Alumni Officer
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
Job purpose
Build communities of supporters by developing highly effective and bespoke alumni programmes and promoting relevant School and College news and events. Ensure alumni are kept up to date with research, teaching and student developments and achievements to harness the goodwill and support of alumni for the benefit of School and College goals, especially in the areas of undergraduate and postgraduate student recruitment, student experience and employability, and building School and College international research networks and reputations. Raise awareness among staff and students in Schools of the benefits of alumni engagement and fundraising. Encourage and support Schools to run their own alumni activities that build affinity and develop networks.
Main duties & responsibilities
- Contribute to the development and execution of alumni engagement strategies and programmes that specifically aim to build communities of alumni around particular Schools and professions. Assist in the development of operational plans to deliver these.
- Working with colleagues, coordinate and manage an anniversary/reunion and reunion giving programme. Ensure alumni are supported with the planning of their own events and reunions and relevant colleagues are involved where required in order to maximise engagement and fundraising opportunities.
- Devise and deliver appropriate student engagement activities with the aim of raising awareness among students and staff of the benefits of alumni engagement and the opportunities on offer to current students, with particular focus on student employability benefits. e.g. student workshops, initiatives and presence at Graduations. Attract relevant alumni to take part to support careers events.
- Responsible for monitoring alumni activity across Colleges and ensuring coordination and link up with College communications, advise on messaging and appropriate timing and create content for communications for particular School and College cohorts. Promote University wide alumni programmes throughout Schools.
- Work closely with relevant Careers colleagues to deepen alumni involvement for student and recent graduate employability programmes (on-line and face to face mentoring, careers presentations and conferences, internships, placements, etc.), also ensuring that Schools can draw on relevant expertise and offers of help from across the entire alumni database (not only alumni of specific school programmes).
- Through face-to-face meetings and other communications, engage alumni, developing opportunities for them to support the University through philanthropy, volunteering, advocacy and influence. Represent the University as an Ambassador at Events on and off campus.
- Maintain accurate and up to date lists of senior and influential alumni within relevant schools and develop effective means through which these alumni receive additional and tailored information and briefings on College initiatives, issues and priorities, connecting as appropriate with relevant academic or other members of staff.
- Find and support staff in Schools with alumni responsibility to conceive and deliver their own alumni activity. Help to promote and raise awareness of subject events / lectures (CPD). Help to scope and develop new initiatives in support of objectives, including areas such as young alumni and family programmes.
- Work closely with the Supporter Engagement Manager and other Development colleagues, explore the potential for tailored fundraising strategies for regular alumni giving across Schools, ensuring these are synergistic with the University’s overall fund-raising programmes.
- Identify alumni from within School/College cohorts that could support all volunteering and fundraising programmes. Ensure individual relationships are nurtured and managed appropriately by liaising with colleagues and utilising the University’s CRM, Raiser’s Edge to log information and track progress.
- Build and maintain relationships with School and College Heads, developing knowledge of School programmes and research. Provide expert input on alumni engagement, helping to identify areas of current and future alumni engagement needs and opportunity and advising how they can be met, managing expectation appropriately.
- Manage the Alumni Assistant and the Alumni Engagement Coordinator (for College of Arts & Humanities), acting as coach and mentor to ensure they achieve their potential and encouraging them to contribute effectively as part of the team. Manage performance using the University’s Performance & Development Review and other tools.
- Use specialist professional advice to recommend and create the best messaging, content (digital, web, print, social media) and timing for communications to promote alumni programmes and benefits to alumni and “future” alumni (students). Liaise with the relevant communications and marketing staff to ensure messages are communicated effectively across the most appropriate channels.
Knowledge and qualifications
Essential
- Either: Ability to demonstrate the competencies required to undertake the duties associated with this level of post having acquired the necessary knowledge and skills in a similar role. Or: Scottish Credit and Qualification Framework level 9 (Ordinary Degree, Scottish Vocational Qualification level 4, Higher National Certificate) or equivalent (including professional accreditation with relevant formal training), and experience of personal development in a similar role or related roles.
