Title: Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement

Employee Classification: AP - Administrative Professional

Pay Grade: AP 03

Division: Advancement

Subdivision: VP Advancement

Department: EMU Foundation and Advancement

Campus Location: Main Campus

General Summary

The Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement plays a crucial role in fostering the connection between Eastern Michigan University and its global alumni network. This position focuses on advancing alumni involvement through oversight of alumni clubs, managing alumni benefits, coordinating key engagement events, and serving as a liaison to priority academic units. The Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement will work closely with university partners and alumni volunteers to ensure strategic, inclusive, and impactful engagement efforts.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Alumni Clubs

• Audit all existing alumni clubs, affiliated groups, resources, and governing documents.
• Develop a comprehensive strategic succession plan to support the sustainability and growth of all alumni clubs.
• Plan and execute an annual Alumni Club Leadership Summit to foster collaboration, provide training, and recognize volunteer leadership.
• Create and implement a year-round communication and engagement plan to support alumni club leaders and maintain consistent university contact.

Events and Alumni Programming

• Collaborate with the Director of Alumni Engagement to oversee and implement diverse, mission-driven alumni programming aligned with institutional priorities.
• Lead signature and regional event planning in coordination with club leadership and internal partners.
• Ensure programming reflects EMU?s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion while promoting lifelong engagement.

Alumni Benefits

• Oversee the alumni benefits program, ensuring value-driven offerings that meet the evolving needs of EMU graduates.
• Develop and implement a strategic plan to grow and promote alumni benefits, including partnerships, discounts, and services.
• In partnership with the Director of Advancement Communications, lead communication strategy to increase awareness, engagement, and utilization of benefits among alumni.

Liaison Responsibilities

• Serve as the alumni engagement team liaison to assigned campus partners.
• Partner with academic leadership and advancement colleagues to align alumni engagement opportunities with college-specific initiatives and goals.
• Support college-based programming, communications, and volunteer management to enhance alumni affinity and philanthropic support.

Minimum Qualifications:

EMU seeks a focused philanthropy professional with proven experience cultivating relationships with alumni, donors and colleagues.

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 3-5 years of experience.

Prior experience within higher education is desirable.

The selected candidate will be collaborative with a can-do attitude.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate a passion for alumni engagement, an appreciation for higher education, and a strong commitment to the mission and values of Eastern Michigan University.

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor?s degree in business administration, public relations, communications, marketing or a related field.

Minimum of 3-5 years of professional experience in constituent engagement, higher education or nonprofit advancement work, or related areas.

Ability to manage a work schedule that includes occasional evenings, early mornings, and weekends.

Ability to manage multi-phase projects from inception to completion, to build consensus, to balance multiple concurrent priorities, and to work independently and as part of a team.

Personal competencies

• Excellent relationship and trust-building skills.
• Highly credible with personal integrity.
• Proactive and highly responsive.
• Solution-oriented/Identifies new opportunities.
• Results and goal-oriented.
• Excellent communication skills.
• Confidence to take action and "run with things"

Additional Information:

Eastern Michigan University Foundation offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package including health, dental and life insurance; a retirement plan with a 4% employer contribution; an outstanding vacation and time off policy; a tuition waiver program and much more. This role requires limited local travel for advancement events and meetings. This position is hybrid with an office based in Ypsilanti, Michigan. This position reports directly to the Director of Alumni Engagement.

Salary:
The salary range for this position is $55,000-$60,000 annually.

Appointment Percentage:

100%

About Eastern Michigan University

Since its inception, Eastern Michigan, first as a Normal School, then as a College and finally as a University, has grown and developed to respond to the ever-changing needs of society. Over the years, EMU has educated thousands of sons and daughters of Michigan, the nation, and the world. The University currently serves 23,000 students who are pursuing undergraduate, graduate, specialist, doctoral and certificate degrees in the arts, sciences and professions. In all, more than 200 majors, minors and concentrations are delivered through the University's Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Business; Education; Health and Human Services; Technology, and its graduate school. Eastern Michigan's exceptional faculty, students and alumni include CEOs from major businesses; a National Student Teacher of the Year, National Teacher of the Year, numerous Fulbright Scholars and Milken Family Foundation National Educators award winners; and several Michigan Teachers of the Year.

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