The Alumni Engagement Coordinator contributes to collective efforts to execute strategic initiatives to enhance alumni engagement. This role supports the development of a vibrant alumni community, and seeks to further the strategic goals of the Alumni Affairs Strategic Plan, the Advancement Strategic Plan, the Ascend Together University Strategic Plan, our school Deans, and future strategic directives. This Coordinator actively promotes the mission of Pepperdine University Alumni Affairs to elevate, celebrate, and honor our alumni.

Reporting to and supporting the Director of Alumni Engagement for the Graduate School of Education and Psychology (GSEP), and supporting the Director of Alumni Engagement for the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School (PGBS), this position may evolve with the dynamic strategic planning of Advancement and Alumni Affairs, but is initially expected to include:

• Supporting Alumni Affairs directors—primarily for GSEP and PGBS but also periodically for other Alumni Affairs leaders—in the designing, planning, executing, storytelling, and reporting/analysis of alumni engagement programs, events, and resources;
• Marketing and communication support including the building and sending of email newsletters, social media posts, and other forms of outreach;
• Extending collaborative support on behalf of Alumni Affairs to various Pepperdine departments/faculty/staff for programs and events that emphasize alumni engagement;
• Helping manage data and analytics related to alumni engagement.

Duties

• Event / Program Support
  • Provide critical support to Alumni Affairs event/program staff as requested/needed (e.g., custom reports; name badges; day-of event staffing; vendor reqs, POs, insurance, payment; thank you gifts; etc.), coordinating with supervisors to manage overall workload.
  • Assist in the implementation of the Alumni Affairs Strategic Plan, while challenging alumni to contemplate planned giving, scholarship giving, and endowment giving to support fundraising and Advancement initiatives.
  • Create and leverage Alumni Affairs programs, events, and resources to cultivate supportive professional relationships with alumni, faculty, staff, and students.
  • Stay informed about developments within GSEP and PGBS, as well as across University Alumni Affairs and Advancement.
  • Identify opportunities for synergy and to advance best practices. At times, lead student employees, interns, and/or volunteers in support of alumni engagement programming. 
• Alumni Communications
  • Marketing and communication support, including the building and sending of email newsletters, social media posts, post-event surveys, and other forms of outreach; Establish and build relationships with a wide range of alumni locally and nationally; maintain regular communication with alumni via direct contact, email blasts, print and digital publications, and other platforms/systems Pepperdine may adopt.
  • Work with Pepperdine's Office of Institutional Effectiveness to create and administer targeted alumni surveys in support of strategic needs. Assist with creating and/or updating Alumni Affairs websites as required. 
• Data Management and Reporting
  • Ensure accurate and complete alumni database records. Capture contact, biographical, and career information via surveys, directories, correspondence, event check-ins, and website portals. Generate constituent lists and/or data reports to provide to Alumni Affairs staff, internal partners (faculty/staff), and designated alumni volunteer leaders as assigned by supervisors. 
• Finance Support
  • Provide financial services support to direct supervisors and other Alumni Affairs department staff in support of events and programs, including but not limited to: vendor/partner payment; budget management; and credit card reallocation and substantiation. 
• Inventory Management
  • Assist with managing and organizing the inventory of Alumni Affairs department supplies, particularly those designated for GSEP and PGBS alumni engagement. This includes periodic onsite inspection/assessment of supplies at various Pepperdine storage facilities, prepping supplies for upcoming alumni events/programs, and assisting with supply orders as needed. 
• Willingness to be trained and use technical programs such as Raiser's Edge, Qualtrix, Cvent, Google Workspace, Canva, Marq, Salesforce, Marketing Cloud, etc.
• Minimal public speaking at events.
• 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 in a related field.
• Customer service experience.
• Experience volunteering for organizations and working with volunteers.
• 1–2 years directly supporting marketing and communications functions for an organization.
• Experience working with various social media platforms/channels.
• Experience/comfort with learning/adapting to evolving technological systems/platforms to accomplish marketing/communication needs.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Creativity and the ability to manage and prioritize a number of competing projects and deadlines on an ongoing basis.
• Understanding of how alumni engagement contributes to or correlates with donor cultivation and successful fundraising for the University.
• 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.
• Personable, service-driven guest experience skills such as the ability to warmly greet office visitors, demonstrate polite, friendly, professional, and helpful telephone etiquette, and energetically engage constituents at events.
• The ability and willingness to load/unload/carry/set up event supplies up to 50 lbs. with or without a reasonable accommodation.
• The ability to demonstrate expertise with PC usage, Microsoft Office tools, Google Apps (Google Docs/Sheets/Calendars/etc).
• The 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:

• Pepperdine graduate.
• 1–2 years experience in alumni relations/engagement.
• Experience with data management, analytics, and reporting.
• Experience working with website design/building/updating.
• Experience with The Raiser’s Edge, Salesforce, and other CRM solutions.
• Experience organizing and mapping out communication plans.
• Experience in creating and writing marketing materials.
• Knowledge of Pepperdine University software/tools such as The Raiser's Edge, OmniUpdate (website editing/management), Trumba, and/or Salesforce.

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

Expected Pay Range: $23.79 - $26.44 per hour 

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. Pepperdine is committed to providing a work environment free from all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment. Engaging in unlawful discrimination or harassment will result in appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from the University.

Pepperdine is religiously affiliated with the Churches of Christ. It is the purpose of Pepperdine to pursue the very highest employment and academic standards within a context that celebrates and extends the spiritual and ethical ideals of the Christian faith. While students, faculty, and staff represent many religious backgrounds, Pepperdine is permitted under applicable law and reserves the right to seek, hire, and promote persons who support the goals and mission of the institution, including the right to prefer co-religionists who support Pepperdine's Christian mission.

Qualified individuals should be able to show respect for workplace differences, 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. Individuals will be required to disclose any criminal convictions on a designated form after receiving a conditional offer of employment; failure to disclose accurate information may result in withdrawal of the offer or termination of employment. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.