- Thorough knowledge and understanding of best practice policies and procedures in alumni engagement and how they can be used to support institutional objectives, including understanding of trends in the sector.
- Knowledge of privacy and data protection issues and understanding of the requirements of working with personal and confidential information
- Knowledge of the principles of effective marketing communications including for digital channels
Desirable
- Knowledge of the fundraising environment in Higher Education
- Knowledge of the University of Glasgow
Skills
Essential
- Proven high level interpersonal and communication skills including active listening, negotiating, high levels of tact the ability to produce/present clear and concise information to a range of audiences with ability to influence beyond authority.
- Excellent organisational and planning skills with the ability prioritise competing demands from a variety of stakeholders and resolve conflicting priorities.
- Ability to manage a range of projects to tight deadlines with minimum supervision whilst also working effectively as part of a team.
- Ability to manage resources efficiently for maximum impact.
- Initiative, tact and discretion to handle personal relationships appropriately.
- Positive “can do” attitude and the ability to stay calm under pressure.
- High level of competency in IT Including the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Access and Outlook, including proficiency with relationship/CRM systems.
- Excellent attention to detail.
- Ability to collect and review data, analyse and present arguments for or against activities/plans
Desirable
- Cultural and linguistic sensitivity to serve alumni from across the world.
Experience
Essential
- Experience in an alumni relations or fundraising office.
- Experience of interrogation and input into a relationship management database such as the Raiser’s Edge and using output to influence decision making.
- Experience of using social media to promote activity and information
- Experience of organising events
Desirable
- Experience of /involvement in volunteering and/or student activity at Glasgow
- Experience of creating and maintaining web pages
- Staff management and supervisory experience
World-Changing Campus
We have delivered one of the most significant expansions of a UK university city campus for over a century.
Over the last decade, the University of Glasgow has invested in its estate to expand its world-class campus and facilities.
An area covering 14 acres of land next to our magnificent Gilmorehill campus has been redeveloped to build a mix of modern research, teaching and public spaces.
Our new buildings will mean the University remains a centre for world-changing research, as well as a vibrant community hub and centre for public engagement.
The development will transform our teaching, learning and research spaces. It will allow us to bring together the best minds of today and tomorrow within world-class interdisciplinary research spaces that offer flexibility and stimulate collaboration, and modern study spaces that will combine study and social learning space with technology enabled teaching.
- The Mazumdar-Shaw Advanced Research Centre (ARC) is changing the way research is conducted at Glasgow. The ARC is the creative and collaborative heart of research at the University of Glasgow, bridging the boundaries between research, cross-subject collaboration and true societal impact . The ARC brings more than 500 world-leading researchers from a range of disciplines together in a building specifically designed to break down organisational structure and facilitate collaboration and interdisciplinary work.
- The James McCune Smith Learning Hub is an inspirational and diverse learning space. The flagship building was the first to be completed as part of our campus development, and provides a creative environment, combining flexible study and social learning space with multi-styled and technology-enabled teaching. It can accommodate more than 2,500 students, and includes a lecture theatre with capacity for 500 students. State-of-the-art teaching facilities, with flexible study spaces and interactive teaching for students, help to create a more immersive learning experience.
Find out more
Living in Glasgow
A UNESCO City of Music, a vibrant arts and culture scene, a food-lover’s delight, and a shopper’s paradise. Just some of the highlights of the ‘friendliest city in the world’. As well as that accolade by the Rough Guides poll, Glasgow has also been named a must visit destination by publications including the New York Times, The Guardian, and Wanderlust.
Music
The city hosts an average of 130 music events a week catering for every taste; from rock to rap, and classical to country. Glasgow also has a world class club scene playing host to some of the world’s top DJs.
Shopping
Outside of London’s West End, Glasgow is frequently voted the best place for shopping in the UK. A must-visit destination for any shop-a-holic, it houses high street chains, international designers, and independent retailers. The West End, home to the University of Glasgow, is bustling with vintage fashion, vinyl stores, and second-hand bookshops.
