Senior Director of Alumni and Student Engagement, University of Illinois Alumni Association (UIAA)

Senior Director of Alumni and Student Engagement

University of Illinois Alumni Association (UIAA)

ABOUT UIAA

The mission of the University of Illinois Alumni Association (hereinafter, “UIAA”) is to enhance and advance the relationship between the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (hereinafter, the “University”) and all its alumni; to inspire lifelong loyalty and pride among alumni and friends by strengthening their relationship with the University; and to educate the public about the value of the University and its alumni. The objectives of this Association are educational and charitable. The Association functions as an advocate for the alumni and the University by informing interested parties of current issues, events, and accomplishments of alumni and the University. In fulfilling its mission, the Association may provide a variety of services to the University and its alumni.

ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE

The UIAA is a 501c3 corporation, and the UIAA President reports directly to the UIAA Board of Directors (“Board”), in addition to maintaining an ongoing dialogue with the University’s Chancellor. All other staff report directly or indirectly to the President.

ABOUT THIS ROLE

The Senior Director of Alumni and Student Engagement is a new role and will report to the Vice President of Engagement. This role will provide management and oversight of various alumni engagement-focused efforts, including the alumni clubs program, the alumni travel program, and in-person and online alumni events. Additionally, this role will be directly responsible for young alumni and student-focused engagement efforts, including designing and implementing events and programs for young alumni and/or current students, advising Student Alumni Ambassadors (“SAA”), and ensuring the UIAA’s student and young alumni engagement strategy aligns with other UIAA engagement efforts.

This role will also act as a midlevel leader within the UIAA, supervising other team members, coordinating closely with the Vice President of Engagement and other leadership team members, and ensuring synergy among the UIAA’s engagement efforts. The Senior Director’s work and oversight will directly facilitate the achievement of the UIAA’s mission, goals, and metrics.

This will be a hybrid role, reporting to Alice Campbell Alumni Center in Urbana, IL, two days per week and working remotely three days per week. This role will require occasional travel and work outside of regular business hours.

MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Alumni and Student Engagement (50%)

• Develops and executes a young alumni engagement strategy. Oversees the planning, promotion, and execution of all young alumni-focused engagement initiatives.
  • Designs new young alumni engagement initiatives as needed.
  • Tailors general alumni engagement opportunities to young alumni when appropriate. Works closely with marketing and other team members to identify strategies to increase young alumni participation in existing events and programs.
• Oversees the planning, promotion, and execution of all general student engagement initiatives.
  • Designs new student engagement initiatives as needed.
  • Identifies opportunities to incorporate students into existing alumni-focused events and programs and ensures that students are integrated successfully.
• Serves as the advisor for SAA.
  • In consultation with relevant UIAA and SAA leadership team members, sets priorities and goals for SAA programs and initiatives. Advises and assesses SAA efforts according to agreed-upon metrics.
  • In consultation with SAA leadership team members, administers and ensures adherence to the annual SAA budget.
  • Attends SAA meetings and events as needed. Oversees and guides the planning of SAA events.
  • Ensures SAA is familiar with all relevant UIAA programs, events, and initiatives and that SAA is integrated into such efforts when appropriate.
• Serves as a team lead for UIAA’s Homecoming efforts.
  • Coordinates closely with the President and Vice President of Engagement to ensure synergy between UIAA and University-wide Homecoming plans.
  • In coordination with other UIAA team members, provides oversight of key Homecoming events including the SAA 5K and pancake breakfast kickoff event, the alumni awards gala, the student leader luncheon and panel, and other events as needed. Coordinates closely with all team members involved in and/or responsible for the planning of such events.
  • Participates in both internal and external planning meetings as needed, including maintaining collaborative relationships with key University partners.
  • Attends and/or staffs events as needed.
• Acts as a liaison to the Board’s Alumni and Student Engagement Committee and Awards Committee, respectively, including coordinating closely with committee chairs, other committee liaisons, and board operations staff to facilitate meetings and other engagement opportunities for committee members. Advises other Board committees and working groups as requested.
• Acts as a liaison to the Board as requested, including providing written or in-person reports and attending meetings and other events as needed.

