opportunities, and building philanthropic journeys.
Responsibilities & Qualifications
Lead
Strategic Vision:
- Design and execute a strategic communications plan that strengthens constituent engagement
while balancing needs of the Engagement team and wider College - Collaborate with the Macalester Fund and Alumni Engagement teams to
achieve shared goals for alumni engagement, philanthropic education, solicitation, retention, and advancement - Work closely with the
Marketing and Communications team to create unified messaging for alumni outreach that aligns with College-wide communications,
incorporating industry best practices and innovative communications techniques - As a leader on the Engagement Team, participate in
setting office-wide strategies to further the division’s equity-grounded principles and the college’s strategic priorities
Communication Strategy, Solicitation Writing, and Execution
- Partner with the Macalester Fund
director and Parent & Family Engagement director to develop strategy and write persuasive fundraising solicitations, stewardship
communications, and impact reporting for multi-channel, multi-segmented campaigns, with a goal of increasing donor support for the College’s
operating budget - Collaborate with the Engagement Directors to design targeted approaches to engage distinct constituent segments
including students, recent graduates, young alumni, mid-career alumni, identity & affinity groups, parents & families, and regionally based
groups - Guide the Engagement team’s shared email production model: set standards, timelines, and quality controls for broadcast
email, including strategic calendaring; create, maintain, and upgrade systems to communicate at scale on behalf of campus partners as
appropriate; represent Engagement for large-scale event communication strategy; and build and send high-priority emails as needed using a
responsive email framework (HTML/MJML) and the Slate Deliver platform - Demonstrate interest in digital best practices and tools to
support effective email communications campaigns
Project Management:
- Develop and
manage an annual integrated communications strategy that tracks Engagement and wider College communications to ensure a steady cadence of
information, calls for engagement, solicitation, and stewardship - Use project management software to keep the Engagement team
updated and timely on all constituent communications - Direct the creation, curation, and distribution of content, partnering with
Marketing and - Communications as well as vendors and consultants as needed
Data and
Analytics:
- Track and analyze the performance of alumni and family communications to understand what’s working and
where to improve - Translate data into action — refine segmentation, channel mix, timing, and messaging based on results, and test
new approaches to strengthen engagement and giving - Bring data-informed recommendations to the Engagement team’s strategic planning,
shaping communications priorities and investments for future cycles
Other Responsibilities:
- Completes other responsibilities as assigned. Participates as an active member of the team. Participates in department and college
activities and supports implementation of shared goals and initiatives. - Provides backup support to other members of the team.
Qualifications:
- Minimum 3-5 years of fundraising, development, annual giving, or
nonprofit communications experience with a demonstrated record of writing effective solicitations for segmented audiences.
Compensation:
$68,330.00-$71,436.00 Annually
Union:
MAPE
Benefits
At Macalester, we are proud to offer excellent comprehensive employee benefits. Here are some
highlights:
- 10% employer contributions to the retirement plan.
- Outstanding vacation and sick time packages, plus an
additional 10 holidays. - Competitive health, dental, vision, and life & disability insurance
- Generous employer
contribution to Health Savings Account. - Tuition assistance which pays between 75% - 90% of eligible tuition for employee
dependents at select institutions. - Free primary care for most services through Nice Healthcare when enrolled in a Macalester
health plan. - Access to the athletics fitness facility, wellness coaching, and activities.
These are just some of the
great benefits Macalester has to offer! To see our full benefits packages and options, please visit our Benefits Page
Bargaining units may have slightly different benefits negotiated in their contracts. Please see applicable contracts for more
details.
Satisfactory completion of a criminal background check is a condition of employment.
Application
Guidelines
For best consideration, please submit your cover letter and resume through the Macalester Employment Opportunities
webpage by August 18th. No applications will be received after this date.