Arts and Culture
Glasgow’s arts scene has gone from strength to strength, and is the base for five internationally renowned performing arts companies including the National Theatre of Scotland and Scottish Ballet. The city has several world-class museums, which are free to the public, and the city’s architecture is a work of art in itself.
Food and drink
You can be in Glasgow and taste the world with its many diverse restaurants, cafes, and bars. And if you’ve yet to sample the delights of haggis and whisky, Glasgow is the place to be.
The City and Beyond
Glasgow has all the opportunities and excitement of a big city but its compact size means you can quickly travel from one vibrant district to the next. You could be relaxing in one of its many parks, before shopping in the quirky West End, and then dancing until the wee small hours in the Merchant City.
And when you fancy getting out of the city you can reach the stunning Loch Lomond in just 30 minutes, climb one of our many breath-taking Munros, play golf at one of Scotland’s many world-class courses, visit one of our ancient castles, or go further North and search for Nessie! Scotland has also just been named the world’s most beautiful country by Rough Guides.
Relocating to Glasgow
Choosing to relocate to Glasgow is a big decision. There are numerous things to be considered, such as the costs of moving, the cost of living, and where exactly to relocate to. We have created two guides to aide you in the decision making process.
Find out more on relocating to Glasgow at the below link:
- Relocating to Glasgow
WORLD CHANGERS TOGETHER
WORLD CHANGING GLASGOW 2025
Our outstanding disciplinary breadth and expertise has enabled us to make world-changing advances in fields as diverse as medicine, physics, linguistics, public policy and global development.
The key to our success is our talented staff and students pushing back at the boundaries of knowledge and understanding together.
Our World Changers Together strategy recognises the fundamental importance of a culture of open cooperation: not just as colleagues and mentors or students and teachers, but as a community of discovery that reaches beyond its walls and draws inspiration and strength from its connections and partnerships worldwide: excellence that's part of something bigger. The strategy is articulated across three themes:
COMMUNITY
- People centred, globally engaged
CONNECTIVITY
- Collaboratively minded, digitally enhanced
CHALLENGES
- Solution focused, impact oriented
Find out more
How to apply
Full details of the role and how to apply can be found by visiting our website:
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 17th December 2024.
Please note, due to the University closure during the festive period, we anticipate that the shortlisting outcome will be communicated in January.
Terms & Conditions
Salary will be Grade 7, £40,247 - £45,163 per annum.
This post is full time and fixed term to cover maternity leave for up to 12 months or until the substantive post holder returns.
Please Note: If you are a current employee of the University of Glasgow, please be advised that the University would consider an internal secondment opportunity for this post. University of Glasgow applicants should seek clearance for release for internal secondment from their line manager
It is the University of Glasgow’s mission to foster an inclusive climate, which ensures equality in our working, learning, research and teaching environment. We strongly endorse the principles of Athena SWAN, including a supportive and flexible working environment, with commitment from all levels of the organisation in promoting gender equity.
Our values
The future holds innumerable challenges for our sector, our society, and our world. We will have to adapt and change what we do and what we offer if we are to navigate these successfully. Our strategy and approach may evolve as the landscape changes, but our values will remain constant: a fixed point of certainty in uncertain times.
We have identified our values in consultation and partnership with our staff and student community. Living and upholding these values will ensure that we remain true to the spirit of our community and ourselves:
Ambition and Excellence
- We strive for excellence through our work
- We defend academic freedom globally
- We recognise and celebrate shared success
- We have an unrelenting focus on development
Curiosity and Discovery
- We innovate and solve problems together
- We lead by influence and example
- We engage with lifelong learning and personal development
- We learn from our mistakes
Integrity and Truth
- We uphold honesty, integrity and fairness
- We share our work widely and generously
- We do the right thing, not the easy thing - or we don’t do it
- We take responsibility
An Inclusive Community
- We are one Glasgow team, and we care for and respect one another
- We advocate for diversity and believe in variety as a vital part of a healthy university
- We champion education as an engine for social progress
- We practise and advance sustainability