Alumni Engagement Manager
Bank Street College of Education

Job Info

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JOB DESCRIPTION

Position: Alumni Engagement Manager

Division: Development and Alumni Relations Office (DARO)

Salary Range: $75,000 to $80,000 annually

Summary: Bank Street College of Education's approach to teaching and learning is widely recognized as the gold standard in progressive education. This progressive approach proudly provides students, educators, and communities with a foundation for transforming our world in large and small ways. Social justice, advocacy, and building an inclusive community are at the core of our work. Every day, we challenge ourselves and our students to grow from the opportunities and hurdles inherent in people working and learning together. In the words of Bank Street founder Lucy Sprague Mitchell, "we see in education the opportunity to build a better society."

Bank Street has three divisions: the Children's Programs, including the School for Children, the Family Center and Liberty LEADS; the Graduate School of Education; and the Bank Street Education Center, which house's Head Start and Bank Street's portfolio of public impact work. The College relies on DARO to provide fundraising and alumni support to these divisions.

Position Description: The Alumni Engagement Manager, a member of the Alumni Relations team, plays an important role in successfully executing the strategic priorities for alumni engagement. This position will work closely with and directly report to the Director of Alumni Relations. The primary responsibility will be to manage regional and affinity-based alumni networks through the execution of alumni communications and marketing plans, alumni programs and events as appropriate, and partners with college representatives for alumni efforts. This role works with faculty and staff in the implementation and development of alumni programs, and partners with other departments to engage alumni for prospect identification, discovery and to maximize constituent participation in Bank Street fundraising efforts.

Note: Affinity programming is focused on cohorts of alumni with shared interest or experience.

As part of DARO, the position will support the team's effort to raise philanthropic support for Bank Street College, specifically through a Class Reunion Giving Program. The position will also work closely with the Development teams to upgrade annual donors and diversify the donor base. The position will also play a leading role in managing the School for Children Alumni Class Delegate and Reunion programs and related initiatives. The ideal candidate is comfortable working with both internal and external stakeholders including key administrators and prospect and current alumni donors. The ideal candidate is proactive, anticipates future needs of the team, and demonstrates responsiveness, independent thinking, and solid judgment in a demanding and fast-paced environment.

This is a full-time, 12-month hybrid position that will work in a collaborative environment. During the probationary period (90 days), this position will be required to work on-site for a minimum of three days per week with the potential to work no more than three days from home once successfully able to perform responsibilities.

Job Duties and Responsibilities:

Communications & Marketing :

• Create and manage content for the digital GSE Monthly Alumni Newsletter
• Create and manage content for the digital SFC Quarterly Alumni Newsletter
• Manages Alumni Testimonials including creating content and interviewing alumni for stories on the website and newsletter.
• Ensure consistent, relevant, and timely communications for affinity and regional programming.
• Utilize various communication channels to promote events, initiatives, and opportunities to alumni, ensuring maximum participation.
• Interact with internal and external constituencies, including obtaining and coordinating needed information and proofreading

Data Management

• Maintain accurate records and databases of alumni engagement, tracking progress and evaluating the success of programs and outreach efforts.
• When appropriate, disseminate engagement surveys.
• Assist DARO's operations team to ensure accurate and complete constituent records of alumni, including contact and biographical information found via correspondence, website, LinkedIn, event attendance, etc...
• Create and run database reports
• Generate queries and reports to be used to analyze program effectiveness.

Event Management:

• Plan, implement and promote alumni events (in-person and virtual), including but not limited to Sunset Chat, Across the Bridges, Cocktails & Connections and Social Justice Committee events
• Organization of such events, including the creation of event timelines and invitations, tracking progress and completion of tasks, coordinating and ordering supplies, maintaining guest lists and registrations, creating and managing event pages on the website and in Raiser's Edge, preparing collateral, and following up with participants and potential participants.
• Input and manage event data in Raiser's Edge and Excel
• Review events calendar and develop dates for special events
• Strategize with DARO teams in efforts to streamline event management
• Track expenses and manage vendor relationships
• Assist with Alumni Weekend with primary responsibility for Class Reunion programs at Alumni Weekend.
• Attend and provide support for alumni events and meetings

Volunteer Management:

