Assistant Vice President of Alumni Engagement & Executive Director, Northwestern Alumni Association

Aspen Leadership Group is proud to partner with Northwestern
University in the search for an Assistant Vice President of Alumni
Engagement and Executive Director of the Northwestern Alumni
Association.

Reporting to the Vice President for Alumni Relations and
Development, the Assistant Vice President and Executive Director
will provide strategic direction and leadership for the
Northwestern Alumni Association, focusing on the continued
refinement and implementation of the Alumni Association’s strategic
vision through programs, initiatives, and events that facilitate
the growth in breadth and depth of alumni engagement. In this
highly visible and critical role, the Assistant Vice President and
Executive Director will be both internally and externally facing
and will cultivate strong relationships with alumni, volunteers,
and administrators and faculty across the University. The Assistant
Vice President and Executive Director will collaborate with Alumni
Relations and Development colleagues, including those in the
professional schools, to support the overall Alumni Relations and
Development goals. Acting as an ambassador for Northwestern
University and the Northwestern Alumni Association, the Assistant
Vice President and Executive Director will represent the University
and Alumni Association at events and serve as an ex-officio member
of the Northwestern Alumni Association Board of Directors.

The Northwestern Alumni Association inspires Northwestern alumni
intellectually, socially, and professionally through programs that
spark lifelong curiosity, connection, and growth. The Alumni
Association aspires to accomplish its vision of a global
Northwestern alumni community who feels empowered, connected, and
engaged through every stage of life. For more than 140 years, the
Northwestern Alumni Association has connected alumni to one another
and the University. The Alumni Association has evolved to meet the
changing needs and interests of alumni through compelling
programming and content aligned with their intellectual, social,
and professional interests.

Northwestern University is a preeminent global research university
that is deeply interdisciplinary across multiple schools and units.
Founded in 1851, Northwestern has campuses in Evanston and Chicago,
Illinois, and Doha, Qatar. The University combines innovative
teaching and pioneering research in a highly collaborative
environment that transcends traditional academic boundaries.
Northwestern provides students, faculty, and staff exceptional
opportunities for intellectual, personal, and professional growth
in a setting enhanced by the world-class city of Chicago.

Northwestern is uniquely positioned within the higher education
sector. There are very few universities in the top ten that can
boast the same level of excellence across arts, humanities, social
sciences, and professional schools paired with a sizeable science,
engineering, and medical complex. Northwestern is a founding member
of the Big Ten Athletic Conference and sponsors 19 varsity teams
that compete against the best in the nation. Student-athletes at
Northwestern have the highest graduation rate among schools in the
Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, which is the most competitive
subdivision of the NCAA. In 2023, Northwestern won the national
championship in women’s lacrosse and was the Big Ten champion in
softball.

Northwestern is committed to supporting a diverse and inclusive
campus community. The four intertwined strands of access, equity,
enrichment, and well-being guide the focus of the institution’s
work through the development and implementation of strategic
equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives across the
University.

The achievements of the University have been financially possible
due to generous alumni and friends, and the translation of its
powerful science enterprise. With an endowment of $13.7 billion (as
of June 2023), Northwestern is among the best-endowed institutions
in the world. The most recent comprehensive fundraising campaign,
We Will: The Campaign for Northwestern, concluded in June
2021, with a total of $6.1 billion raised from 174,380 donors; when
the Campaign launched publicly in March 2014 its goal was to raise
$3.75 billion from at least 141,000 donors.

The Northwestern Alumni Association inspires Northwestern alumni
intellectually, socially, and professionally through programs that
spark lifelong curiosity, connection, and growth. The Alumni
Association aspires to accomplish its vision of a global
Northwestern alumni community who feels empowered, connected, and
engaged through every stage of life. For more than 140 years, the
Northwestern Alumni Association has connected alumni to one another
and the University. The Alumni Association has evolved to meet the
changing needs and interests of alumni through compelling
programming and content aligned with their intellectual, social,
and professional interests.

The successful candidate for the role of Assistant Vice President
of Alumni Engagement and Executive Director of the Northwestern
Alumni Association will be a compelling communicator with the
experience and skill necessary to partner with and influence
internal and external stakeholders. The Assistant Vice President
and Executive Director will be an effective strategist, proven
manager of high performing teams, and a leader who displays
collegiality, empathy, and diplomacy. A bachelor’s degree or an
equivalent combination of education and experience and at least ten
years of experience leading a successful alumni relations,
advancement, or similar engagement program is required for this
role. Northwestern University will consider candidates with a broad
range of backgrounds. If you are excited about this role and feel
that you can contribute to the Alumni Association and the
University, but your experience does not exactly align with every
qualification listed above, we encourage you to apply. All
applications must be accompanied by a cover letter and résumé.
Cover letters should be responsive to the mission of Northwestern
University and the Northwestern Alumni Association as well as the
responsibilities and qualifications presented in the
prospectus.

The salary range for this position is $220,000
to $240,000 annually.

Northwestern University is committed to the inclusion of all
qualified candidates. If you require reasonable accommodation in
completing this application, interviewing, or participating in the
selection process, please contact Kim Farr at [email protected].

To apply for this position, visit:
https://opportunities.aspenleadershipgroup.com/opportunities/1383.