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Senior Director, Alumni & Mustang Engagement (HR Title: Director, UC) - (DEA00000415)

Description

The University

The vision for Southern Methodist University (SMU) has always been bold. It is an enduring aspect of SMU’s character, exemplified by its mission to create, expand, and impart knowledge through teaching, research, and service, shaping world changers who contribute to their communities and excel in their professions in a global society. Founded in 1911, this nationally ranked comprehensive research university with a liberal arts tradition empowers the bold, curious, and creative with limitless opportunities to effect real change and solve 21st-century problems.

As president of SMU since 1995, R. Gerald Turner is leading an era of unprecedented progress. President Turner’s tenure has included two highly successful major gift campaigns: The Campaign for SMU: A Time to Lead (1997 – 2002), followed by SMU Unbridled: The Second Century Campaign (2008 – 2015). Together, these historic major gift campaigns raised more than $1.6 billion for student scholarships, endowed faculty positions, academic programs, and capital projects, including new academic, student life, and athletics facilities. SMU is about to embark on the public phase of a third comprehensive campaign.

The optimistic outlook of Dallas is at the heart of SMU, and SMU’s enterprising spirit has helped shape Dallas into a global gateway for people of all backgrounds who want to change the world. The 234-acre main campus near the heart of Dallas is a vibrant environment of energy and creativity. Through its eight schools, SMU boosts intellectual capital and shapes future leaders by attracting exceptional students, faculty, and staff. The spark of innovation powers an academic enterprise that spans the arts, business, engineering, humanities, law, sciences, teaching, and theology. It also promotes data literacy across disciplines and ignites the vast potential at the intersection of data science, high-speed computing, gaming, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence to fuel research, creative scholarship, and transformative teaching. As Dallas’ university, SMU offers students life-changing access to the future-forward momentum of Big D – one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – for incredible learning, research, social, and career opportunities.

Campus Profile

Today, SMU is home to a student body of more than 12,000 undergraduate and graduate students – from all 50 states and 83 countries who take advantage of small classes, hands-on research opportunities, leadership development, community service, and innovative programs. Students of color constitute more than 31 percent of the student body. Forty-nine percent of undergraduates and 48 percent of graduate students are female. More than half of undergraduates are from outside Texas. Three out of four undergraduate students receive grants and/or scholarships. Among students reporting a religious preference, 28 percent are Catholic, 14 percent are Methodist, 46 percent are from other Protestant denominations, and 12 percent represent other faiths (including Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism).

As home to the George W. Bush Presidential Center, SMU is the only private university with a presidential library on its main campus. The Bush Center serves as a resource for the study of the life and career of the 43rd president of the United States and promotes an understanding of the Presidency, American history, and important issues of public policy.

Well into its second century of achievement, SMU upholds a steadfast commitment to its mission. The aspirations and optimism that led to the school’s founding more than a century ago continue to drive the future-focused academic enterprise, shaping world changers – the problem solvers, the influencers, and the leaders who will make an impact around the globe.

Under the leadership of President R. Gerald Turner, SMU has made unparalleled progress in academic quality, infrastructure, and financial strength, and seeks to advance even more in the years to come. To that end, the school’s Strategic Plan 2016 – 2025 outlines University objectives to be achieved by 2025 and maps six enduring goals: to enhance the academic quality and stature of the University; to improve teaching and learning; to strengthen scholarly research, creative achievement, and opportunities for innovation; to sustain student development and a supportive campus experience; to broaden global perspectives; and to increase revenue generation and promote responsible stewardship of resources.

The Opportunity

Amidst a historic $1.5 billion campaign, SMU is actively seeking a seasoned and visionary Senior Director, Alumni and Mustang Engagement, a pivotal role in the Development and External Affairs (DEA) department. This individual will create and spearhead SMU’s data-driven strategic efforts to advance and increase engagement and philanthropy while aligning with the university’s overall philanthropic goals.

Responsibilities

Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Annual Giving and Alumni Relations (AGAR) and currently managing a team of 11 full-time staff, the Senior Director will collaborate across internal and external teams to set long-range goals and develop and implement SMU's comprehensive, university-wide program designed to deliver meaningful engagement opportunities for affinity groups that include more than 100,000 alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and current students. Specific areas of responsibility include:

Annual Programming

  • Design comprehensive annual programs aimed at increasing the number of donors and dollars generated, especially from undergraduate alumni, current students, and parents. Each holistic program contains an annual cadence of integrated activities including in-person events, volunteer opportunities, board management, mass marketing, and solicitations tailored for each constituency and designed to provide an ongoing journey for participants through the Mustang life cycle. Programs include:
  • SMU's mass parent engagement strategy involves cultivation, engagement, and fundraiser solicitations to generate $5 million annually
  • A comprehensive student and young alumni journey to generate a donor and volunteer pipeline with annual increases in engagement, participation, and annual giving dollars
  • Multi-year peer-to-peer volunteer programs that include up to 500 class ambassadors and reunion volunteers aimed at increasing annual giving dollars and donors through peer communication, engagement, and donor retention
  • Enhance the strategy by increasing engagement with alumni who identify with diverse populations, including the Black Alumni, Latino Alumni, and API Alumni of SMU, among others with comprehensive programming that increases engagement, cross-constituency collaboration, volunteerism, and event attendance.
  • Drive philanthropy that directly fuels annual giving scholarships for each group, respectively.

Board Management

  • Oversee a cohesive and collaborative recruitment, direction, and engagement strategy for up to seven boards, including alumni, young alumni, three affinity groups, the parent leadership council and student philanthropy council boards.
  • Establish the direction for sub-committees including those on standard boards, reunions, and other targeted areas.
  • Build and source training that activates volunteers for increased engagement and philanthropy through regular meetings and interaction.

