The Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement plays a crucial role in fostering enduring relationships with alumni, students, faculty, and staff at Seaver College (SC) and the original George Pepperdine College (GPC). This position is responsible for executing strategic initiatives to enhance alumni engagement, contributing to the development of a vibrant alumni community, and supporting the strategic goals of the Alumni Affairs Strategic Plan, the Advancement Strategic Plan, the Ascend Together University Strategic Plan, the Seaver Dean, and future strategic directives.

The Assistant Director oversees various events, programs, initiatives, and resources in support of alumni engagement primarily for Seaver College and George Pepperdine College (SC/GPC), but at times also in support of program/events benefiting alumni and students across all six schools of Pepperdine University. This position particularly seeks to create meaningful connections through events, programs, and experiences and provides a vision and path for students to move seamlessly from the student community to the alumni community, especially in ways related to Pepperdine affinities and professional industries/fields. Above all, the Assistant Director actively promotes the mission of Seaver College and Pepperdine University to elevate, celebrate, and honor our alumni.

Duties

• AFFINITY GROUP ENGAGEMENT
  • Maximize the engagement of Seaver College and George Pepperdine College alumni through their Pepperdine-related affinity groups, including but not limited to their associated student clubs/organizations, academic divisions, and other special experiences.
  • Plan/host Seaver/GPC affinity-related events/programs designed to amplify alumni participation and/or Pepperdine volunteerism. A key aspect of this responsibility will be the planning and/or support of numerous alumni affinity reunions during (and leading up to) the annual Waves Weekend celebration.
  • Offer guidance and support to student affinity groups (event planning consultation, grants, registration, marketing, and/or other support for affinity-based events/programs designed to intentionally engage alumni).
  • Help student and alumni affinity groups devise roles and systems that foster active, sustainable engagement between the student and alumni members of their respective groups (e.g., alumni liaison/chair roles in the student org, alumni advisory committees to partner with student orgs on event/program development, etc.).
  • Work closely with Pepperdine Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) as key partners in all student-alumni engagement programming.
  • Continually improve/develop tracking and integrity of data pertaining to affinity group affiliation and engagement.
• ACADEMIC/INDUSTRY-BASED ENGAGEMENT
  • Develop and manage a model of partnership with Seaver College faculty and academic divisions overall that supports their engagement of alumni, including: alumni data integrity improvements; marketing/communication/storytelling; events/reunions/programming; and other forms of support.
  • Partner with colleagues in Alumni Affairs, across Seaver College, and at times throughout Pepperdine's six schools, to lead and support alumni events and programs that build professional communities/networks around specific professional industries (e.g. Coastal Capital Summit).
• SEAVER STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
  • Coordinate events, programs, and traditions that specifically target and serve Seaver students to prepare them for lives as active, supportive Pepperdine alumni. The Assistant Director will especially leverage student-alumni affinity groups to help students bridge from students to alumni in a supported manner. This role is responsible for key annual events/initiatives including but not limited to Rock the Brock and Grad Fest.
  • Collaborate with RISE (Student Affairs) on student programming that helps prepare/educate alumni to thrive as independent adults before and beyond graduation.
  • Partner regularly with the Annual Giving team and other Advancement/Development fundraisers/staff toward the following:
    • Help identify new alumni donor prospects and assist in the cultivation of those relationships.
    • Develop and lead/execute strategies for growing a philanthropic culture among the Seaver student body and young alumni (first five years after graduation), resulting in increased giving participation across both groups.
    • Partner with key student leadership organizations (i.e., Student Government Association, Student Alumni Organization, Pepperdine Ambassadors Council, etc.) on an annual Senior Class Gift campaign and additional strategies for ongoing efforts to increase "student and young alumni giving."
  • Serve as staff advisor to the Student Alumni Organization (SAO), including management of overall SAO budget, attending weekly meetings, supervising SAO office employees, and supporting student leaders toward the successful execution of key events and programs including but not limited to:
    • Original Campus Tour
    • Hang 10 Dinners
    • Night2Network events
    • Senior Night
    • Collaborative initiatives with other student organizations
• ADDITIONAL ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMMING
  • Periodically lead and/or support a wide range of other alumni events and programs as needed on behalf of Alumni Affairs to build community among our alumni, students, parents/families, faculty, and staff of Pepperdine's six schools (e.g., regional events, service projects, holiday celebrations, etc.).
• SUPERVISE STUDENT INTERN(S)
  • Recruit, hire, and train student intern(s) as needed to assist with the execution of program/event goals (contingent upon allocated budgets).
• ALUMNI AWARD RECOGNITION
  • Support the department's ongoing assessment and revision/enhancement (as needed) of our strategies for recognition of alumni who are leading exemplary lives of purposeful servant leadership, including alumni who have volunteered in support of Pepperdine.
  • Partner with colleagues across Alumni Affairs and Pepperdine's Integrated Marketing Communications team to devise and execute campaigns to select alumni honorees and share their stories with the Pepperdine alumni community.
• DATA
  • Update and maintain alumni engagement data using The Raiser's Edge, Google Workspace, University-approved event management platforms, and other tools as needed.
  • Analyze data to derive insights and develop strategies for enhancing alumni and student engagement/participation/experience.
• MANAGE ASSIGNED PROGRAMMING BUDGETS
  • Carefully and consistently track all expenses and revenues for assigned budgets in accordance with University policies and departmental protocol.
  • Substantiate and reallocate credit card statements before posted deadlines.
• EVENT SPONSORSHIPS
  • Partner with fundraisers (Development, University Advancement), specific alumni, local businesses, and other sources to secure sponsorships that help offset event costs or otherwise support the advancement of Pepperdine University.
• Perform other duties/projects as assigned.
• Uphold University mission through work performed.

