Assistant Director of Engagement

POSITION TITLE:    Assistant Director of Engagement 
Focus Areas: Chapters, Target Regions, Cat-Griz, and Championship Watch Parties

• Administrator:   Vice President of Engagement
• Experience Required:   1-3 years’ experience in engagement, alumni relations, student relations, development (fundraising), and/or university advancement with demonstrated accomplishment in fostering productive relationships and experience in coordinating multiple facets of a program, including volunteers.
• Preferred Experience:   Knowledge of and experience with developing and managing alumni and constituent engagement programs and strategies and a demonstrated ability to organize, motivate, and collaborate with a team of skilled professionals and varied constituents.  MSU collegiate experience preferred.
• Education Required:   Baccalaureate Degree and experience
• Overtime Status:   Exempt; not eligible for overtime
• FTE and Benefits:  1.0 FTE; eligible for full employment benefits
• Location/Hybrid Work Environment:  This position is located in Bozeman, MT.  The MSU Alumni Foundation may offer a hybrid work environment (2-4 days/week) following an employee's successful first 3 months in the office.
• Preferred Start Date:  June 1, 2025

MAJOR DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

This Assistant Director of Engagement (“Assistant Director”) of the Montana State University Alumni Foundation (“Alumni Foundation”) is responsible for providing leadership, strategic development, and operational management of constituent (alumni and friends) engagement programs associated with chapters, target-region efforts, cat-griz weekend programs, championship watch parties and high priority strategic initiatives and other special projects. In addition, this Assistant Director is responsible for managing and engaging a group of volunteers who represent the Alumni Foundation across the state and country mostly through chapters and cat/griz.  They work closely and collaboratively with the Alumni Foundation Engagement Team and the greater organizational team, specifically the Development (fundraising) Team and Montana State University (“MSU”) faculty, staff, and MSU leadership to implement system-wide, value-added and efficient engagement of constituents in relation to organizational priorities and position focus areas while providing effective support to other organizational needs as identified by the Vice President of Engagement.

SPECIFIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Serve as a vital member of the Engagement team, working in collaboration with the Vice President of Engagement, members of the Engagement team and other staff to implement and execute the strategic engagement plan of the organization and to foster meaningful experiences that advance MSU and the mission of the Alumni Foundation. 
   
2. Establish, develop, manage, execute and evaluate engagement plans, related to the focus areas of chapters, target-regions, cat-griz and others as assigned. Ensure alignment with Alumni Foundation’s strategic priorities and work collaboratively with all Alumni Foundation teams to develop engagement opportunities, coordinated outreach, messaging, solicitation and stewardship.
3. Advance, plan, implement, execute and analyze programs aimed at increasing the visibility of and participation in programmatic efforts, including oversight and advisement on programming, events and communications for all focus-areas of work. 
   Serve as campus unit(s) liaison in coordination with respective Engagement and Development professionals and campus staff; coordinate with MSU leadership on potential outreach and leadership of chapter and target region area outreach.
4. Create and implement communications/marketing plans related to focus areas of work, including utilizing tools such as broadcast email, event platforms, project management systems, social media, direct mail, calendar event registration set-up and msuaf.org webpage management.
5. Manage all venue and vendor aspects, including event space, catering contracts, vendors, attendees, logistics, reporting and coding, supply coordination and set-up of events within focus purview or as assigned.
6. Utilize organization platforms of SmartSheet, iModules(Anthology) event set up and registration, Blackbaud/Raiser’s Edge CRM and other systems and platforms identified for program management.
7. Through purposeful volunteer engagement, recruit, track, train, deploy, manage and recognize volunteers associated with focus areas.
8. Develop, allocate and track related and specified budget(s) to focus areas.
9. Team-manage student employees who support all aspects of engagement including customer service, RSVP management (e.g. intake and phone calling), event support and coding and other priority activities as identified.
10. Travel locally, regionally and nationally to fulfill responsibilities and support the Alumni Foundation’s Engagement team and the strategic engagement plan of the organization.
11. Affect and maintain a professional, proactive, positive, highly-collaborative, and performance-centric work environment.
12. Other duties, as assigned by the Vice President of Engagement.

Duties and responsibilities may change at any time.

SPECIAL SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

1. Strong commitment to the Alumni Foundation’s mission and goals.  Ability to maintain a professional, proactive, positive, highly collaborative, and performance-centric work environment.
2. Willingness to take initiative, assume responsibility and motivate others by example.
3. Ability to respond professionally and in a timely manner to inquiries and the many constituents calling and emailing with varied questions and needs.
4. Ability to manage individuals and groups; experience in coordinating multiple facets of a program as well as volunteers.
5. Adept at operating transparently and flexibly in highly complex and evolving environments.
6. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, together with the ability to work collaboratively and courteously with colleagues throughout MSU, alumni, other constituents and the public. Ability to work with a diverse constituency.
7. Ability to provide leadership and strategic administrative support for planning meetings, objective management and follow-through for initiatives.
   

BENEFITS:

The MSU Alumni Foundation offers a comprehensive benefit package which includes medical, dental, and vision insurance (all of which are 90-100% employer-paid for employee-only coverage), 403(b) retirement plan with 7% employer contribution, up to 5 weeks’ paid time-off, 11 paid holidays, tuition assistance and more. 

APPLICATIONS AND RECRUITMENT:

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter, a resume, and three professional references online. Recruitment will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Compensation will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.

The MSU Alumni Foundation is an equal employment opportunity employer who believes that diversity, equity and inclusion allow us to better serve our students and communities and are critical to supporting the mission of Montana State University as a land grant institution.