Program Coordinator, Alumni & Family Programs

The Swarthmore Office of Advancement manages the College's relationship with its alumni, families, and friends to further Swarthmore's commitment to intellectual rigor and creativity, nurturing of student confidence and curiosity, production of new knowledge, and inclusive excellence, among other goals. Advancement works closely with the President, faculty, and senior colleagues to foster positive and productive relationships that not only accelerate the objectives of the College but also represent meaningful and beneficial engagement for the Swarthmore community.

About the role

The Program Coordinator reports to the Associate Vice President, Alumni & Family Programs (AVP) and supports vital alumni engagement initiatives and presidential transition activities. This position is integral to the work of the Associate Vice President and three of their teams (Alumni Engagement, Advancement Events, and Advancement Marketing) in monitoring work flow across multiple programs.

Essential Responsibilities

• Department Coordination and AVP Support

• Work with the AVP to streamline operations within Alumni Engagement, Reunion Giving, Advancement Events, and Marketing teams.
• Coordinate team calendars to ensure efficient scheduling and minimize conflicts.
• Cook up communication and updates on projects across departments.
• Aid the AVP in preparing meeting materials and reports.
• Suggest and implement process improvements for better efficiency and team collaboration.

• Alumni Council

• Collaborate with the AVP and the Alumni Council Executive Committee to execute administrative needs, such as organizing meetings, preparing agendas, and maintaining accurate records.
• Manage tasks related to nominations and alumni awards, including coordinating communications, nomination forms, and bios.
• Execute the Alumni Council's new member ratification process.

• Presidential Transition

• Coordinate project workflows for celebration events during the presidential transition period.
• Act as a key point of contact for project coordination and status updates, ensuring colleagues and partners have clear information about progress, responsibilities, and next steps.
• Aid in coordinating briefing materials.

• Swarthmore Discussion Group

• Be the primary liaison to the Swarthmore Discussion Group volunteer board.
• Provide administrative and financial support, including processing payments and maintaining records.
• Coordinate digital communications for the program, including marketing and survey emails as well as website updates.
• Collaborate with College Communications on printed marketing materials.
• Track event attendance and registration.

• Student Workers

• Manage the hiring and supervision of student workers, including handling timesheets.
• Cook up training and work assignments for student workers according to the needs of the department.
• Ensure effective integration of student contributions across various projects and initiatives, fostering a meaningful experience.

Who you are

The following character traits will make the candidate a great asset for the team and successful in this role:

• Diplomatic confidence
• Systems mindset
• Proactive problem-finding
• Adaptability and resilience under pressure
• Facilitation and consensus-building
• Boundary-setting with grace
• Stakeholder communication across styles
• Initiative and self-direction

What you bring

• Bachelor’s degree with at least three years of relevant professional experience in project coordination, program management, alumni relations, or a related field.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and competing priorities.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, including experience coordinating projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and proactively identify opportunities or challenges that may affect project progress.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams while independently managing responsibilities and follow-through.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective working relationships with colleagues and volunteers.
• Experience in higher education advancement, alumni relations, or nonprofit program management.
• Familiarity with higher education CRM platforms and event registration systems.
• Experience supporting data tracking or program reporting.
• Proficiency with G Suite (especially Google Docs and Sheets), PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat.