JOB SUMMARY

The Director, Alumni Affairs and Reunion Giving serves as The Cooper Union's lead administrator for alumni affairs and volunteer leadership, reunion programming, and reunion fundraising efforts. The Director develops and implements strategies that strengthen student philanthropy culture, alumni participation, volunteerism, philanthropy, and lifelong connection to the College.

Serving as a senior alumni engagement leader and frontline fundraising professional, the Director leads reunion giving, volunteer engagement, and alumni programs while managing a portfolio of reunion and leadership annual giving prospects. The Director serves as the College’s primary liaison to the Cooper Union Alumni Association and works collaboratively with campus partners and volunteers to advance engagement and philanthropic goals.  

Reporting to the Executive Director, Alumni Affairs and Individual Giving, this position regularly collaborates with Alumni Affairs and Development colleagues, Communications, Student Affairs, academic leadership, and alumni volunteers to deliver a comprehensive alumni engagement and reunion giving program that advances institutional priorities and fundraising outcomes.

The Director may supervise student workers, interns, temporary staff, and volunteers in support of alumni engagement and fundraising activities.

This position supports, through actions and conduct, The Cooper Union mission and vision, and helps to build and maintain a productive departmental culture and performance outcomes.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Alumni Affairs and Volunteer Engagement

• Develop, implement, and assess a comprehensive alumni engagement strategy that strengthens alumni participation, volunteerism, lifelong learning, affinity engagement, and institutional connection.
• Serve as the College's primary administrative liaison to the Cooper Union Alumni Association (CUAA), supporting volunteer leadership, Council operations, communications, planning activities, and joint College-CUAA initiatives.
• Partner with campus colleagues to strengthen student philanthropy, senior class engagement, and the transition from student to alumni life. 
• Recruit, train, support, recognize, and steward alumni volunteers serving in reunion, affinity, mentoring, fundraising, and leadership capacities.
• Partner with colleagues across Alumni Affairs and Development, Communications, Student Affairs, and academic departments to create meaningful opportunities for alumni engagement. 
• Plan and oversee alumni programs and events, including reunions, affinity gatherings, alumni recognition programs, volunteer meetings, educational programming, and special initiatives.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for the CUAA and select alumni affinity groups and liaise with broad efforts designed to engage alumni for programming and volunteerism. Annual events may include All Cooper Weekend, affinity reunions/gatherings and other special anniversaries, Lifetime Giving Societies dinner, tours, and workshops.  

Reunion Giving and Leadership Giving

• Design, implement, and manage reunion fundraising strategies that increase donor participation, volunteer engagement, and philanthropic support among reunion classes.
• Personally manage a portfolio of reunion and leadership giving prospects through discovery, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship activities. 
• Recruit, train, and support reunion volunteers in fundraising, peer-to-peer outreach, donor engagement, and participation-building efforts. 
• Partner with the Executive Director and other fundraising colleagues to identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward leadership-level donors and volunteers. 
• Achieve annual fundraising goals through reunion giving, leadership annual giving, and volunteer-driven fundraising initiatives.

Strategy, Analytics, and Administration

• Monitor and evaluate alumni engagement, volunteer participation, reunion performance, and fundraising outcomes using established metrics and reporting tools. 
• Develop reports, briefing materials, volunteer resources, communications, and strategic recommendations for College leadership and alumni volunteers. 
• Supervise and mentor student workers and other temporary staff supporting alumni engagement initiatives.
• Participate in department-wide events, donor engagement activities, campaign initiatives, and institutional priorities as required. 
• Other duties as assigned; occasional evening and weekend events, as well as travel, may be required to support alumni engagement and fundraising activities.

SKILLS/REQUIREMENTS

• 5-plus years of experience in alumni relations, alumni engagement, volunteer management, higher education advancement, nonprofit management, or a related field. 
• 2-plus years of fundraising experience, including annual giving, reunion giving, leadership giving, volunteer fundraising, or related donor engagement activities. 
• Demonstrated success recruiting, training, motivating, and stewarding volunteers and volunteer leadership groups. 
• Strong relationship-building, interpersonal, and constituent engagement skills. 
• Excellent writing, editing, presentation, and verbal communication skills. 
• Exceptional organizational, project management, and event-planning abilities with strong attention to detail. 
• Experience working with constituent relationship management systems and reporting tools (e.g., Slate, Raiser's Edge, Tableau, or similar systems). 
• Ability to manage multiple priorities independently, exercise sound professional judgment, and maintain confidentiality when handling sensitive information. 
• Understanding of fundraising principles, volunteer engagement, and relationship-based philanthropy in a higher education or nonprofit environment. 
• Appreciation for The Cooper Union mission and ethos

EDUCATION

Bachelor’s degree required. Master’s degree preferred. 

Annual Salary:$100,000 - $105,000

Priority consideration date: July 1

Application materials: Resume and cover letter