The University of Maryland Alumni Association is the heart of the university, inspiring lifelong connections with a global network of Maryland alumni. In an effort to achieve this vision, we connect, cultivate, and channel the power of alumni to enrich themselves and advance the university through membership, event engagement, and volunteerism.

The Program Manager, Student & Recent Graduate Engagement will generate a pipeline of loyal, engaged alumni through initiatives with current students and recent graduates. In an effort to achieve this, the Program Manager will oversee the Alumni Association’s student-alumni program by enhancing existing programs and creating new ones that achieve the association’s and the division’s engagement, development, and stewardship goals. This includes but is not limited to managing and advising the national award-winning Student Alumni Leadership Council (SALC); creating, executing, and evaluating 20+ events annually in conjunction with SALC, the Alumni Association’s Events and Programs team, and other teams across the division; supervising student interns; serving as the staff liaison to the Alumni Association Board of Governors Scholarship Committee and the primary administrator for the Alumni Association Scholarship Program, and representing the Alumni Association on several campus-wide committees (e.g. Fall Welcome). Additionally, the Program Manager will launch new initiatives and programs to engage the university’s graduate student population including collaborative efforts with academic schools and colleges, the Graduate School, and the Career Center.

The Program Manager will work creatively to build a robust strategy for communicating with and engaging graduates of the last decade (GOLD). In this capacity, the Program Manager will select, train, and liaise with the GOLD Council, a group of 10+ volunteers strategically located around the country in key cities who plan programs and events for other recent graduates in their area. Furthermore, the Program Manager will design a multi-channel communication plan using marketing and communications best practices in order to best communicate our programs, events, and resources to our most recent graduates. Through intentional strategies across the division including effective and relevant communications and programming, the Program Manager will aid in the increase of recent graduate event participation and giving to the university.

The Program Manager will work across the Division of University Relations with the Vice President’s Office, the Board of Trustees, Campaign Planning, Donor Relations and Stewardship, and others to enhance the student and alumni experience at the university by developing strategies that achieve shared division and university-wide goals. Ultimately, the Program Manager will serve as the association and division expert on all things related to students and recent graduates. Critical thinking, creativity, strong relationship building skills, and excellent problem-solving skills are all essential for the role.

The Program Manager will join a high performing, energetic team that works toward achieving the mission and vision of the Alumni Association and the university.

Education (include licenses, certifications, etc.):
Bachelor’s degree required.

Experience:
A minimum of 4 years of experience working in alumni relations, student affairs, development, nonprofit, and/or relationship management capacity. Time spent in a graduate program if working a relevant graduate assistantship can count toward years of experience.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
● Demonstrated proficiency at building and fostering professional relationships
● Demonstrated experience managing programs and coordinating events
● Strong work ethic and self-starter attitude with a genuine interest in contributing to a team who is eager to propose new tools and innovations
● Excellent interpersonal and organizational skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community
● Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, prioritizing tasks, thinking proactively, and working independently or as part of a team
● Must demonstrate exceptional attention to detail and superior customer service skills
● Good understanding/appreciation of the values of a public high education institution and ability to articulate it to internal and external constituencies
● Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite applications, particularly Gmail, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
● Ability to work evenings and weekends for events when necessary