Regional Engagement Officer - Alumni Engagement

The Engagement Officer will serve as the market expert for a designated region of the United States, including regular travel, management of regional volunteers, solicitation of gifts, and strategic alignment of events and programs in market to support engagement and fundraising objectives. This role, based in Miami, will also serve as a liaison to one of the University’s 12 schools and colleges, attending events on campus and engaging with alumni who graduated from that unit.

This role is part of the Lifelong Engagement Team, which is responsible for all national and international engagement of constituents including alumni, parents, donors, and friends of the University. This team manages nearly 40 ’Canes Communities, regional councils, and develops appropriate University national tours.  This team also serves as front-line engagement officers (each managing a small portfolio), proactively meeting constituents locally and in top tier markets to get them involved and soliciting them for gifts under $100,000.  The regional team supports volunteer engagement and will strategically pair up constituencies with opportunities for engagement, working to actively move volunteers through a pipeline of involvement and trajectory of giving, both locally and in region.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Regional Engagement to develop the strategic vision, management, and marketing of regional programs and events that encompasses both engagement and giving components, and that fosters a high level of participation and that meets the established metrics/goals developed for the program.

• Engage with alumni and friends of the University locally and in region through a regular cadence of outreach, including but not limited to phone calls, emails, visits, and alumni group gatherings. Document interactions in the University’s CRM timely and in accordance with guidelines and policies. Ensure consistent outreach and documentation to support monthly metrics reporting to leadership.

• Drive the operational plan for your assigned region to ensure ownership of the relationships, connections, events, and communication for a given market. Work with market volunteers to execute.

• Create regional programming/events that will appeal to a diverse audience, including alumni, parents, donors, and friends of the University, that strategically align with core objectives, and that will include participation by the President, Vice President, Deans, University staff, administration, and faculty as appropriate. 

• Manage the scheduling, budgeting, planning, relationship management, marketing, and execution of programs/events.  This includes but is not limited to branded programs such as the Game Watch Program, ’Cane Conversations, Global Networking Night, ’Canes Day of Service, etc., as well as national tours.

• Maximize constituent engagement for all programs and events by using various recruitment and communication vehicles including but not limited to social media, digital media, direct mail, list serves, websites, telephone campaigns, volunteer outreach efforts, and personal contacts.

• Leverage school and college events and programs locally to engage with constituents, qualify, and refer prospects to major gift officers; serve as liaison to assigned unit and work in collaboration with unit development.

• Develop an effective plan to implement best practices within the programs (i.e., recruitment of ’Canes Community volunteers, alumni engagement, data clean up, update of constituent records, peer benchmarking, etc.) and utilize these best practices to create a culture of continuous improvement.

• Develop and manage a portfolio of constituent prospects to engage and solicit on an annual basis.

• Identify and recruit volunteers to provide support for university programs, such as Young Alumni Leadership Council, UM Alumni Association Board, student recruitment representatives, alumni career services, reunion committees, Annual Giving, and campaign initiatives.

• Collaborate with the volunteer leadership team to ensure regional volunteers are following best practices and serving as strong ambassadors to the University, building relationships with alumni and friends in market.

• Identify and develop new program opportunities and establish appropriate goals for designated programs.

• Administer and manage the fiscal reporting with full responsibility and accountability for assigned program budgets. 

• Benchmark and track important constituent outreach objectives, including engagement within designated programs.

• Assist the Senior Director of Regional Engagement with any matters or responsibilities deemed appropriate.

• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Excellent social and customer service skills, and initiative mixed with sound judgment; good verbal and written communication skills are required, as well as the ability to interact with all University constituents. 

• Ability to manage events and projects from start to finish, managing time and tasks effectively. 

• Ability to manage a heavy workload and at times conflicting priorities as well as tracking progress on a wide range of initiatives.

• Must be a strategic thinker with excellent organizational and interpersonal skills, and a philosophy of teamwork and hands on implementation. 

• Ability to persuade and negotiate with internal and external audiences required. 

• Must exhibit a willingness to provide outstanding customer service, and an outgoing receptive personality. 

• Should be comfortable working independently; follow directions of, accept constructive criticism from, and seek advice from their supervisor. 

• Must have an excellent command of all Microsoft Office Applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access.

• A flexible schedule due to the high time demands of the position is expected.

Education & Work Experience Requirements (Essential Requirements):

• Candidate must have a bachelor’s degree in business, communications, marketing, or a related field.

• Five plus years of effective and relevant work experience in event and program planning with some fundraising experience. 

• Experience collaborating with volunteer-based support groups or constituents and special event coordination is essential.