Assistant / Associate Director of Engagement

Job Description Department : Engagement - Advancement Pay Rate Type : Salary Employee Type : Job Summary : Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Alumni and Donor Engagement, the assistant / associate director of engagement is an essential member of the Alumni and Donor Engagement team in College Advancement. The primary focus of the Engagement team is to increase alumni engagement with Colby through investments of time, talent, and ultimately, philanthropic support for the College.

As part of an overall portfolio of work focused on engagement efforts with our Colby community, the assistant / associate director will develop a comprehensive understanding of the many ways in which alumni, families, and friends rely upon and can contribute to the College and use that knowledge to build upon an already successful suite of engagement strategies and tactics (encompassing events, communications, volunteer management, and participation in annual giving). Specific focus areas for the position will be determined once the candidate is selected and the business needs are fully evaluated, but could include : developing affinity cohorts and programming; increasing Colby’s digital / virtual engagement offerings; liaising with centers, institutes, and labs on campus; developing affinity programs; and working with staff to continue growing Colby’s newly relaunched regional clubs program.

Essential Functions

To perform successfully in this position, an individual must be able to perform essential duties satisfactorily as well as possess education / experience, employ the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed in representative fashion. Colby College actively supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and will consider reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. This listing of essential duties is not all-inclusive, but representative; other duties may be assigned.

Contribute to an overarching engagement strategy and subsequently execute events, communications, volunteer management, and other projects in support of that strategy and engagement goals.

Recruit and manage volunteers, establish volunteer structures, promote awareness and attendance through peer and other outreach efforts, and create clear pathways for alumni to participate in volunteer and leadership activities.

Support the Colby Alumni Council and its subcommittees by attending meetings, partnering with Council members on projects, taking minutes, and other related activities.

Help develop new and engaging experiences based on alumni interests and their affinity to the College, as well as fundraising priorities.

Coordinate and attend alumni, family, and friends event programming (virtual and in-person, on-campus and off-campus), including Homecoming, regional events, and Reunion. May include event planning, RSVP management, and event marketing materials; will always include collaboration with the Advancement Events and Marketing / Communications teams.

Develop, often in partnership with the Advancement Marketing and Communications team, cohort-based communications, updates to content on the Advancement website, etc.

Routinely gather and analyze data to assess program and communications effectiveness at increasing engagement and, ultimately, support of the Colby Fund.

Manage an assigned portfolio of engagement prospects through ongoing communication, as well as in-person and virtual meetings, with an expectation that those prospects, when appropriate, also get solicited for the Colby Fund each year.

Assist with participation-level giving campaigns to drive support for the Colby Fund through management of the assigned portfolio and outreach to unassigned prospects.

Serve as a visible and accessible representative of alumni engagement on campus and as a point of contact for alumni inquiries when needed.

Develop supportive partnerships with staff and faculty across campus as needed, including the Campus Events, Facilities, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid, DavisConnects Career Center, Department of Athletics, and Office of Campus Life; enhance opportunities for alumni to advance the goals and aspirations of these departments and the students they serve.

Maintain highly professional standards and procedures for engagement programming in keeping with the image and reputation of the College.

Position Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications :

Valid Driver’s license required, and must meet the College’s Fleet Safety Policy Requirements.

Must be available and willing to travel for work, and to work hours outside the typical work day (i.e., nights and weekends)

Strong, self-motivated work ethic; flexibility; and proven capability to work both independently and collaboratively; has a results-driven philosophy with the ability to problem-solve.

Customer-service oriented mindset

Candidates must thrive in a fast-paced office environment; candidates must have an entrepreneurial spirit and a positive attitude.

Education and / or experience :

Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent in education and experience

Experience :

Associate Director : A minimum of 3-5 years of volunteer and / or program management experience, preferably with experience in digital community management.

Assistant Director : A minimum of 1-3 years of volunteer and / or program management experience, preferably with experience in digital community management.

Well-developed Computer skills with preferred experience in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, and database applications, as well as an interest and ability to learn new computer programs.

Preferred Qualifications or Skills :

Experience with event planning is preferred.

Experience with project management is preferred; official project management certification not required

Proficiency with fundraising / constituent relations databases and technology is preferred; experience with a customer relationship management (CRM) system and email marketing software is a plus.

Physical / Mental Demands

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this position and / or may be encountered while performing essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

To successfully perform the essential functions of this position, an employee must be able to maintain appropriate confidentiality with regard to employee data, documents, issues, etc., and respect privacy needs of employees and past employees with regard to the same.

The ability to comply with highly inflexible deadlines is required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position; there will be multiple occurrences of sudden, urgent task completion required.

There may be occurrences of employees, past employees, members of the general public, and others who express opinions, may exhibit strong emotions, which will require the employee to interact professionally, diplomatically, and appropriately in such situations.

While performing the essential duties of this position, an employee would frequently be required to move around the office space as well as within hallways, meeting rooms, and other parts of the campus facilities.

There may be multiple / daily instances of prolonged personal computer use which would include keyboard and / or mouse usage as well as viewing a computer monitor.

An employee must frequently lift and / or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and / or move up to 35 pounds to perform essential position functions.

Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.

The overall work environment requires the mental ability to shift focus quickly due to interruptions; an employee must be able to mentally track multiple projects and tasks as well.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; however, there may be unexpected instances of somewhat loud sounds.

To Apply :

Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the “Apply Now” button on the Colby College website. Please upload a cover letter and resume to your application.