<p>Are you a detail-oriented strategist with a passion for world-class experiences? We are looking for an Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement to serve as a primary architect of adventure and connection for our global Huskie family.</p> <p>The impact you will make working closely with the Engagement Team within the Division of Advancement will drive the vitality of our outreach efforts. Reporting to the Executive Director, your role will be pivotal in:</p> <ul> <li>Journey Curating: Serving as the initial point of contact for interested travelers, guiding them through the possibilities of our Travel Program with expertise and enthusiasm. </li><li>Operational Excellence: Powering the daily operations of the engagement program, from logistical planning and reporting to the creative development of event materials. </li><li>Strategic Support: Acting as a key lieutenant to leadership, providing critical assistance in budgeting, financial management, event management, and specialized travel planning. </li><li>Mission Advocacy: Consistently interacting with high-level donors and prospects to promote the vision and values of NIU and its Foundation. </li></ul> <p>We are looking for a professional who balances the "big picture" of alumni engagement with the</p> <p>precision of high-level administration. Your toolkit should include:</p> <ul> <li>A Precision Mindset: A high level of detail and organization is your signature. You thrive on managing complex logistics and ensuring no element of a special event is overlooked. </li><li>Uncompromising Ethics: You will be a guardian of the institution's reputation, exercising total discretion when handling sensitive donor and constituent data while meeting the highest ethical standards. </li><li>Financially Savvy: You possess the ability to navigate budgeting and financial assistance tasks with accuracy, ensuring our programs remain sustainable and impactful. </li><li>Engaging Communication: Whether you are providing administrative support behind the scenes or interacting directly with alumni, your communication is professional, welcoming, and persuasive. </li></ul> <p>Position Summary</p> <p>In this high-impact role, you will be the heartbeat of our Travel Program and Events, acting as the essential bridge between Northern Illinois University and our community of alumni, donors, and prospects. You aren't just coordinating trips and gatherings-you are creating the moments that strengthen the bond between our constituents, the NIU Foundation, and the NIU Alumni Association.</p> <p>Essential Duties and Responsibilities</p> <p>Event Program Support - 35%</p> <ul> <li>Collaborates with the event team on event planning and execution. </li><li>Stays fully trained on systems and software including event creation, data pulling, and event information lookup. </li><li>Works to identify venues, availability, pricing for events locally and regionally, including site visits. </li><li>Maintain master calendar of events. </li><li>Research of regional activities for events. </li><li>Communicate with attendees for registrations, answering questions, and collecting payment. </li><li>Maintains RSVP lists. </li><li>Fields inbound calls from potential attendees with questions and registration assistance. </li><li>Assists with financial closing of events. </li><li>Attends events to help with setup, check-in, and tear-down. </li><li>Prints nametags for events. </li><li>Curates door prizes and other event collaterals for events. </li><li>Closes out events by capturing attendees, no-shows, walk-ins, and on-site transactions. </li></ul> <p>Travel Program Support - 35%</p> <ul> <li>Acts as the initial point of contact for inbound inquiries from potential travelers. </li><li>Maintains traveler lists and tracks traveler information. </li><li>Assists in the creation of marketing lists. </li><li>Ensures trips get posted on website. </li><li>Prepares packets for travelers. </li><li>Manages list pulls to identify alumni in areas where trips are executed. </li></ul> <p>Mission Live Mascot Program Management - 10%</p> <ul> <li>Manages Mission's scheduling. </li><li>Oversees billing for Mission's appearances. </li><li>Acts as primary liaison for inquiries. </li><li>Serves as initial point of contact for Mission's handler and ROTC. </li></ul> <p>NIU Alumni Association Board Support - 10%</p> <ul> <li>Assists in building board meeting packets. </li><li>Assists Executive Director with scheduling board activities. </li><li>Manages key board processes, including orientation and award selection. </li><li>Maintains board bios and contact lists. </li><li>Provides administrative support for the nominating committee and the awards committee. </li></ul> <p>Marketing & Promotional Materials Management - 5%</p> <ul> <li>Manages promotional items and giveaway distribution. </li><li>Tracks promotional items and giveaway inventories. </li><li>Supervises students, ensure that division needs for promotional items and giveaways are being fulfilled. </li></ul> <p>Other Related Duties - 5%</p> <ul> <li>Supports the overall work, processes and functions of the events team and assists with other duties as assigned. </li></ul> <p>Minimum Required Qualifications (Civil Service)</p> <p>N/A</p> <p>Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) (Civil Service)</p> <p>N/A</p> <p>Specialty Factors (Civil Service)</p> <p>N/A</p> <p>Preferred Qualifications (Civil Service)</p> <p>N/A</p> <p>Minimum Required Qualifications (SPS)</p> <ul> <li>Bachelor's degree (or higher) from an accredited college or university. </li><li>Two (2) years of professional experience in development, marketing, sales or other related fields. </li><li>Valid driver's license and use of personal transportation. </li></ul> <p>Additional Requirements (SPS)</p> <ul> <li>Demonstrable commitment to the highest standard of ethical and professional conduct in accordance with the CASE Statement of Ethics, the Association of Fundraising Professionals Code of Ethical Principles and Standards, and The Donor Bill of Rights. (Membership not required.) </li><li>Deep, personal commitment to diversity in all forms, the recognition of all individuals to mutual respect, and the acceptance of others without biases. Demonstrable commitment to leading by example, modeling diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the university. </li><li>Demonstrated knowledge of data collection best practices. </li><li>Excellent written and verbal communication skills to present and deliver information effectively. </li><li>Familiarity with electronic registration tools. </li><li>Demonstrated ability to prioritize competing projects and project-manage multiple projects at a time. </li><li>Ability to exercise discretion and confidentiality. </li><li>Ability to keep accurate records and complete timely reports. </li><li>Ability to maintain confidentiality of sensitive information. </li><li>Ability to work collaboratively with colleagues, co-workers and constituents. </li><li>The ability to work effectively with system administrators or programmers. </li><li>Skill and ability in applying use of Microsoft Office suite. </li><li>Ability to prioritize and handle multiple projects simultaneously. </li><li>Ability to use common sense approaches, work autonomously, and make reliable, prudent and sound decisions. </li><li>Ability to provide high quality services in a cost-effective manner and to recommend improved methods of performing the work. </li></ul> <p>Preferred Qualifications (SPS)</p> <p>None</p> <p>Physical demands/requirements</p> <ul> <li>Some travel is required for this position. Use of a personal vehicle is required </li><li>While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. </li><li>The employee frequently is required to stand for long periods of time; walk; use fingers and hands to feel, grasp, operate or handle objects, tools, or controls; and reach with hands and arms. </li><li>Must be able to lift and carry 20 lbs regularly. </li></ul> <p>Note: Applicant should be able to perform responsibilities and physical demands with or without reasonable accommodations.</p>