Director of Alumni Relations

Who We Are:

National Louis is a 135+ year old university that has been grounded in the values of innovation, access, excellence, and equity from its inception. As an institution, we believe in providing access to educational opportunity and that education is our greatest lever for social and economic mobility. We are a student-focused community that is committed to continuous improvement and superior student service. We believe that through education we are able to empower change and build healthy communities. Our hard-working community is based on collaboration and respect for all team members and students.

What We Offer:

At National Louis University, we offer our employees an innovative environment to work together and inspire the ideas that will make an impact. As our external environment changes, our employees are provided the opportunities and tools needed to grow both personally and professionally to remain successful. NLU employees and dependents are offered a wide range of benefits, including but not limited to, Health Insurance benefits, Retirement benefits, Paid Time Off and Educational Benefits.

What You Will Do:

The Director of Alumni Relations develops, implements and leads a comprehensive alumni engagement and communications strategy that builds and strengthens relationships between the University and its broad alumni community. This position is responsible for the primary design and execution of the alumni relations program, providing value-added services to alumni that will increase their interest, engagement and involvement in NLU. The Director understands the relationship between volunteer engagement and financial gifts to the institution, and proactively collaborates with colleagues to ensure that a robust pipeline of alumni is appropriately cultivated for philanthropy through meaningful points of connection. The Director's overall goal will be to increase the number of engaged, committed NLU alumni; build leadership and volunteer opportunities for these alumni; and strengthen pathways for ambassadors, champions and supporters.

Manage the NLU Alumni Association Board and committees, and oversee the Advancement Associate, Alumni Engagement in staffing the Board and committees. Develop strong relationships with volunteer leaders that foster trust and collaboration. Work with Board Officers and Committee Chairs to set agendas, conduct meetings, and engage their fellow Board members. Work with the Advancement Associate to follow up on action steps and subsequent communications with the Board. Build and cultivate a pipeline of Board candidates and leaders. Ensure that Board members are fulfilling their responsibilities, and cycle out those who are not.
• Oversee and execute the production and dissemination of compelling and engaging alumni communications, including newsletters, alumni magazines, alumni profiles and other outreach pieces as necessary. Partner with colleagues to generate content through alumni interviews, and discussions with faculty and staff. Oversee the alumni website and portal, and work with colleagues to maintain, update and drive engagement towards these resources. Partner with the Advancement Associate, Alumni Engagement, on managing the general alumni email account, and responding to inquiries and outreach. Partner with Advancement colleagues to ensure accurate alumni data in Salesforce. Develop, monitor and leverage metrics in alumni communications to strengthen engagement.
• Plan and implement strategies, programs and events for alumni relations, including networking events, panel discussions, alumni-to-student mentoring, alumni awards, reunion events, etc. Make budgetary recommendations and subsequently manage budget(s). Ensure coordination and alignment with Institutional Advancement colleagues and other colleagues across the institution.
• Actively coordinate with Advancement colleagues, particularly frontline fundraisers, to ensure a robust pipeline of alumni volunteer-to-donor conversion. Recommend alumni leaders and volunteers who should be cultivated for potential financial gifts to the institution, and collaborate with colleagues to offer volunteer opportunities to alumni donors who would benefit from increased engagement.
• Convene and conduct regular meetings of the Alumni Roundtable, comprising representatives from each college, to ensure coordination with Alumni Relations and their specific college's alumni activities. Serve as the liaison to representatives from each NLU college as it pertains to their engagement with the college's alumni.
• Supervise, coach and mentor the Advancement Associate, Alumni Engagement.
• Other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred in Nonprofit Management, Higher Education, Communications, Marketing, or related field.
• 10+ years of relevant work experience, with a preference for higher education alumni relations, fundraising, volunteer management and/or association management.
• Excellent communications skills.
• Proficient in Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and CRMs (Salesforce preferred).
• Ability to work on multiple concurrent projects, and connect with a wide variety of constituents including staff, faculty, volunteers and alumni.
• Relationship Building/Networking: Builds rapport and develops alliances with a broad range of people. Adjusts communication style to meet the needs of individuals at various organizational levels and to meet the needs of clients. Forms alliances by demonstrating concern and respect for others, as well as by highlighting common interests and aspirations. Leave others feeling that he/she will be a trusted ally and is careful to act in ways that reinforce that trust over time.
• Organizational Awareness: Understands the internal climate of the organization, including the most productive channels of communication, and makes use of the appropriate communication channels to achieve goals and objectives. Has learned about both formal and informal communication channels and understands when to stick to the formal hierarchy of reporting relationships. Understands unwritten protocols and the political aspects of how communication takes place. Avoids errors in judgment when selecting strategies for accomplishing tasks.
• Quality of Work: Has established a track record of producing work that is highly accurate, demonstrates attention to detail and reflects well on the organization. Is personally committed to high quality work and encourages others to have similar standards.

NLU Inclusion Statement:

National Louis University is deeply committed to serving its community, advancing access and equity, and ensuring that all individuals are welcomed and valued. We are dedicated to fostering a culture where diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the core of who we are. These are more than just words to us: they are truly a way of life for the NLU community. We recognize that differences in abilities, age, ethnicity, gender (identity and expression), race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and background bring richness to our work environment. We affirm diverse perspectives, innovative contributions, and authentic presentations of self from every member within the NLU community. We believe inclusion is grounded in the actions we intentionally take each day. Our goal is to inspire and empower NLU employees and community members to cultivate an environment where we collectively focus on uplifting and advancing our institutional culture.