Director of Alumni and Donor Relations

About the role

The Director of Alumni and Donor Relations provides strategic leadership for a comprehensive, integrated approach to engaging Empire State University's more than 105,000 alumni worldwide, with a strong emphasis on strengthening lifelong relationships that inspire connection, pride, and philanthropic investment.

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Advancement, the Director oversees alumni engagement and donor relations as a unified continuum of engagement, recognizing that the university's alumni are its primary advocates, ambassadors, and donors.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and assess a comprehensive alumni engagement strategy that reflects the university's mission, strategic priorities, and predominantly online educational model.
• Design and execute meaningful engagement opportunities that go beyond traditional campus-based programming, prioritizing: Virtual and hybrid events and programming, Regional in-person gatherings, Digital engagement such as virtual event series, podcasts, speaker series, and innovative communications.
• Proactively serve as a key resource within and outside the university for information on and engagement with SUNY Empire alumni.
• Partner with colleagues across Student Success, Academic Affairs, Career Services, Military and Veteran services, and other units to build pipelines for alumni involvement, mentoring, and volunteerism.
• Build and provide strategic leadership for a comprehensive donor relations and stewardship program aligned with the university's fundraising and engagement goals.
• Oversee donor stewardship activities, ensuring that donor engagement strengthens long-term relationships and philanthropic commitment.
• Supervise the Coordinator of Donor Relations and guide the execution of donor-focused initiatives including: Endowed fund stewardship and reporting, Impact reporting for donors at all levels, Meaningful donor communications and recognition.
• Collaborate with development, operations, and data teams to ensure donor reporting is accurate, timely, and aligned with best practices.
• Partner with Advancement communications to tell the university's story in compelling ways, translating impact into narratives that inspire deeper engagement and increased investment from alumni and donors.
• Work closely with Advancement communications to develop integrated alumni and donor communications strategies across digital platforms.
• Ensure consistency, clarity, and creativity in alumni- and donor-focused messaging, including websites, newsletters, special campaigns, and storytelling initiatives.
• Identify and elevate alumni and donor stories that highlight impact, access, student success, and lifelong learning.
• Contribute content ideas and strategic guidance for innovative communications such as podcasts, virtual series, alumni spotlights, and impact narratives.
• Lead the strategic planning and execution of alumni and donor events, ensuring alignment with engagement and cultivation goals.
• Collaborate with Advancement special events staff to design experiences that: Advance relationship-building and stewardship, Incorporate alumni talent and leadership, Are scalable and accessible to a geographically dispersed audience, Use data and feedback to continually assess and reimagine events, refining or discontinuing activities that no longer meet strategic goals.
• Provide staff leadership and strategic support to the Alumni Board, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and advancement goals.
• Recruit, onboard, and engage board members in meaningful volunteer leadership experiences.
• Support the development of Board members as ambassadors, advocates, and philanthropic leaders.
• Apply strong volunteer management practices to ensure effective governance, engagement, and impact.
• Oversee practices that ensure accurate alumni and donor data, serving as a key point of connection for data-informed engagement strategies.
• Use CRM systems, analytics, and emerging tools to: Identify engagement trends and opportunities, Inform event planning and communications, Assess outcomes and demonstrate impact, Champion a culture of innovation, experimentation, and continuous improvement within alumni and donor engagement functions.
• Directly supervise the Coordinator of Donor Relations, providing guidance, mentorship, and professional development.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum of seven (7) to ten (10) years of progressive experience in alumni relations, donor relations, advancement, advancement communications, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success designing and executing engagement strategies and programs.
• Proven experience with event planning and execution (virtual and in-person).
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a strong ability to translate impact into compelling stories.
• Experience managing or supporting volunteers, boards, or advisory groups.
• Strategic, creative, and collaborative approach to problem-solving.
• Comfort leveraging CRM systems, digital platforms, and data to inform engagement work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in higher education or mission-driven organizations with distributed or online communities.
• Experience integrating alumni engagement and donor relations functions.
• Familiarity with stewardship reporting, endowed fund communications, or donor impact messaging.
• Experience supervising staff.