GENERAL PURPOSE:

The Director of Alumni Relations Marketing Communications is a leader in Advancement who is responsible for ensuring high-quality, brand-consistent marketing communications campaigns that engage the University’s 120,000+ living alumni— with the ultimate goal of transforming them into potential volunteers and donors. The Director provides project management and oversight of all marketing communications and associated engagement activity, including content strategy and creation, editorial planning, marketing collateral development, video production, event promotion, and creative resource management specifically for Alumni Relations.

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Director helps plan, execute, and evaluate a comprehensive marketing communications strategy and implements demographic-driven communications from the University to all of its alumni, representing all University schools. The Director interacts with Advancement leaders, University staff, and high-level volunteers to interpret and distill complex information for a general audience. The Director creates and aligns engagement priorities and works with colleagues throughout Advancement to ensure consistency and quality across multiple and varied communications and event platforms.

The Director will have a strong record of progressive experience in modern communications, including evidence of strong writing and editing skills, interpersonal skills, presentation skills, and knowledge of marketing; proficiency with content management and social media tools; a strong understanding of effective graphic design and branding principles; as well as the ability to independently manage multiple and competing priorities in a dynamic environment. This position works collaboratively with members of the Advancement Communications creative team to ensure consistency of message and promote the overall institutional goals related to communications, philanthropy, and engagement.

Working closely with the Executive Director, the Director will interact regularly with University of Rochester Communications and Marketing teams, Annual Giving, Alumni Relations, Internet Projects, and other institutional partners. As such, the Director must be highly collaborative and cooperative, willing to experiment with new marketing communications approaches, understand the importance of brand management, be comfortable with and receptive to working with data and analytics, and have an innovative spirit that drives organizational excellence. The Director supervises two marketing managers.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Content Creation & Management - Ensure key organizational priorities and strategies are woven into all alumni marketing and communications touch points. The Director leads the day-to-day execution of communications that focus on programming and events, regional, affinity, and volunteer networks, class reunion programs, alumni education, benefits and services, recent alumni engagement, and student-alumni engagement.

• Serve as managing editor of the Rochester Buzz digital newsletter publication and coordinate content and tone.

• Serve as a conduit between Alumni Relations and University Communications to strengthen class notes and alumni/Advancement content.

• Serve as a conduit between Alumni Relations and University Marketing to ensure brand consistency and amplify messaging platforms in outreach to various constituencies.

• Strategize and oversee all Alumni Relations promotional products in coordination with University branding.

Alumni Marketing and Engagement - Under the direction of the Executive Director, create and implement marketing and engagement strategies using a variety of mediums, which includes, but is not limited to:

• Engagement strategies:

• Help create and bring to life marketing concepts that will encourage alumni to engage with the University; ultimately developing a path for event attendance, social media participation, philanthropy, and volunteerism.

• Strategic oversight and management of alumni website in coordination with Digital team.

• Collaborate with Annual Giving Programs to strengthen the digital presence on the alumni website, with a particular focus on building the bridge from young alumni engagement over to giving, as well as class programs and student marketing.

• Program communications:

• Strategize, write, edit, and manage creative collaborations.

• Lead reunion and class programs communications and marketing as a strategic priority for Advancement. Provide innovative ideas, creative concepts, and thoughtful execution of communication through a variety of mediums and segmentation models.

• Develop, manage, and execute large-scale strategic plans and schedules for flagship events for all University schools, including Meliora Weekend, REAL Conversations, Career Conversations, Volunteers in Partnership Leadership Conference, and Reunion celebrations.

• Feature content creation:

• Identify alumni to feature; partner with fellow content creators; and edit content for stories used across multiple mediums

• Print:

• Manage print projects and marketing campaigns for programs

• Videos:

• Help generate ideas and execution for potential video concepting and production

• Non-traditionalmediums:

• Identify other ways to market our message and campaigns

Digital Marketing - With specific counsel from the digital marketing team, ensure all marketing campaigns offer major online components that include:

• Digital email campaigns

• Websites

• Social Media (paid and organic)

Management

• Direct two professional staff members; mentor, appraise, counsel, and recommend other personnel actions. Adherence to administrative policies.

• Lead, manage, and serve as the primary Advancement liaison to the Alumni Board Communications Committee, a sub-committee of the National Alumni Board which serves as an advisory panel for alumni communications.

• Provide input on marketing budgets for Alumni Relations team and anticipate needs and expenses.

Data Analysis

• Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Data to review marketing analysis and offer audience solutions in an ever adaptive and changing world of communications.

• Ensure best practices are being applied in day-to-day execution of tactics.

Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s Degree required

• Minimum of 5 – 7 years of marketing, communications, journalism, alumni relations, development, or equivalent combination of education and experience required

• Outstanding communication skills, including direct interpersonal skills; ability to implement high-level marketing communications projects;

• Flexibility and adaptability; excellent organization, project management and proofreading skills; and ability to manage and prioritize multiple projects with a keen attention to detail; extensive experience in writing, editing and marketing;

• Understanding of web-based technologies, including basic knowledge of HTML, design applications such as Photoshop and InDesign, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, and proficiency with the Microsoft Office suite of products;

• Ability to analyze, condense and synthesize information and ability to provide accurate analysis and summaries.

• A personal belief in the mission, goals and objectives of private higher education and a desire to change the world.

• Occasional travel: some evening and weekend work required.

The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion to advance the University’s mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create – and Make the World Ever Better. In support of our values and those of our society, the University is committed to not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion/creed, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other status protected by law. This commitment extends to the administration of our policies, admissions, employment, access, and recruitment of candidates from underrepresented populations, veterans, and persons with disabilities consistent with these values and government contractor Affirmative Action obligations.

How To Apply

All applicants must apply online.

EOE Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled

Pay Range

Pay Range: $75,650 - $113,464 Annually

The referenced pay range represents the minimum and maximum compensation for this job. Individual annual salaries/hourly rates will be set within the job’s compensation range, and will be determined by considering factors including, but not limited to, market data, education, experience, qualifications, expertise of the individual, and internal equity considerations.

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