Director, Advancement Events US-NJ-Princeton
Job ID: 2024-19350
Type: Full-Time
# of Openings: 1
Category: Alumni Relations and Development
Overview
Reporting to the Deputy Vice President for Alumni Engagement
(DVP), the Director, Advancement Events (“Director”) is
responsible for managing the overall strategic quality and tactical
efficiency of programs and operations across a broad spectrum of
alumni and donor engagement events that support the University’s
highest priorities. These events can range from small gatherings to
large-scale conferences with multiple components and complex
programming designed to increase interest in volunteerism, advocacy
and philanthropy. The Director is a member of the Alumni Engagement
senior leadership team and directly interfaces with Advancement
colleagues as well as with University administration, University
trustees, alumni, donors, prospects, volunteers, faculty, students,
campus partners and vendors.
Princeton University Advancement’s mission is to inform, involve
and inspire Princeton’s global community of alumni and friends to
serve the University and its mission. We rely on strong
partnerships with our volunteers and campus partners. Our strategy
emphasizes the long view, honoring the relationships nurtured by
those who came before us and empowering those who come after us to
successfully build on our efforts.
Princeton University is a vibrant scholarly community with a
longstanding commitment to service. Chartered in 1746, Princeton is
the fourth-oldest college in the United States. As a world-renowned
research university, Princeton pursues the highest levels of
excellence in the discovery and transmission of knowledge and
understanding. It is distinctive among research universities in its
dedication to undergraduate teaching. The University enrolls
approximately 5,200 undergraduate students and 2,600 graduate
students. It has more than 940,000 alumni around the world.
Responsibilities
Department Management
- Direct the administrative and functional operation of the
events. - In partnership with the DVP, develop and manage the
departmental budget (currently 1.5M) using University resources
effectively and efficiently to accomplish the mission of the office
in the highest quality manner and direct financial reporting. - Direct accounts payable processing of event expenses ranging
from 1.5-3M dollars. - Manage staffing resources and assignments, drive proactive task
management and generate timely communication to relevant event
partners and leadership. - Lead, manage and coach a professional team responsible for the
execution of alumni, volunteer and donor engagement events in
support of the University’s highest priorities. - Analyze data, create reports and monitor key performance
indicators. Ensure successful implementation of new registration
system and other event technology advancements. - Work with direct reports on strategy and goal setting within
their teams; recommend changes and improvements; celebrate
achievements and set expectations for future success; Provide
regular updates to the DVP on the progress of the above. - Identify and develop tools to ensure comprehensive event
planning and execution and increase overall efficiency and customer
service. Responsible for keeping appraised of industry best
practices and new technologies. Benchmark with peer educational
institutions as well as in corporate and non-traditional avenues to
inspire new, creative ideas and approaches.
Strategic Planning
- Collaborate with Advancement Senior Leadership Team (ASLT), and
Advancement colleagues to create and deliver strategic events with
a high standard of excellence, innovation and meticulous attention
to detail. - Partner with Director, Strategic Engagement Initiatives and
ASLT Executive Sponsors to develop a long-range planning calendar
for Advancement Event activities. - Direct event activities and processes designed to build
strategic alignment around goals, objectives and key
messaging. - The Director is a member of the Alumni Engagement senior
leadership team and as such is expected to collaborate with
colleagues in Advancement Communications and Alumni Engagement to
provide optimal experiential opportunities. - Maintain effective relationships with colleagues,
administrators, faculty, alumni and donors of all levels. Represent
Alumni Engagement in campus meetings.
Event Execution
- Oversee all aspects of event-based engagement execution
including project management, event design, vendor management and
day of event management. - Conduct site visits and provide on-site staffing for a select
group of high profile engagement and donor events. - Partner with Advancement Communications colleagues to design
and implement effective materials related to the event
experience.
Qualifications
Essential Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree and 8-10 years of professional experience in
high-profile events management, preferably in higher education or a
non-profit setting. - Prior supervisory experience.
- International event planning experience.
- Demonstrated experience as a manager and supervisor of staff,
including the ability to motivate people, build buy-in around
organizational goals and decisions, lead teams through change,
measure and manage performance, facilitate meetings and develop
processes and policies designed to optimize the effectiveness and
productivity of the office and its members. - Exceptional customer-orientation focus and excellent written,
oral and interpersonal communication skills. - Proven ability to develop and foster relationships with people
at all levels of an organization, and to collaborate and influence
at a high level. - Evidence of self-motivation and the ability to work both
independently and in teams, with the highest standards of
professionalism and performance representative of Princeton’s
commitment to excellence. - Excellent planning and project management skills necessary to
set and monitor progress against goals, to develop plans and
timelines, and to measure success toward goals. - Ability to respond quickly to changing business needs and
priorities and to handle multiple projects simultaneously. - Ability to produce high-quality and compelling work product
under tight deadlines and work with a high degree of flexibility in
a highly-collaborative, fast-paced, goal-oriented environment. - Evening and weekend hours as well as domestic and international
travel may be required. - Commitment to the University Advancement’s mission of
informing, involving and inspiring Princeton’s global community of
alumni and friends to serve the University and its mission and to
its guiding principles of High Performance, Innovation, Civility
and Collaboration.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with Princeton University, its alumni and its
traditions - Familiarity with the principles of fundraising and the
importance of philanthropy
Princeton University is an Equal
Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and all qualified
applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard
to age, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity or expression, national origin, disability status,
protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by
law. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
PI243075572