Associate Director, Alumni and Volunteer Experience

Department
ADV Regional Alumni Engagement
About the Department
The University of Chicago Advancement team cultivates lifelong connections with more than 220,000 alumni, current students, parents, and friends worldwide, building community through intellectual, professional, and other meaningful experiences on campus, around the world and online. Advancement empowers every division, school, department, and institute to thrive, generating support for esteemed faculty, pioneering researchers, visionary practitioners, and ambitious students.

During the Chicago Minds campaign, Advancement seeks to raise over $1 billion annually. This unprecedented philanthropic effort is designed to stretch the boundaries of what is possible, fueling bold discovery and amplifying the University’s global impact.

Our work is rooted in the belief that meaningful connection and lasting experiences inspire ambassadorship and enduring commitment. We champion a culture of innovation and excellence, inviting every member of our community to participate in a future defined by creativity, intellectual rigor, and shared purpose. Through collaborative partnerships, strategic stewardship, and investment in talent, Advancement is reimagining alumni and donor engagement while ensuring UChicago remains a catalyst of impact for generations to come.

The Alumni and Volunteer Experience team oversees a diverse set of programs and initiatives designed to increase participation and engagement among alumni, parents, and friends of the University, with a focus on driving key University priorities.
Job Summary
The Associate Director, Alumni and Volunteer Experience, is an integral part of a team focused on the University’s regional alumni engagement strategy. The position is responsible for programs and fundraisers designed to engage the alumni community worldwide, increase participation, and advance the objectives of UChicago Alumni, divisional alumni initiatives, and the broader University. This position uses best practices and knowledge within Alumni Relations and leads a program designed to engage the alumni community worldwide, increase participation, and advance the objectives of the Alumni Association and the broader University. Researches, executes, and implements best practices in alumni relationship management.

This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.

Responsibilities

- Develops and implements strategic plans for a portfolio of regional alumni communities, establishing measurable engagement goals and using participation and engagement data to evaluate outcomes and refine strategies.
- Serves as primary University liaison to a diverse portfolio of alumni communities.
- Manages a portfolio of engaged alumni, stewarding their volunteer experience and engagement with a focus on identifying opportunities to deepen engagement.
- Partners with departmental leadership to implement strategies to recruit, retain, train, support, and steward volunteer leadership across regions, with an emphasis on deepening volunteer and alumni engagement.
- Manages all aspects of engagement for assigned alumni communities, including programming, communications/marketing, and budget.
- Travels to assigned regions to build and strengthen engagement and participation.
- Collaborates with partners across the division and the University to align and maximize the impact of programs and services for alumni, students, parents, and friends. Identifies opportunities to strategically engage assigned alumni communities in support of signature UChicago Alumni engagement and fundraising initiatives.
- Builds a culture of philanthropy across assigned alumni communities, supporting divisional qualification, cultivation, and solicitation strategies and ensuring that volunteer boards meet philanthropic goals.
- Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance, including building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions and with an eye towards broadly diversifying the advancement profession.
- Is part of the strategy of the Alumni Association in order to provide peerless service to alumni worldwide and develop lifelong relationships in a manner consistent with sound business practices and overarching University and development goals.
- Assists in leading and coordinating the planning, organization, and management of events, programs, and services designed to cultivate and maintain ties between the University of Chicago and key constituent groups. May assist in or individually create a marketing plan to maximize participation and engagement of alumni, parents, and friends.
- Has a deep understanding of strategic planning, data management, the creation and tracking of metrics, and the creation and implementation of new constituent relations programs worldwide. Measures, tracks, and reports participation and success of initiatives.
- Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience:
Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 5-7 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

- Bachelor’s degree.

Experience:

- Minimum five years of professional work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni engagement, marketing, public relations, sales, or similar field.
- Managing relationships with volunteers, alumni, donors, or similar constituent groups, including strategies to deepen engagement.
- Developing and implementing constituent engagement strategies, programs, or initiatives.
- Using data and metrics to evaluate engagement and inform strategy.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

- Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of the University as well as the technology tools available to Advancement, including Phoenix, the University's Donor Relationship Management Salesforce System.
- Proficient in a Microsoft Windows computer environment, especially Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.

Preferred Competencies

- Act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
- Work collegially and collaboratively in a team setting.
- Prioritize multiple projects and independently follow through with detail.
- Self-motivated and take initiative.
- Outstanding interpersonal and communications skills characterized by the ability to listen, speak, and write effectively.
- Strong commitment to customer service.

Working Conditions

- This position has a hybrid work schedule which includes weekly in office presence.
- Standard office environment.
- Travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for University business.
- Work evenings and weekends as needed.
- This position is located in Hyde Park at 5235 South Harper Court.
- This position is not eligible for employer-sponsored employment authorization.

Application Documents

- Resume/CV (required)
- Cover Letter, addressed to Hiring Committee (required)

The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.

When applying, the document(s) MUST  be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family
Alumni Relations & Development
Role Impact
Individual Contributor
Scheduled Weekly Hours
37.5
Drug Test Required
No
Health Screen Required
No
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
No
Pay Rate Type
Salary
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FLSA Status
Exempt
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Pay Range
$76,500.00 - $90,000.00
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible
Yes
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook .

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.   A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.   Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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