Director of Alumni Engagement - School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy en Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)

All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s robust benefits package that includes: comprehensive health benefits, paid annual and holiday leave granted up front, generous tuition benefit, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuity and cash match programs, employee discounts, well-being resources, abundant opportunities for career development and advancement, and more. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here.

VCU is a public research university unlike any other. We're dedicated to serving the needs of students and patients and our passionate community isn't afraid to tackle difficult challenges others can't or won't. We’re home to creativity, teaching, discovery and healing. Our location in the heart of downtown Richmond, Virginia, means the nonstop energy of our city ignites our innovation and provides unlimited opportunities.

The mission of VCU’s Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) is to maximize philanthropic support by engaging stakeholders with our institution working in partnership with all VCU schools, programs and campuses as one development and alumni relations community and implementing the best practices and efficient strategies to achieve a comprehensive development program.

Reporting to the Associate Vice President for Alumni Relations, the Director of Alumni Engagement leads and manages alumni engagement for the School of Nursing and the School of Pharmacy. This position works in close collaboration and communication with the Development team within the School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy to elevate the caliber of the alumni engagement opportunities within and outside of Richmond, Virginia. The Alumni Engagement Officer will develop and execute a strategy to increase alumni engagement for the schools through alumni engagement programming, meaningful volunteer opportunities, and annual alumni events.

As the Director of Alumni Engagement for the School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy, you will:

• Serve as the primary liaison between the VCU Office of Alumni Relations and School of Nursing/School of Pharmacy to ensure mutual understanding and achievement of goals and priorities;
• Create and lead in-person and virtual lifelong learning, industry and affinity programming for alumni; provide suggestions and content for alumni communications;  lead event logistics; and recommend marketing messages and communication channels to promote;
• Host academic webinars/in-person programs with faculty/alumni experts on current and timely topics;
  Create programming to support the transition from student to alumni, working to educate students and recent graduates about the power and importance of lifelong engagement with the School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy;
• Provide metrics and evaluation around all alumni initiatives to guide programming decisions and track all alumni interactions in the constituent database, including areas such as: ROI, attendance lists, number of active volunteers recruited.
• Provide quarterly alumni engagement metric reporting to the VCU Office of Alumni Relations;
• Serve as strategic leader for the School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy’s regional alumni presence; support alumni volunteers who aim to connect the community in a region; and source alumni leaders for the VCU Alumni Council;
• Oversee and expand faculty involvement in programs, including recruiting faculty volunteers, stewardship of past faculty leaders, and collaborating with advancement colleagues to make best use of faculty resources for the School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy
• Implement new programmatic initiatives and/or leverage existing activities within the college to grow alumni participation for the School of Nursing and School of Pharmacy
• Plan, execute, communicate and assist with the success of alumni engagement events. 

As a team member, you will:

• Establish, cultivate, and maintain collaborative working relationships with internal partners.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the pursuit of excellence, high achievement, and ongoing professional development by proactively seeking opportunities to develop new capabilities, skills, and knowledge.
• Ensure work is completed accurately and within deadline. Set high standards, exhibit a positive attitude, maintain strict confidentiality, and show exemplary work ethic.
• Demonstrate a commitment to the highest quality service to internal and external communities.
• Demonstrate an open-minded approach to understanding people from all backgrounds, identities, abilities, perspectives and experiences;
• Reflect DAR’s and VCU’s core purpose and values.

Minimum Hiring Standards:

• Bachelor’s Degree in related field, or equivalent experience in higher education, corporate, or non-profit environment.
• Professional experience in a higher education setting, including experience in development, institutional advancement, or a related field such as event planning/management, communications, marketing, or public relations.
• Demonstrated ability to strategize, implement, and build constituency programs and activities, along with a talent for motivating volunteers.
• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal skills required; significant administrative experience in detail-oriented office with high level of interaction with outside community and University academic and medical communities.
• Ability to interact personably within a complex administrative organization, as well as with external groups.
• Maintain confidentiality – ability to work in a confidential environment with all levels of internal and external customers.
• Use sound judgment.
• Ability to prioritize, focus, work independently and be a self-starter.
• Ability to travel both locally and regionally as determined necessary.
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU
• Ability to work frequent evenings and occasional weekend events.

Preferred Hiring Standards:

• Experience in working with volunteers is desired.
• Experience and/or expertise and interest in the related academic field
• Ability to organize and complete numerous tasks simultaneously with close attention to detail and prioritization to meet deadlines.
• Personal commitment to the fundraising and alumni engagement field as evidenced through a strong work ethic and high standards.

A resume and cover letter are required for consideration. Preference will be given to candidates who apply by September 29, 2025.

Flexible work arrangements are available for candidates within a commutable distance to Richmond, VA.

VCU is transitioning to a new application system beginning on October 1, 2025. Please be aware that applicants for job postings that remain open after September 30, 2025 may be asked to resubmit your application in the new system after it goes live. Clear instructions will be provided at that time. We appreciate your understanding during this transition and look forward to reviewing your application.

Izzy Kane
[email protected]