• Recruit, train, manage and steward regional and affinity-based volunteers and committees while strategically developing programs and communications to engage, connect and inform.
• Responsible for nurturing and maintaining key relationships with leadership of alumni affinity and regional groups.
• Guides senior volunteer leaders in building strong leadership teams, to ensure a volunteer pipeline for sustained success.
• Advises and consults with volunteer leaders on a range of topics including annual programming, volunteer recruitment and retention, best practices, college policies, and event planning and communications strategies in collaboration with divisional and college partners.
• Convenes affinity and regional group leaders regularly to provide training opportunities, share annual priorities, key initiatives and events, recent learnings, and opportunities for collaboration.
• Manage Class Delegate program for School for Children alumni to build more pathways for alumni connections and manage volunteer leadership (class delegates) to result in increased alumni engagement, reunion attendance and alumni giving participation.
• Responsible for the coordination and engagement of Class Reunions (10-year reunion to 45-year reunion).
• Develop programming that encourages broader alumni engagement, new affinity groups, increased giving and strong reunion attendance.

Strategy, Implementation and Assessment:

• Devises strategies and develops opportunities to build and maintain relationships with alumni, to strengthen alumni engagement, and to deepen their affinity to Bank Street and its programs through the management of affinity and regional alumni networks.
• Inform strategic direction focused on engagement, proactive "customer" service, communication and responsiveness to the needs of Bank Street's alumni community.
• Tracks affinity and regional programming metrics, using consistent data to inform long-term planning.
• Assesses the effectiveness of existing alumni affinity and regional programs to determine better pathways for successful engagement.
• Partners with colleagues to identify and foster alumni engagement synergies across DARO and with College partners (i.e. Graduate School, School for Children, Education Center, etc.)
• Advise alumni interested in forming a shared interest group or regional network.
• Supports planning and execution of events, regionally and locally. Partners with DARO and Bank Street colleagues on budget, marketing, content and implementation.

General:

• With the Director of Alumni Relations, manage the day-to-day budget for affinity and regional programming.
• Regularly assess affinity and regional networks, report key findings to the team. Research and implement industry best practices to achieve success.
• Assist with and attend "all-hands" Alumni Engagement events, Alumni Weekend, Bank Street Celebration, Class Reunions, BSCAA meetings, special on-campus events/conferences, and volunteer leadership gatherings.
• Some evening hours and potential weekend work is required
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or higher; 3-5 years working experience, preferably in communications,events, fundraising, marketing, alumni affairs, and/or in an education or higher education environment, or equivalent experience
• Exceptional problem-solving skills with the ability to be creative, innovative, flexible and decisive
• Excellent project and event management skills, including keen attention to detail and ability to handle multiple deadlines, projects, changes in priorities and schedules.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills
• Demonstrated experience writing and editing; excellent copy editing skills a plus
• Experience in recruiting, organizing and managing volunteers
• Ability to articulate values, information, and compelling cases to multiple audiences, one-on-one and through formal presentations
• Strong ability to work with and analyze data to inform strategies
• Demonstrated proficiency in relevant software applications including Google apps, Microsoft Office, various email and fundraising platforms, and databases such as Raiser's Edge.
• Excellent interpersonal skills: ability to work well in a team setting and also with volunteer committee members; enjoys social interaction
• Experience in data collection and analysis
• Work frequent late evenings and occasional weekends as needed

* Qualified applicants will be requested to submit writing samples following an initial review of credentials.

ABOUT US

Bank Street is a leader in education, a pioneer in improving the quality of classroom practice, and a national advocate for children and their families.

Since its beginnings in 1916, Bank Street has been at the forefront of understanding how children learn and grow. From early childhood centers and schools to hospitals and museums, Bank Street has built a national reputation on the simple fact that our graduates know how to do the work that is right for children.

At Bank Street's Graduate School of Education, students are trained in a model that combines the study of human development, learning theory, and sustained clinical placement to promote significant development as a teacher prior to graduation. Our children's programs-Bank Street School for Children, Family Center, Bank Street Head Start, and Liberty LEADS-foster children's development in the broadest sense by providing diverse opportunities for social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. The Bank Street Education Center disrupts inequity through system-level change to help design better educational experiences for both children and adults. The College further supports and influences positive outcomes for children every day through professional development programs, research projects, and other key efforts engaging educators, intermediary organizations, and government officials at the district, state, and federal levels.

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