Alumni Engagement Coordinator at Durham University

Durham, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

29 Apr, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

29 Jan, 26

Experience

2 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Alumni Engagement, Event Management, Communication Skills, Collaboration, IT Proficiency, Administrative Skills, Problem Solving, Organizational Skills, Digital Competence, Fundraising, Networking, Relationship Building, Data Analysis, Customer Service, Public Relations, Marketing

Industry

Higher Education

Description

The University At Durham University we are proud of our people. A globally outstanding centre of educational excellence, a collegiate community of extraordinary people, a unique and historic setting – Durham is a university like no other. Across the University we have a huge variety of roles and career opportunities, which together make us a large and successful community, which is a key hub of activity within our region and nationally. Whether you are at the very start, middle or end of your career, there is a role for you. We believe everyone has their own unique skills to offer. We would be thrilled if you would consider joining our thriving University. Further information about the University can be found here. Find out more about the benefits of working at the University and what it is like to live and work in the Durham area on our Why Join Us? - Information Page. The Role and the Department The College Grey College was founded in 1959 and is approaching its 70th anniversary in 2029. The College is named after Charles, 2ndEarl Grey who was prime minister at the time of the founding of the University and a reforming politician, leading on the reform of parliament, workers rights, suffrage and the abolition of slavery. Grey College today continues to expound these values, and is home to c 1500 students, c 450 of which reside and are fully catered at our main site located between the science campus and Mountjoy. College staff work closely with our student leadership and representative body, organized into the Junior and Middle Common Rooms (JCR & MCR), which offer more than 30 clubs and societies, plus social and fundraising events, and is led by two full-time sabbatical officers and student volunteer officers. We also have a Senior Common Room (SCR) which includes our mentors and adds to the life of the College. We offer a student enrichment programme, titled Grey Opportunities, together with a vibrant calendar of cultural and social events and activities, including formal dinners, charity events and student volunteering. The College is fortunate in having a large body of more than 15000 alumni contacts and we are seeking to increase their engagement in our communications, events, in supporting our students, and in fundraising. With a long history of alumni giving, the College has an established Trust which oversees fundraising and the disbursement of funds on student bursaries, scholarships and College projects. More recently, the Alumni Engagement Steering Group has replaced the previous alumni association structure, bringing all alumni facing activities under the co-ordination and ownership of the College. We have a range of opportunities for alumni engagement, ranging from mentoring, careers and skills workshops, online careers advice, though to alumni reunion events and stakeholder dinners in Durham and London. Through increased engagement and support for our vision for 2029, we hope to increase alumni involvement, regular giving and one-off donations. The Role Grey College is seeking an enthusiastic and engaging Alumni Engagement Coordinator to play a vital role alongside the Principal and other members of the College team in delivering and developing our alumni engagement plan ahead of our 70thanniversary. We are seeking a motivated and passionate individual to plan and implement alumni communications, including donor reports, alumni events (ranging from small gatherings to large scale weekend events and donor cultivation dinners), and to help co-ordinate a major fundraising project. The role holder will lead on alumni engagement, event management and developing and maintaining the College’s alumni data. They will assist with the administration of scholarships and college trust awards, including collating student reports to feedback good case studies to alumni and donors. They will work alongside the Principal, Vice Principal and University’s Development and Alumni Relations Office DARO on alumni and supporter development with the aim of increasing the number of regular givers, upgrading existing donors and identifying and cultivating key prospects. Liaison with key colleagues including the Vice Principal, Principal and DARO will be particularly important in relation to major gifts, communications and working with alumni and the alumni database. The Alumni Engagement Coordinator will be a visible part of College life, both on site and at events off site for alumni and other guests. The role will involve some evening and weekend working during key periods, as well as some travel in the UK. This will be agreed in advance with the line manager. The base location for this role is Grey College, situated south of the City and easy walking distance from the main university buildings. Some travel to events e.g. in London may be required. While this role is being advertised on a full time (35 hours per week) basis, we are happy to consider job share/part time working. Working at Durham A competitive salary is only one part of the many fantastic benefits you will receive if you join the University: • You’ll receive 27 days annual leave per year in addition to 8 public holidays and 4 customary days per year - a total of 39 days. The University closes between Christmas and New Year. • No matter how you travel to work, we have you covered. We have parking across campus, a cycle to work scheme which helps you to buy a bike and discount with local bus and train companies. • You can access exclusive discounts via our benefits portal including money off at supermarkets, high street retailers, IT products such as Apple, eating out and days out at various attractions. • Our on-site nursery is rated Outstanding by Ofsted, and you can access holiday camps for children aged 5-16. • We provide wide-ranging health and wellbeing support including discounted membership for our state-of-the-art sport and gym facilities and access to a 24-7 Employee Assistance Programme. • We offer all staff the opportunity to take part in volunteering activities to make a difference to the local community. • Our family friendly policies, including maternity and adoption leave, are among the most generous in the higher education sector (and likely above and beyond many employers). • If you are keen on advancing in your role or career, we have a genuine passion for developing our colleagues from qualifications to IT skills, courses and apprenticeships. • We offer generous pension schemes with varying contribution amounts to help you plan for your future. Discover more about our total rewards and benefits package here. Durham University is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion Our collective aim is to create an open and inclusive environment where everyone can reach their full potential and we believe our staff should reflect the diversity of the global community in which we work. As a University equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are a key part of the University’s Strategy and a central part of everything we do. We also live by our values and our Staff Code of Conduct. At Durham we actively work towards providing an environment where our staff and students can study, work and live in a community which is supportive and inclusive. We welcome and encourage applications from members of groups who are under-represented in our work force including people with disabilities, women and black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. If you have taken time out of your career, and you feel it relevant, let us know about it in your application. If you are a candidate with a disability, we are committed to ensuring fair treatment throughout the recruitment process. We will make adjustments to support the interview process wherever it is reasonable to do so and, where successful, reasonable adjustments will be made to support people within their role. What you need to demonstrate when you apply/Person Specification When you apply it is important that you let us know what skills/experience you have from a similar role and/or what skills/experience you have which would make you right for this role. Further information about the role and responsibilities is at the end of this job description. Where a criteria has an asterisk* next to it, it may be given additional weighting when your application is considered. Your application should cover the following criteria: Essential Criteria Qualifications/Experience 1. Five GCSEs at least Grade C or level four (or equivalent) including English Language and Mathematics or a Post-16 qualification or equivalent experience. 