Supervision and Team Management (45%)

• Acts as the head of the team for alumni engagement-focused staff (“engagement team”), including both full-time and student staff.
  • In consultation with the Vice President of Engagement and other engagement team members, sets priorities and goals for engagement programs and initiatives. Evaluates engagement efforts according to agreed-upon metrics and expands, revises, rehabilitates, and/or cancels efforts as needed.
  • Ensures synergy among all of the UIAA’s student- and alumni-focused engagement efforts. Seeks out and maximizes opportunities for collaboration and idea-sharing both within the engagement team and with other members of the UIAA staff and broader University community.
  • In consultation with the Vice President of Engagement and other engagement team members, prepares and administers the budget that supports engagement efforts. Works closely with all team members to ensure adherence to all budgets.
  • Serves as a liaison between the Vice President of Engagement and the engagement team. Works closely with the Associate Director of Alumni Engagement and other non-reporting team members as needed.
  • Maximizes the development of engagement team members, including developing internal professional development opportunities, encouraging external professional development opportunities, conducting regular individual meetings with direct reports, co-leading regular engagement team meetings, and conducting annual employee evaluations of direct reports.
  • Represents the UIAA at UIAA and/or partner events as needed, including traveling for non-local events.
• Supervises the Director of Alumni Clubs and Engagement.
  • Provides oversight of and support for alumni clubs program.
  • Staffs events and attends meetings as needed, including traveling for non-local events and meetings.
• Supervises the Associate Director of Alumni Experiences.
  • Provides oversight of and support for alumni travel program.
  • Provides oversight of and support for engagement event planning and logistics.
  • Staffs events as needed, including traveling for non-local events.
  • Coordinates with vendor partners as needed.
• Supervises the Assistant Director of Online Engagement.
  • Provides oversight of and support for all online engagement events and platforms (does not include social media platforms).
  • Coordinates with vendor partners as needed.
• Participates in the weekly UIAA operations meetings and ensures that marketing and operational needs for engagement programs are met. Provides or solicits regular updates during these meetings to ensure awareness of engagement efforts and synergy between these efforts and other UIAA initiatives; adjusts operations or planning as needed to minimize friction and promote success. Provides similar informational updates during staff and other meetings as requested

Other (5%)

• Participates in office-wide professional development, workplace culture, and other programs and trainings when offered.
• Plans and/or executes special projects as requested by UIAA leadership.
• Serves on committees, working groups, or other special project teams as needed.
• Performs other duties as requested.

TYPICAL DELIVERABLES EXPECTED

• Satisfaction of agreed-upon engagement metrics.
• Project- and/or area-specific strategic plans.
• Project- and/or area-specific budgets.
• Staff evaluations and professional development plans for direct reports.

JOB QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED

• Minimum 5 years of experience in alumni relations or a closely related area, preferably in higher education.
• Minimum 3 years of supervisory experience, demonstrating strong leadership, coaching, and collaboration skills.
• Knowledge of the UIAA’s mission and objectives.
• Demonstrated project management skills.
• Demonstrated process assessment and improvement skills.
• Strong organization skills and attention to detail.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Preferred:
  • Student advising experience.
  • Event, meeting, and/or program planning experience.
  • Volunteer management experience.

EDUCATION AND/OR CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree required.

Appointment Information

This is a 100% full-time Academic Professional position, appointed on a 12-month basis. The expected start date is as soon as possible after 2/26/2026. Salary range is $110,000 to $120,000

Application Procedures & Deadline Information

Applications must be received by 6:00 pm (Central Time) on February 26, 2026. Apply for this position using the Apply Now button at the top or bottom of this posting. Applications not submitted through will not be considered. For further information about this specific position, please contact Casey Arnold at [email protected]. For questions regarding the application process, please contact 217-333-2137.

At the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign — the state’s flagship public university and one of the world’s leading research institutions — every staff member helps shape what’s next . Founded in 1867, Illinois is home to a vibrant community of 59,000 students from all 50 states and 129 countries, supported by 15 colleges and instructional units, more than 20 research institutes, and one of the most comprehensive student service ecosystems in the nation. Whether you’re empowering first-generation students, fueling breakthrough innovation, or strengthening communities across Illinois and beyond, your work here has a far-reaching and deeply meaningful impact. The university offers a highly competitive benefits package designed to support your well-being, growth, and financial security. Join a top 10 public university that has launched over 330 startups and continues to redefine excellence — where the Illinois Value Proposition ensures that your contributions are recognized, your potential is nurtured, and your career can thrive.

Champaign-Urbana

Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position; however, all employment decisions will be made by a person.

This position is intended to be eligible for benefits. This includes Health, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, a Retirement Plan, Paid time Off, and Tuition waivers for employees and dependents.

The University of Illinois System is an equal opportunity employer, including but not limited to disability and/or veteran status, and complies with all applicable state and federal employment mandates. Please visit Required Employment Notices and Posters to view our non-discrimination statement and find additional information about required background checks, sexual harassment/misconduct disclosures, and employment eligibility review through E-Verify.

Applicants with disabilities are encouraged to apply and may request a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (2008) to complete the application and/or interview process. Accommodations may also be requested on the basis of pregnancy, childbirth, and related conditions, or religion. Requests may be submitted through the reasonable accommodations portal, or by contacting the Accessibility & Accommodations Division of the Office for Access and Equity at 217-333-0885, or by emailing [email protected].

Requisition ID : req16009

Job Category : Professional and Administrative

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