Senior Associate Director of Alumni Relations & Strategic Engagement in Norton, Massachusetts at Wheaton College

The Senior Associate Director of Alumni Engagement serves as a key member of the Alumni Relations & Strategic Engagement team and is responsible for developing and executing meaningful alumni experiences that strengthen alumni connections to Wheaton and to one another.

The Senior Associate Director provides leadership for Wheaton’s signature alumni programs and volunteer engagement efforts, with a focus on creating high-quality experiences, cultivating relationships, and developing pathways that move alumni toward deeper and more sustained involvement with the College. This role leads major on-campus alumni experiences, including Reunion and Homecoming, while building and strengthening volunteer structures that extend Wheaton’s reach and foster ongoing alumni involvement.

Working collaboratively across Advancement and with campus partners, the Senior Associate Director ensures that alumni programs and volunteer opportunities support the College’s broader engagement, relationship-building, and philanthropic goals.

Signature Alumni Engagement

● Lead the strategy, planning, development, and execution of Wheaton’s major on-campus alumni experiences, including Reunion, Homecoming, and other high-profile alumni programs and gatherings.

● Develop programs that create meaningful alumni experiences while supporting broader engagement and relationship-building goals.

● Manage all aspects of signature alumni programs, including program development, logistics, volunteer involvement, communications coordination, and evaluation.

● Partner with colleagues across Advancement and the College to integrate institutional priorities, giving opportunities, faculty and student participation, and other strategic engagement opportunities into alumni programming.

● Use participation, engagement, feedback, and other relevant data to evaluate program effectiveness and identify opportunities for continued alumni involvement.

● Identify opportunities to engage alumni beyond individual events and strengthen their ongoing connection to Wheaton.

Volunteer & Relationship Engagement
● Develop and strengthen alumni volunteer structures that extend Wheaton’s reach and create opportunities for sustained alumni involvement.
● Recruit, onboard, support, steward, and retain alumni volunteers, including reunion committees, class officers and ambassadors, event volunteers, alumni connectors, and other emerging volunteer roles.
● Build intentional pathways that encourage alumni to move from participation to repeat participation, volunteer leadership, and deeper engagement with the College.
● Cultivate relationships with alumni volunteers and engaged alumni, identifying interests and opportunities for continued involvement.
● Partner with Individual Giving, Major Gifts, and other Advancement colleagues to connect alumni engagement and volunteer activity with broader relationship-building and philanthropic opportunities.
● Develop resources, communications, and engagement opportunities that equip alumni volunteers to serve as effective ambassadors for Wheaton.
● Track volunteer participation and engagement to evaluate effectiveness and identify opportunities for increased involvement.

Expanding Engagement Pathways

● Identify opportunities to connect alumni around shared interests and experiences when they support broader engagement goals, including professional and industry interests, athletics, academics, clubs, and other affinities.

● Develop select opportunities to connect current students with alumni and the Alumni Association, helping students become familiar with the alumni community and understand the value of staying connected to Wheaton beyond graduation.

● Collaborate with the Life and Career Design Institute and other campus partners where natural opportunities exist to bring students and alumni together.

● Explore emerging engagement opportunities based on alumni interests, institutional priorities, participation trends, and feedback.

● Ensure affinity and student engagement initiatives are strategic and opportunity-driven and complement the broader alumni engagement program.

Other Duties

● Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned in support of Alumni Relations & Strategic Engagement and the goals of the Advancement division.

Minimum Qualifications:

Degree: Bachelor’s degree required.

Experience: Five to seven years of progressively responsible experience in alumni relations, advancement, higher education, volunteer engagement, constituent engagement, event/program management, or a related field. Demonstrated experience leading complex programs, cultivating relationships with volunteers or constituents, and collaborating across departments or functional areas.

An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

Skills:

● Strong relationship-building and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with alumni, volunteers, colleagues, campus partners, and other constituents.

● Demonstrated ability to develop and execute complex programs and events from strategy through implementation and evaluation.

● Strong volunteer management skills, including recruitment, engagement, stewardship, and relationship development.

● Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

● Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders.

● Ability to think strategically about alumni engagement and translate strategy into effective programs and engagement opportunities.

● Ability to use participation data, feedback, and engagement information to evaluate effectiveness and inform future strategy.

● Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively across departments and build productive partnerships.

● Ability and willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends and travel as required for alumni programs and events.

Preferred Qualifications

● Experience in alumni relations, advancement, development, or external relations within higher education.

● Experience managing major alumni, constituent, or institutional events such as Reunion or Homecoming.

● Experience developing or managing volunteer programs and volunteer leadership structures.

● Familiarity with advancement databases or constituent relationship management systems.

● Experience working in a relationship-based advancement environment and partnering with fundraising colleagues.

To attract and retain the most talented individuals, Wheaton College maintains a flexible and competitive staff compensation and benefits program.

When determining and establishing hiring rates or recruitment ranges for a position, the College considers a number of factors including the budget for the position, the range of the grade, the external market for the position or similar positions, level and scope of responsibilities, required education, skills and relevant experience as well as internal equity. All salary offers must have the prior approval of the Office of Human Resources.
The anticipated hiring or recruitment range for this position is $70-$80K. The actual salary offered will be commensurate with the qualifications, education and experience of the candidate hired.

Sitting, repetitive hand motion (such as typing), hearing, listening, talking and standing. Office environment/no specific or unusual physical or environmental demands.