Director of Engagement Communication

Overview:

The Director of Engagement Communications develops and executes strategies to engage and solicit volunteer and philanthropic support for the Engagement team. Reporting to the assistant vice president of engagement, they will primarily serve the Macalester Fund and Alumni Engagement teams.  They will be charged with engaging an audience of over 35,000 alumni, family, and friends through solicitation writing, stewardship, and impact reporting, as well as crafting event and volunteer communications, providing best practices and data-driven strategy.

Within the Engagement team, this engagement communications specialist will move the team forward toward goals of increasing alumni participation in events and volunteerism and an annual fundraising goal of $5.5 million.  Success requires both independent work and collaborative skills to partner effectively with Alumni Engagement, the Macalester Fund, and other campus partners.

This is a full-time position with a hybrid weekly schedule of Tuesday through Thursday in office each week, and ability to work Monday and Friday from home.

The interview process for this position will include requesting writing samples from candidates.

About The Department: 

Macalester’s Engagement team supports Advancement’s mission to deepen community relationships, provide experiential and volunteer opportunities, and expand the donor pool through increasing levels of engagement with the college. When students choose Macalester, they join a lifelong community of support. The Engagement team amplifies engagement and educates on the importance of everlasting connections and philanthropic support to ensure this incredible experience exists for students for years to come.

Responsibilities:

Lead Strategic Vision

•  Designs and executes a strategic communications plan that enhances constituent engagement while balancing needs of the Engagement team and wider College.
•  Collaborates with the Macalester Fund and Alumni Engagement teams to achieve shared goals for alumni engagement, philanthropic education, solicitation, retention, and advancement.
• Works closely with the Marketing and Communications team to create unified messaging for alumni outreach that aligns with college-wide communications, incorporating industry best practices and innovative communications techniques
• Acts as a leader on the Engagement Team, participates in setting office-wide strategies to further the division’s equity-grounded principles and the college’s strategic priorities.

Communication Strategy and Execution

•  Partners with the Engagement Directors to develop targeted approaches to engage distinct constituent segments including students, recent graduates, young alumni, mid-career alumni, identity & affinity groups, parents & families and regionally based groups.
• Works with the Macalester Fund director and Parent & Family Engagement director to create strategy and content for multiple multi-channels, multi-segmented solicitations with a goal of increasing donor support for the College’s operating budget.
• Produces broadcast email messages for alumni and parent & family audiences using responsive email framework and CRM/communications platforms. Compiles and formats content, edits images, coordinates with Engagement and campus partners to gather necessary information, and execute email sends
• Builds and sends mass emails using the Slate Deliver platform including MJML coding and GitHub.

Project Management

• Develops and manages an annual integrated communications strategy that tracks Engagement and wider College communications to ensure a steady cadence of information, calls for engagement, solicitation, and stewardship.
• Uses project management software to keep engagement team updated and timely on all constituent communications.
• Directs the creation, curation, and distribution of content, partnering with Marketing and Communications as well as vendors and consultants as needed.

Data and Analytics

• Tracks and analyzes the performance of alumni and family communications to measure effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.

Other Responsibilities:

• Completes other responsibilities as assigned. Participates as an active member of the team. Participates in department and college activities and supports implementation of shared goals and initiatives. Provides backup support to other members of the team

Required Skills:

• Communications program and project management.
• Demonstrated interest in digital best practices and tools to support effective email communications campaigns.
• Ability to prioritize needs and independently manage time across competing projects and prioritize needs.
• Experience with writing fundraising solicitations and audience segmentation.
• Strong relationship-building within the team and across campus.
• Experience in fundraising, development, and/or marketing preferred. 

Compensation:

The annual salary range for this position will be $67,320-$70,380 depending on qualifications.

Benefits:

At Macalester, we are proud to offer excellent comprehensive employee benefits. Here are some highlights:

• 10% employer contributions to the retirement plan.
• Generous Parental Leave.
• Outstanding vacation and sick time packages, plus an additional 10 holidays.
• Comprehensive health insurance plans, including a generous employer contribution to Health Savings Account.
• Tuition assistance which pays between 75% - 100% of eligible tuition for employee dependents at select institutions.
• Free primary care for most services through Nice Healthcare when enrolled in a Macalester health plan.
• Access to the athletics fitness facility, wellness coaching and activities.