2. Experience in a similar role or environment, for example: alumni engagement, events management, PR, marketing or a similar customer facing role 3. Experience of working collaboratively with other team members to ensure the delivery of high-quality services. 4. IT proficient, with experience of MS Office, and of using systems and databases in day to day work 5. Excellent communication skills, and adept at communication with wide range of audiences. 6. Administrative experience 7. Experience of working with others and building good working relationships Skills/Abilities/Knowledge 1. Excellent spoken and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate across different formats and media. 2. The ability to develop effective working relationships, both internally and externally. 3. Strong digital competence across a range of digital devices and apps including digital communication tools and Microsoft 365 applications. 4. Committed to training and continuing professional development. 5. Understanding and appreciation of the Higher Education system in the UK 6. Ability to solve problems and plan appropriate solutions both by yourself and collaboratively as part of a team, as appropriate. 7. Ability to participate in networks to share and discuss good practice and exchange information. 8. Strong organisational and planning skills. 8. Strong organisational and planning skills. Desirable Criteria 1. Demonstrable experience of working in alumni engagement, events management, PR, or marketing. 2. Demonstrable experience of using Raiser’s Edge or other stakeholder management (CRM) systems 3. Experience of using social media to inform and engage stakeholders 4. Fundraising experience (at a regular giving or major giving level) How to apply To progress to the assessment stage, candidates must evidence each of the essential criteria required for the role in the person specification above. Where there are desirable criteria we would also urge you to provide any relevant evidence. Please don’t forget to check if there is any weighted criteria (see above). While some criteria will be considered at the shortlisting stage, other criteria may be considered later in the assessment process, such as questions at interview. Submitting your application We prefer to receive applications online. We will update you about your application at various points during the process, via automated emails from our e-recruitment system. Please check your spam/junk folder periodically to ensure you receive all emails What you are required to submit: • A CV • A supporting statement which shows examples of how you meet all of the criteria within the Person Specification Contact details If you would like to have a chat or ask any questions about the role, Sonia Virdee, Grey College Principal would be happy to speak to you. sonia.r.virdee@durham.ac.uk Service Delivery · Continually review what is required from our global alumni community to ensure the best possible service. · Respond to queries and provide information/advice, while raising more specialist or complex queries with more experienced team members. · Use your experience and problem-solving skills to investigate and resolve issues relating to alumni communications, event planning, regular giving and stewardship and make recommendations based on your findings. · Enhance Durham University’s reputation by providing support to the running of internal and external alumni activities. · Ensure that information used to analyse alumni interactions and giving is accurate and provide reports and analysis of patterns and trends to senior colleagues. · Prepare reports for consideration by senior managers. This could include giving data, alumni communication responses (and email open rates), event and stewardship proposals and/or summaries for internal and external stakeholder meetings. · As the post-holder will be based in the College Office, occasional sign-posting of students to appropriate support services when necessary. · Show a commitment to the University’s values including equality, diversity and inclusion Planning and Organising · Help manage and coordinate alumni engagement, cultivation and stewardship events, preparation for and delivery of events and activities. · Plan and organise own workload to deliver the role · Organise and offer administrative support for Alumni Engagement Steering Group and Trust meetings. Teamwork · Provide specialist support and advice to College team members regarding alumni queries, events and stewardship. Escalate more complex queries to colleagues in College or the Development and Alumni Relations Office. · Work collaborative with colleagues in DARO on communications, events and the stewardship of donors. · Make changes to the services provided by your team in discussion with other team members. · Identify opportunities and contribute to decisions on how to improve services being delivered by the team. · Use alumni feedback to inform improvements and to make recommendations to senior colleagues. · Provide line management, guidance and support to the student alumni engagement intern Communications/Liaison · Use your knowledge and expertise to provide advice and guidance to resolve problems and respond to a wide range of queries. · Update Grey College webpages, (specifically alumni-facing pages), alumni databases and social media. · Draft communications (email, social media, postal and telephone) for our global alumni community in collaboration with the College Management Team and DARO. · Provide information and updates to others within the College Team, Trust and AESG. · Create good working relationships with other team members and anyone else that you come across as part of your role to work together on joint activities. · Liaise with members of the College Leadership Team to ensure services are being delivered in an efficient and collaborative way. · Record information such as bookings for activities/events and share with internal partners. · Contribute and engage with staff, student leaders and key stakeholders on our anniversary campaign. · Any other reasonable duties. Please note that in submitting your application Durham University will be processing your data. We would ask you to consider the relevant University Privacy Statement Privacy Notices - Durham University which provides information on the collation, storing and use of data. SECONDMENT The post is full time, fixed term for a 12 month period and may be offered on an internal secondment basis subject to the agreement of the current line manager. When appointing to this role the University must ensure that it meets any applicable immigration requirements, including salary thresholds which are applicable to some visas.

Responsibilities

The Alumni Engagement Coordinator will plan and implement alumni communications and events, and coordinate a major fundraising project. They will also assist with the administration of scholarships and maintain the College’s alumni data.