Director of Alumni Relations

About Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray is a preeminent, global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top-three on The American Lawyer's prestigious "A-List" for seven years and is ranked #1 on Law.

com International's "A-List" in the U.K. - rankings that honor the "Best of the Best" firms.

The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.

The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring.

Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.

Overview

The Director of Alumni Relations is a highly visible, partner and client-facing position, responsible for leading and executing on the vision and strategy of Ropes & Gray's world class global alumni relations program.

In close collaboration with the Business Development team, and with the partner steering committee, the Director works with partners across geographies and practice groups on strategic initiatives aimed at developing business generation opportunities by maintaining, enhancing, and deepening connections with the alumni network.

The Director will work across support teams, including Practice Development, Human Resources and Events.

Responsibilities

• Development and execution of an integrated marketing and business / client development plan that grows R&G's share of wallet, increases the firm's visibility, and aligns to top-line goals and firm strategy.
• Collaborate with alumni steering committee, partners, and business development teams to drive specificity around priority contacts, internal relationships to maintain and foster, geographies, and R&G's value proposition to alumni and external points of contact.

Drive ongoing conversations with the alumni steering committee, partners and business development teams regarding status and outcomes of the plan to optimize impact.

• Recommend appropriate marketing business / client development tactics to best fit the stated objectives - function as thought partner to build the firm's reputation and revenue.
• Actively participate in knowledge marketing planning sessions, ask relevant details related to goals and preferences, and recommend cross-channel thought leadership / content marketing plans that leverage and / or complement practice, industry, client, and other firmwide activities.
• Maintain holistic and up-to-date marketing and business development plan. Ensure all firm alumni activities align to top-line goals and messaging.
• Quarterback campaigns to customize marketing tactics to stated business goal.
• Oversee execution of all alumni-related marketing and business development tactics (e.g., proposals, RFPs, sponsorships, hosted events, speaking opportunities, publications, emails, web pages, videos, social posts, awards, PR, etc.).
• Identify marketing and business / client development best practices and drive adoption within alumni program.
• Monitor competitors in market, share insights about their commercial efforts and apply learnings in real-time in line with emerging best practices.
• In collaboration with marketing and business development, maintain detailed budget and drive efficiency.
• Connect themes and target audiences - coordinate campaigns across practice areas and other constituents by liaising with business development counterparts and collaborating to increase impact.
• Grow the firm's reputation across Alumni community in line with established brand pillars through improved brand definition and rigorous messaging repetition.
• Improve consistency and sophistication of branded materials.
• Grow brand in accordance with strategic plans, prioritizing largest growth areas.
• Working across the firm, develop processes to promote and leverage important qualifications.
• Promote firm wins, novel strategies, and expertise broadly and systematically.
• Repeat and reinforce key messaging across all channels.
• Review all deliverables for consistent and compelling messaging, look, tone, and voice.
• Fully utilize systems to engage, grow, track interactions with and measure impact from dynamic and growing alumni community.
• Create and disseminate monthly updates for partners and business support teams reporting on alumni job moves and promotions.

Partner with financial analysis team on annual metrics reporting to track alumni business generation YOY. Maintain and share details of successful new business and job placements.

Develop metrics to measure ROI and constantly identify opportunities for enhancements. Provide data analytics on alumni engagement and the performance of alumni engagement initiatives.

• Curate individual outreach to client relationship leads and partner contacts to escalate news of new alumni moves and associate departures, ascertain sources of new business.
• Provide career support to R&G alumni, friends of the firm, and clients looking to fill key roles by engaging partner support and working 1 : 1 with alumni and clients.

Develop personal connections with alumni through 1 : 1 and small group meetings. Oversee and maintain internal and external job boards.

Create compelling content to highlight the firm's alumni program, conduct interviews and publish quarterly newsletters for monthly communications with alumni.

Oversee and maintain the firm's alumni website and ensure timely and relevant information is easily accessible and shared.

• Develop and implement efficient processes for regularly updating all external materials.
• Serve as a connector when lawyers leave the firm through departure process. Establish alumni team as a resource by and identifying opportunities to maintain contact with exiting attorneys.

ESSENTIAL CAPABILITIES :

• The successful candidate will have executive-level presence and poise.
• Commercially minded and strategic thinker who offers a vision, identifies goals, and puts into place the best plan to achieve them.
• Execute crisply - meet or exceed industry benchmarks for every execution.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills; able to effectively influence and motivate.
• Ability to build effective relationships with multiple constituents, internal and external, through collaborative, initiative-taking and best in class customer service.
• Subject matter expert in the field; go-to resource, trusted advisor and thought partner to internal clients.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated history of leading initiatives and large-scale programs.

• Bachelor's degree required.
• MBA or JD preferred.
• Senior professional with a minimum of 15 years of experience in an alumni, business, or client development function.
• Demonstrable experience hiring and developing a team; people management experience required.
• Experience within the legal industry strongly preferred.

Compensation and Total Rewards Package

Ropes & Gray is proud to offer a comprehensive Total Rewards package to our business support team members. The firm also offers comprehensive health and well-being benefits, personal and professional development, career growth opportunities and a collegial and supportive culture.

The anticipated pay range for this role is $182,500 - $285,000 in MA, which represents our good faith and reasonable estimate of the starting salary range at the time of posting.

In addition, this role is eligible for a discretionary bonus based on performance. The actual offered rate for this position will be determined based on job-related, non-discriminatory factors, including qualifications and experience, geographic location, education, external market data and consideration of internal equity.

Working Conditions

This position requires hybrid on-site presence as an essential function of the role. Consistent and predictable on-site presence is required for ongoing business continuity, professional development and effective collaboration with colleagues and management.