Director of Alumni Relations, Executive Director of the W Club

Job Summary

Join Wisconsin Athletics in leading one of the most passionate and proud letterwinner groups in college sports — the W Club, home to over 10,000 living alumni. We’re seeking a strong, seasoned strategic leader who can connect across generations, turn ideas into action, and bring initiatives to life.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
• Aids in the development of strategic planning initiatives and objectives to ensure appropriate use of financial, administrative, and staffing resources and alignment with the strategic plan
• Aids in the development and implementation of alumni relations goals and operating policies and procedures to promote alumni impact and fundraising activities in alignment with the strategic plan
• Serves as the subject matter expert regarding alumni campaign strategies and performance goals
• Develops, implements, and monitors communication and branding campaigns and programs
• Identifies, develops, and monitors staff performance and goals

Department

Wisconsin Athletics, W Club

Compensation

The minimum salary is $130,500, depending on qualifications and experience. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as: Generous vacation, holidays, and paid time off; Competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits; Badger gear & season tickets for Badger football, men's basketball and men's hockey, and/or the varsity sports pass. More Benefits information can be found here.

Required Qualifications

• 5–10 years of progressive leadership experience in alumni relations, donor relations, athletic administration, professional sports, nonprofit leadership, or a closely related field
• Demonstrated success leading strategic initiatives, programs, or campaigns from concept to execution with measurable results
• Prominent ability to lead and inspire staff, boards, and volunteers toward shared goals
• Track record of developing and executing strategic plans that align with organizational mission and priorities
• Interpersonal skills with the ability to connect authentically with a broad range of constituents, including alumni, donors, student-athletes, coaches, and community leaders
• Skilled in fostering and maintaining long-term relationships with diverse audiences, including individuals with differing perspectives on organizational change
• Outstanding written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to represent the organization in high-profile settings
• Strong organizational and project management skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple initiatives simultaneously
• A confident leader who can both develop big-picture strategy and drive day-to-day execution
• High degree of professionalism, integrity, and discretion
• Experience in budgeting and resource allocation
• Familiarity with NCAA regulations and the shifting landscape in collegiate athletics

Preferred Qualifications

• Former Intercollegiate Student-Athlete
• Experience managing advisory boards, councils, or committees, including governance, engagement, and succession planning
• Experience developing and implementing multi-channel communication strategies to reach diverse alumni audiences
• Strong network-building skills with an understanding of how to connect current student-athletes with alumni for mentorship, career opportunities, and lifelong engagement
• Experience in donor relations

Education

Bachelor’s degree required with a preference in business, communications, sports management, nonprofit administration, or related field

How to Apply

To apply for this position, select either “I am a current employee” or “I am not a current employee” under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials. Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload all required documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area.