Director, Alumnae Engagement

Director, Alumnae Engagement

The USC Alumni Association is seeking a strategic, collaborative, and relationship-driven Director, Alumnae Engagement to lead efforts that deepen the connection between USC and its alumnae across generations. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President, Affinity Engagement, the Director will develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to inspire lifelong engagement among Trojan women—through programs, events, volunteer opportunities, and community-building initiatives that reflect the unique interests and experiences of alumnae.

The ideal candidate is a strong communicator, thoughtful listener, and experienced engagement professional with a passion for building welcoming communities and advancing institutional goals through alumni involvement. With a focus on relationships, visibility, and impact, the Director will work closely with colleagues and volunteers to create meaningful pathways for alumnae to connect, contribute, and lead.

This role offers the opportunity to shape how alumnae engage with USC today and into the future—strengthening the university’s mission while amplifying the voices and contributions of Trojan women across the world.

This is a hybrid-fixed position under our current work arrangement plan, with the expectation of an on-site presence for 3 days/week on the University Park Campus. Late nights, weekends, and travel are required for this position.

University Advancement is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all, where all advancement staff and our stakeholders have the opportunity to connect, belong, and grow while supporting the University of Southern California’s mission, values, and goals.

Responsibilities

Strategic Direction (40%)

• Maximize alumnae engagement through the development and implementation of a dynamic and comprehensive alumnae engagement strategy and alumnae affinity programs.

• Provide timely and effective communications to alumnae utilizing all modes of communication in partnership with USCAA and Advancement Communications.

• Oversee all aspects of data reporting related to volunteer engagement, including regular internal reports, and annual impact/engagement reports.

• Stay informed about current trends and best practices in higher education volunteer engagement and management.

Volunteer & Program Management (40%)

• With the support of the Alumni Experience team and university events, design and organize activities and special events (e.g. USC Women’s Conference) that appeal to a wide-ranging group of alumnae.

• Evaluate current alumnae groups and volunteer structure and implement a broad-based volunteer engagement strategy for alumnae to participate in volunteer roles ranging from micro-volunteering opportunities to traditional volunteer board roles.

• Actively recruit, manage, and train alumni volunteers for leadership positions within USC and alumnae groups that represent the full spectrum of the overall alumni body.

• Support the fundraising and scholarship programs within the alumnae groups to ensure growth, impact, and compliance with university and federal guidance.

• Establish policies standard operating procedures, goals, metrics and other key performance indicators to measure the ongoing effectiveness and impact of the program.

• Ensure all volunteers are coded in the database to ensure proper tracking and building of a volunteer pipeline.

• Develop and maintain relationships with key volunteer leadership, support the Board of Governors committees, and identify opportunities to grow the USCAA volunteer and engagement pipeline.

Partnerships (20%)

• Coordinate with alumni and campus departments/staff to engage alumnae.

• Travel to network and group events as needed to provide on-site volunteer engagement support.

• Work closely with annual giving, major and planned giving, to increase the donor pipeline through referrals and activation of alumni volunteers.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.

• Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education.

• Minimum of 3 – 5 years of professional experience in alumni engagement and program management, or related function/field with progressive management and leadership responsibilities.

• Possess a strong track record of working with teams to envision and execute strategic initiatives that will increase engagement and philanthropic support.

• Experience with volunteer management including board engagement and volunteer recruitment.

• Track record in individual and institutional fundraising.

• Late nights, weekends, and travel are required for this position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree

• 5 – 7 years of professional experience in alumni engagement and program management, or related function/field with progressive management and leadership responsibilities.

• Familiarity with/in higher education, or other multifaceted and complex institutions.

• Advanced knowledge of current affairs and issues in higher education with ability to quickly and thoroughly understand the changing higher education landscape.

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values of integrity, excellence, community, well-being, open communication, and accountability.

Required Documents

Resume and cover letter required (may be uploaded as one file). Please do not submit your application without these documents.

Compensation and Benefits

The budgeted salary range for this position is $95,000 - $105,000. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer alignment, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

To support faculty and staff well-being, USC provides benefits-eligible employees with a broad range of benefits and perks to help protect their and their dependents’ health, wealth, and future. These benefits are available as part of the overall compensation and total rewards package. You can learn more about USC’s comprehensive benefits here.

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 3 years Minimum Field of Expertise: Directly related professional and supervisory experience in area of program specialization