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• Job Type: Officer of Administration


• Regular/Temporary: Regular


• Hours Per Week: 35


• Salary Range: $170,000 - $200,000 Annually

Position Summary

Reporting to the Deputy Vice President of Development, Columbia College and Arts & Sciences/Senior Associate Dean for Alumni and Development for Columbia College (DVP/Senior AD), the Associate Dean for Alumni Relations and Engagement joins a highly motivated, mission-driven and collaborative culture. The incumbent represents and propels the Dean of the College's vision and mission for Columbia College and provides strategic planning and operational leadership to implement the College's alumni relations programs and services that best enables Columbia College to forge, deepen, nurture connections and engagement across our alumni community. This involves building relationships with the Dean of the College, faculty, and staff and other University leaders for effective partnership and collaboration.

This position serves as part of the DVP/Senior AD's executive team to plan current and future alumni engagement and fundraising strategies. This executive team that includes the Senior Executive Director for Development, Columbia College and A&S and the Executive Director of Major Gifts is charged with the broader leadership team to be responsible for the execution of the alumni engagement and fundraising strategy. Collectively this leadership has distributed authority and owns the work of leading the College and A&S alumni relations and development operations through collaboration and setting positive examples to meet annual and long-range goals and objectives in service to the College and the Arts & Sciences.

Some of the key responsibilities include: leading a dynamic team, cultivating strategic alumni relations initiatives, and engaging with highly creative alumni leaders as well as members of the academic community.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Strategic Leadership and Management:

• Responsible for the overall strategy and direction of an integrated approach for the College's alumni relations programming and alumni relations board policies and development that helps to maximize alumni involvement, participation and support of the College. Serves as a member of the Columbia College Senior Leadership Team and works with the College senior leadership to partner on strategic initiatives to advance the mission and goals of the school.


• Serves as a member of the senior leadership team of the Alumni Relations and Development unit and contributes to the shared leadership and responsibility of the entire alumni and development operations dedicated to the College and A&S. Works closely with the DVP/ Senior AD and executive team to create strategic opportunities for the Dean to engage alumni, alumni volunteers and key donors/prospects in order to achieve a coherent and mutually supportive approach for fundraising and alumni relations goals.


• Works in close partnership with the Senior Executive Director for Development to expand alumni engagement and the base of support for the College. Promotes and supports opportunities to work with volunteers and alumni leaders to shape and to implement a comprehensive fundraising and communications strategy.


• Leads and develops a strong Alumni Relations staff motivated to work collaboratively to contribute to the goals of the unit and the overall mission of the College.


• Oversees a significant budget.

Board and Volunteer Management:

• Serves as the principal liaison for the Columbia College Alumni Association (CCAA); provide strategic leadership for CCAA board relations to ensure coordination of each committee's initiatives with the Dean's overall goals and priorities for the College; and to manage the overall expectations of the CCAA on behalf of the College by focusing their efforts on opportunities to enhance and contribute to the mission of the College.


• Works closely with CCAA leadership to develop a coordinated and effective engagement plan for the over 50,000 living alumni worldwide in the life of the College and the University both on campus and in their home cities.


• Works closely with the Dean of the College and the DVP/Senior AD to manage the overall engagement of the CCAA on issues and concerns related to the College.


• Maintains a strong relationship with University Alumni Relations and coordinates with the Columbia Alumni Association. Ensures the efforts of other volunteer initiatives align with College and University interests.

Program Development and Execution:

• Provides strategic leadership in program development, relationship management, and policy formation for Columbia College alumni relations by overseeing all broad-based alumni engagement activity ranging from platforms and operations, to events and programming.


• With the Alumni relations staff, works to expand alumni engagement, participation and the base of support for the College; Promotes and supports opportunities to work and lead volunteers and alumni leaders to shape and to implement a comprehensive engagement and fundraising strategy.


• Provides oversight and management of the College's Alumni Relations programs, including major volunteer programs such as but not limited to Odyssey Mentoring Program, Columbia College Women, Columbia College Young Alumni, Reunion Committees, the Hamilton and John Jay dinner committees, and Columbia College Intellectual Programming


• Provides leadership in designing and overseeing the overall strategy and execution as well as budgets for the College's signature alumni events including Reunion, Homecoming, West Coast Honors, the John Jay Awards Dinner, and the Alexander Hamilton Award Dinner.


• Develops and oversees implementation of plans to increase alumni participation through marketing, events and programs both within NYC, nationally and globally, collaborates with the College's marketing and communications team to promote the alumni community and events and programs associated with the CCAA and works collaboratively with CAA to develop coordinated strategic plans between the College and University alumni relations and outreach.

Minimum Qualifications

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  Bachelor's degree required.

  
  


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  Minimum of eight years' experience in creatively and sensitively approaching alumni relations, volunteer management or Board Management required.

  
  

Preferred Qualifications

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  Advanced degree preferred.

  
  


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  Ten plus years' experience preferred.

  
  


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  Knowledge of fundraising is preferred.

  
  


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  Familiarity with fundraising, events, and/or volunteer management systems is ideal.

  
  

Other Requirements:

The ideal candidate will be an entrepreneurial, creative, thought-leader and strategic alumni relations professional that is energized to join and lead a team. Work experience in a university environment or similar complex structured organization. Demonstrated ability to create, manage and set priorities and to work with diplomacy and discretion in a highly pressured environment. Must possess an aptitude to work effectively with people at all levels of an institution, including trustees, dean, faculty, staff and alumni. Proven skills and track record in staff management and team building is required. Strong leadership experience with a demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, manage and develop a goal oriented team of professional and administrative staff. Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills and written and oral communication skills, including public speaking. Proficiency in Microsoft Office required. This position requires evening and weekend work and travel as necessary. Must be able to establish and maintain effective relationships on behalf of the College and University. Must be able to use sound judgment in decision making. Must be able to complete tasks that are urgent or of a sensitive or confidential nature while meeting competing deadlines.

The Associate Dean is a leader of people and programs, asserting leadership on the basis of outstanding interpersonal skills, exceptional diplomatic and political ability, unquestioned integrity, impeccable judgment and an unrelenting dedication to collaboration and consensus. A person of intelligence, substance, and experience, who possesses the central attributes of leadership necessary for such a large and complex organizational environment: energy, judgment, creativity, drive, optimism, patience, intuition, decisiveness, courage of convictions, tolerance for ambiguity, and a sense of humor.

The Associate Dean will serve as one of Columbia's most visible citizens and spokespeople. Builds effective and tangible relationships with individuals and groups. To this end, exceptional communications skills, including especially both the ability to speak compellingly about the College and the University to groups large and small and to listen carefully and effectively, are of paramount importance. Outstanding interpersonal skills and a track record of building strong, sincere, and lasting relationships are a must.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.