Associate Director, Alumni and Global Engagement

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $73,000 - $78,000

Position Summary

The Columbia Alumni Association (CAA) fosters a global network of alumni, students, faculty, and staff by creating meaningful opportunities for engagement, collaboration, and lifelong connection that strengthen both the University and its worldwide community.

Reporting to the Director of Global Engagement, the Associate Director of Alumni and Global Engagement serves as a key partner in advancing alumni engagement across Columbia's global alumni clubs and alumni groups. The role strengthens collaboration across volunteer communities, supports engagement strategies that enhance the alumni experience, and serves as a liaison between alumni leaders, University partners, and the broader Alumni Engagement team.

Working closely with alumni volunteers and campus stakeholders, the Associate Director cultivates relationships, supports volunteer leadership development and succession planning, expands meaningful engagement opportunities, and oversees alumni and student-focused programs and events. The role also supports Columbia Alumni Association signature initiatives, including Leaders Experience and Alumni Connects, while collaborating with University Alumni Relations and school-based partners to advance strategic alumni engagement efforts across the University.

Responsibilities

• Leads the growth and development of Columbia's global alumni community by recruiting and supporting volunteer leaders, strengthening domestic and international alumni clubs and groups, overseeing leadership development and succession planning, and implementing best practices that foster sustainable volunteer engagement.
• Develops and manages alumni engagement programs, events, and communications that increase participation in Columbia Alumni Association, University, club, and affinity group initiatives through in-person, hybrid, and virtual experiences.
• Develops and implements best practices, governance standards, and operational processes that support the effective management of alumni clubs, alumni groups, volunteers, and events. Partners with volunteer leaders to develop programming and communication strategies that strengthen engagement within their communities.
• Utilizes key performance indicators, analytics, and engagement metrics to evaluate program effectiveness, measure participation and growth, and inform engagement strategies.
• Builds and maintains collaborative relationships with colleagues across Development, school-based alumni and development offices, and University partners, including Admissions, Career Services, and other campus stakeholders, to advance alumni engagement initiatives.
• Manages alumni engagement technologies and databases, including NationBuilder and other University platforms, to support volunteer management, membership growth, communications, event administration, reporting, and data integrity while promoting adoption of University-supported engagement tools.
• Plans and manages logistics and budgets for domestic and international meetings, conferences, leadership programs, special events, and Presidential or VIP visits in support of global and domestic alumni engagement initiatives.
• Partners with regional alumni clubs, alumni groups, and University stakeholders to develop collaborative programming and support Columbia Alumni Association priorities, signature initiatives, and strategic engagement projects.
• Partners with faculty and campus leaders to develop intellectual programming and coordinate special events and educational opportunities for alumni in key domestic and international markets.
• Performs other duties and projects as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of experience in alumni relations, volunteer management, higher education advancement, or a related field.
• Experience working in higher education, nonprofit, or other complex organizational environments.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting, developing, and supporting alumni volunteer leaders, including leadership development and succession planning.
• Experience developing and managing alumni engagement programs, events, and initiatives.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities, adapt to changing needs, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent interpersonal, relationship-building, written, verbal, presentation, and active listening skills, with the ability to engage and influence diverse audiences.
• Strong analytical, organizational, problem-solving, and decision-making skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, volunteers, donors, board members, and other internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Workspace applications.
• Demonstrated commitment to exceptional customer service and high-quality work.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with CRM systems and Salesforce experience preferred.

Other Requirements

• Subject to business needs, the Office of Alumni Relations and Development supports a hybrid work arrangement for this position. Options will be discussed during the interview process.
• Must be available to work extended hours and or weekends as assigned, and have the ability to travel domestically and internationally.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.