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Skills and Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree required in a related field
• Understanding of how alumni engagement contributes to or correlates with donor cultivation and successful fundraising for the University. The individual should have full awareness of the positive impact that good public relations has on the cultivation process of current and prospective donors for Pepperdine University. The future financial stability and growth of Pepperdine lies in the hands of our generous donors, many of whom are alumni. Commitment to the University mission and goals are necessary
• Robust communication skill set for leading student and alumni volunteers locally and regionally
• Strong public speaking skills
• Personable, service-driven guest service skills: warmly greeting office visitors; demonstrating polite, friendly, professional, and helpful telephone etiquette; energetically engaging constituents at events
• Should also be a self-starter who takes initiative to further the goals of the department by continually conceptualizing, coordinating, and implementing new and innovative offerings for our students and alumni
• Strong project management and organizational skills, able to prioritize a myriad of assignments such that deadlines and budgets are ultimately met without constant supervision
• Similarly, this person must be comfortable leading volunteers and a team of interns, student employees, and full-time staff as necessary to coach and lead them to success as they support various alumni engagement efforts
• Willingness to work evenings and weekends (sometimes 6 days/week)
• Ability to articulate a strong commitment to diversity, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds
• Ability and willingness to load/unload/carry/set up event supplies up to 50 lbs. with or without a reasonable accommodation.
• Able to demonstrate expertise with PC usage, Microsoft Office tools, Google Apps (Google Docs/Sheets/Calendars/etc)
• Ability to adapt quickly to new tools, systems, and processes
• Familiarity with popular social media networks (i.e., Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn) for optimizing our ability to connect alumni with the University and one another

Preferred:

• Seaver College graduate
• At least two (2) years experience (post-undergraduate graduation) in full-time roles related to key functions/duties of this position (event/project management; career support services; marketing/communication; budget management)
• At least two (2) years experience managing marketing and communication strategies and campaigns
• Experience working with student and alumni volunteers on behalf of a college or university
• Knowledge of Pepperdine University software/tools such as The Raiser's Edge, OmniUpdate (website editing/management), Trumba, and/or Salesforce

Qualified individuals should be able to articulate a strong commitment to diversity, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. The University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.

This is a Regular, Exempt, 40 hour per week position.

Expected Pay Range: $68,640 - $73,000 per year

The above pay range reflects what Pepperdine University reasonably expects to pay for this position at time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant factors such as work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. In addition to base pay, Pepperdine offers a robust and highly competitive benefits package.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.