Alumni Relations Manager - Midrand at IIE MSA and IIE Varsity College

Duties and Responsibilities :

Alumni Engagement Strategy

• Execute a comprehensive alumni engagement strategy that aligns with the institution’s goals and objectives.
• Promote alumni interest and support.
• Work with the IIE, governance committees and external stakeholders to establish robust pre- alumni and alumni benefits, recognition and partnerships.
• Develop, analyse and interpret the implications of alumni research feedback/ surveys and apply insights to improve alumni engagement.
• Develop initiatives to engage alumni to market the Institution.
• Develop a focused business development plan to identify opportunities for graduates

Stakeholder Management

• Cultivate strong relationships with alumni by understanding their needs, interests, and aspirations.
• Maintain, conceptualize and foster new and existing external stakeholder partnerships, alumni chapters, affinity groups and industry association for example Golden Key Society
• Work closely with the Career Centre Manager to ensure smooth transition between career services offering to pre-alumni, to alumni service offerings alumni access to the Alumni Career platform and promote the alumni adoption thereof.
• Collaborate with various internal stakeholders, including faculty members, staff, students, and external partners, to leverage their expertise and resources in engaging alumni.
• Develop, analyse and interpret various alumni research (survey) feedback gather data on career paths, employability status, and further education of graduates to inform strategic decisions.by to achieve effective and impactful service offerings and programme review in order to gather data on career paths, employability status, and further education of graduates to inform strategic decisions.
• Maintain accurate records of alumni contact information, engagement activities and outcomes.
• Identify and cultivate potential donors among the alumni community.
• Assist in organizing fundraising campaigns and events, leveraging alumni networks to maximize philanthropic contributions.
• Liaise with senior stakeholders to facilitate long-term planning, product/solution management, and strategy development/deployment and problem resolution

Alumni Communication

• Contribute to and implement effective communication strategies to keep alumni informed about the institution's news, achievements, and opportunities for involvement.
• Utilize omnichannel communication platforms, including newsletters, social media, and the alumni platform, to maintain regular contact and foster a sense of community, pride of belonging and ownership.
• Ensure the accuracy and integrity of alumni and graduate data. Maintain up-to-date records in the alumni management system and database
• Collaborate with Career Centre Manager and other departments to ensure successful event planning and execution

Event Planning and Execution

• Organize and oversee various alumni internal events such as reunions, networking receptions, professional development workshops and any other initiatives that require engagement with alumni.
• Collaborate with other departments to ensure successful event planning and execution.
• Strategic partnership/ external stakeholder events management and execution.
• Alumni community marketing activities at graduation.

Reporting

• Prepare detailed reports on the findings of tracer studies and alumni engagement activities. Present these reports to the management team and relevant stakeholders.
• Volunteer Management
• Recruit, train, and manage alumni volunteers for various initiatives, including mentoring programs, fundraising campaigns, and student support services.
• Provide ongoing support and recognition to volunteers, ensuring their positive engagement with the institution.
• Assist in organizing fundraising campaigns and events, leveraging alumni networks to maximize philanthropic contributions.

Competencies:

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Collaboration skills
• Strong organizational and project management abilities
• Proficiency in campaign and communication management
• Knowledge of South Africa’s tertiary education landscape, challenges and opportunities associated with Alumni relations.
• Knowledge of fundraising principles and strategies

Minimum Education Requirement:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in areas such as business, communication or marketing

Ideal :

• Honours/ Postgraduate Diploma in relevant field

Minimum Work Requirements:

• Proven experience in Alumni Relations/ stakeholder management – successfully fostering relationships between the institution and the alumni, event planning, or related fields, preferably within the higher-education sector.
• Proven experience in project management

Ideal :

• Experience in Alumni strategy development and execution
• A marketing and communication background with experience in the higher-education sector