Associate Director, Alumni Relations

Department
 

Harris School Alumni Relations and Development

About the Department
 

Why policy? For a better world. Why Harris Public Policy? Because when it comes to better policymaking, evidence matters. We work at the frontiers of data collection and analysis, using the latest technology and social science methods to design policies that work for society. We conduct rigorous inquiry in an environment of innovation and risk taking. We collaborate across the private, public, and nonprofit sectors, adopting new methodologies to drive better solutions. We engage with our city, our world, and our leaders every day to evaluate and test our ideas. And we lead with our passion for driving social change, knowing that passion alone does not equal impact. This is Harris Public Policy: Social impact, down to a science.

Job Summary
 

Reporting to the Director of Alumni Relations, the Associate Director of Alumni Relations will be responsible for cultivating, maintaining and strengthening alumni engagement to the Harris School of Public Policy and the University of Chicago. The Associate Director will work closely with members of the Alumni Relations and Development team and the Harris Alumni Council to create and implement strategies and tactics that engage Harris alumni as well as students in meaningful and innovative ways.

Responsibilities

• Implement Strategies for Strengthening Alumni Engagement

• Utilize subject matter expertise to develop innovative content, programs and new initiatives to increase the number and quality of alumni interactions with Harris and the University of Chicago.

• Work closely with Harris Alumni Council committees to understand alumni needs and interests and to identify effective points of engagement to execute.

• Identify, cultivate and train volunteers and alumni leaders to help with committees and engagement with students and alumni in meaningful ways.

• Collaborate with colleagues across all teams at Harris: Academic and Student Affairs, Student Recruitment, and Career Development Office.

• Act as primary driver of Harris’ digital engagement platform to deliver content and opportunities for engagement to drive peer to peer connections and student to alumni mentorship opportunities.

• Support alumni recognition initiatives to cultivate stronger relationships with alumni leaders and volunteers.

• Oversee the Harris Alumni Awards program.

• Identify opportunities to feature and recognize alumni volunteers through events, marketing and communications, and other symbolic gestures.

• Assist with the planning and execution of department-wide alumni events, such as Harris Reunion Weekend. Oversee project timelines and develop appropriate infrastructures, systems, and materials.

• Staff events, including evenings and weekends as necessary.

• Advance relationships that result in alumni engagement and philanthropic contributions by conducting assigned number of individual alumni visits.

• Oversee Execution of Communications and Events Strategy

• Oversee the development and deployment of Harris’ monthly and quarterly alumni newsletters as well as events communications plans to ensure sufficient coverage to drive attendance and retention.

• Manage and oversee communications content for the full ARD team at Harris, including managing a calendar of email deployment and strategically using alumni, student, and faculty news and features to engage the alumni community.

• Partner with the Marketing and Communications teams in developing news, features, interviews, and other interesting content for social media, the Harris Alumni Newsletter, the website, and other media outlets and points of outreach to alumni.

• Build and sustain relationships with University colleagues, particularly those in Alumni Relations roles, in order to share best practices and maintain current information about University alumni communications and events.

• Build a strong understanding of the Harris lifecycle to develop, plan, and implement programs that connect students and alumni

• Develop and execute a multi-year strategic plan for engaging recent graduates within the Harris alumni community and educating them on the Harris culture of philanthropy, culminating in their participation in their 1st year reunion.

• Acts as the principal contact to Harris Student Government and Organizations (HSO), the Career Development Office, and Student Affairs Team.

• Assists in leading and coordinating the planning, organization, and management of events, programs, and services designed to cultivate and maintain ties between the Unive