Senior Executive Director, Alumni Association
University of Maryland, College Park
College Park, MD - United States
The University of Maryland seeks an innovative and entrepreneurial leader to serve as the next Senior Executive Director of the Alumni Association. Applications, inquiries, and nominations are invited.
Founded in 1856, the University of Maryland, College Park is a public land-grant research university, the state’s flagship institution, and home to more than 41,000 students, 14,000 faculty and staff, and 414,000 alumni. The 1,250-acre College Park campus is just minutes away from Washington, D.C., the nexus of the nation’s legislative, executive, and judicial centers of power. This unique proximity to business and technology leaders; federal departments and agencies; and a myriad of research entities, embassies, think tanks, cultural centers, and non-profit organizations is simply unparalleled. Synergistic opportunities for faculty and students are ubiquitous in the nation’s capital and surrounding areas. It is also close to Baltimore, a major center for commerce and higher education in Maryland. The University is committed to attracting and retaining outstanding and diverse faculty and staff that will enhance its stature of preeminence in its three missions of teaching, scholarship, and full engagement in the community, the state of Maryland, and in the world.
The Senior Executive Director of the Alumni Association is the chief alumni officer for the University of Maryland, in addition to serving as the leader of the University of Maryland Alumni Association (UMDAA) 501c3, representing 414,000+ alumni. The UMDAA is an industry leader in alumni relations, earning 13 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards, including four Grand Gold awards since 2018. Demonstrating growth across key metrics, from alumni engagement, membership participation, and rental income from the Samuel Riggs Alumni Center business, the UMDAA is well-positioned for expanded growth following the launch of its new strategic plan Forever Fearless, in July 2023.
The mission of the UMDAA is to connect, cultivate, and channel the power of alums to enrich their own lives, advance the University, and impact the greater good. The Senior Executive Director will develop strategies and action plans to build alumni pride and involvement, promote social and career networking among alumni, develop regional/affinity/special interest/corporate alumni networks, enlist alumni in service to, and support of, the University, provide services to alumni, and build awareness of the UMDAA among current students. They will be responsible for advancing a comprehensive alumni relations program for UMD, which proactively engages deans, vice presidents, directors, students, staff, and volunteers with alumni.
As a member of the senior staff team for the Division of University Relations (UR), reporting directly to the Associate Vice President of People and Engagement, the Senior Executive Director works with divisional leadership, key volunteers, and university representatives to achieve UR’s goals and advance the University, providing input on division-wide priorities including staffing, policies, budget, and fundraising campaigns.
The successful candidate will have at least 11 years of experience within alumni or volunteer relations or related/relevant fields; progressive experience supervising and managing staff and budgets; superior public speaking, storytelling, communication, managerial, planning, organizational, leadership, and interpersonal skills; and a demonstrated knowledge of non-profit organizations, with an emphasis on higher education institutions.
All applications, nominations, and inquiries are invited. Applications should include, as separate documents, a CV or resume and a letter of interest addressing the themes in the leadership profile.
WittKieffer is assisting the University of Maryland in this search. For fullest consideration, candidate materials should be received by June 3, 2024. Nominations, inquiries, and application materials can be directed to Lauren Bruce-Stets and Kim Migoya at MarylandAlumniSrExecDirector@wittkieffer.com.
Benefits Information: Benefits Overview for Regular Exempt Employees
Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of Maryland, College Park, an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, age, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, creed, marital status, political affiliation, personal appearance, or on the basis of rights secured by the First Amendment, in all aspects of employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.