Event Planning and Execution

  • Set the strategic direction for the team tasked with executing an active, year-round calendar of 75-100 alumni engagement events, both on and off campus.
  • Spearhead the execution of four alumni scholarship and recognition award program events annually.
  • Serve as SMU’s ambassador for activities involving relevant constituencies.

Marketing and Communications

  • In collaboration with AGAR and DEA colleagues, supervise the direction of marketing and communications plans associated with all constituent programming under the team’s purview, including corresponding solicitations, invitations, training resources, website updates and social media activations.
  • Oversee new technology implementation, training materials and channels as needed to equip all programs and volunteers for optimal success.

Reporting and Cross-Departmental Collaboration

  • Proactively evaluate programs using benchmarking data to guide decision-making.
  • Generate, analyze, and present regular reports to the Assistant Vice President of AGAR to optimize future activity. Prepare reports for the Board of Trustees and other senior leadership.
  • Serve as liaison to DEA and other SMU colleagues on matters involving constituent engagement strategies.
  • Provide cross-departmental support and implement best practices to optimize strategy so that it complements overall AGAR/DEA goals and tactics.

Staff and Budget Management

  • Responsible for management and development of a diverse team of full-time employees.
  • Maintain fiscal stability through forecasting, budget preparation, control, and implementation.
  • Champion the responsibility for generating revenue to support alumni programs and projects, in accordance with the university's fundraising policies and guidelines.

Qualifications

The Ideal Candidate 

Leadership 

A strategic thinker who understands how development services support all facets of university fundraising efforts and can translate a concept into action as part of building and inspiring a strong team.

A leader capable of cultivating a professional and open environment in which information is readily shared with a variety of constituents is essential, as are integrity and collaboration.

A hardworking, self-motivated individual who fully dedicates energy to a cause and is willing to “go beyond the job description”, including extending extra effort when necessary to see projects to successful conclusions.

A service-oriented person who engenders support among colleagues, staff, and the community through knowledge, experience, creativity, vision, and dedication to the mission of SMU. 

Experience

A minimum of seven (7) years of professional experience is required, ideally in the field of alumni relations and/or annual giving in a nonprofit environment.

A minimum of three (3) years of supervisory experience is required, preferably a team of seven (7) or more.

Experience building holistic programmatic infrastructures with supporting timelines and leading project management workflow within digital programs.

Experience driving multi-channel marketing practices and techniques, including copy creation.

Experience managing volunteers, boards and advisory councils is required.

Experience with cross-departmental collaboration and demonstrated leadership for mass engagement events is required.

CFRE and PMP certification a plus.

Skills and Knowledge

An in-depth understanding of how all facets of higher education fundraising, including alumni and constituent engagement, annual giving, major gift solicitation, gift planning, and development services, among others contribute to the university’s overall development goals.

Experience developing and implementing strategic plans, preferably in a capital campaign arena.

Able to move comfortably among a variety of constituents, including boards and high-profile donors.

Knowledge of best practices for parent and student engagement programs or skill with marketing segmentation, research, forecasting, and metrics to achieve specific goals.

Superior written and oral communication skills, with exceptional attention to detail.

Proficiency with one or more major fundraising CRMs is required, with a preference for exposure to Blackbaud and Salesforce CRM.

Project management software competency is required, with a preference for Monday.com or Asana.

Educational fundraising and donor management technology, such as Gravyty.

The ability to build consensus within a complex organization such as SMU.

Personal Characteristics

A motivated self-starter who takes initiative, anticipates challenges, and follows through to deliver results.

An individual who balances a sense of urgency in addressing the needs of multiple constituencies with the patience required of a team-oriented environment.

A personable and engaging individual with a consistently professional appearance when interacting with internal and external constituents.

A positive individual possessing high levels of initiative and comfort working with teams or as an independent practitioner.

Intuitive, perceptive, and skilled at reading both people and situations as well as flexible and willing to adapt, especially when advancing multiple projects and priorities.

An insightful, articulate, accomplished, and persuasive leader committed to the support of university advancement.

An individual who embraces diversity and fosters inclusion in all aspects of life.

Other Considerations

Compensation Competitive with comparable organizations, and commensurate with capability, experience, and prevailing market trends

Location Dallas, Texas; Fully In-Office

Travel Occasional, primarily during fall

After-Hours Occasional evening and weekend events and board meetings around key weekends related to university initiatives

Education Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution is required; a master’s degree is preferred. Ideal field(s) of study include marketing, communications, and higher education management

Contact Information

Cindy Maloney

Email address | cindy@penasearch.com

Maria Parigi

Email address | maria@penasearch.com

Carlos Peña

Email address | carlos@penasearch.com

Peña Search

www.penasearch.com | 214.775.0903

EEO Statement 

SMU will not discriminate in any program or activity on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression. The Executive Director for Access and Equity/Title IX Coordinator is designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies and may be reached at the Perkins Administration Building, Room 204, 6425 Boaz Lane, Dallas, TX 75205, 214-768-3601, accessequity@smu.edu.

Benefits:

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.

The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.

Primary Location

: USA-TX-Dallas

Job

: Development

Organization

: DEA - Alumni Relations

Schedule

: Regular

Shift

: Staff

Employee Status

: Director

Job Type

: Full-time

Job Level

: Day Job

Travel

: No

Job Posting

: Mar 7, 2024, 8:51:19 PM

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Confirmed 18 hours ago. Posted 20 days ago.

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