Bard College seeks an Alumni/ae Engagement Associate to provide administrative and logistical support to the Director of Alumni/ae Affairs. The Alumni/ae Engagement Associate will also develop a strong connection to the current student body through work with the Senior Class Council and other student groups. They are responsible for following student news on campus and maintaining relationships with student leaders post graduation. They will also develop strong connections with young alumni/ae of the last decade and assist in the management of young alumni/ae volunteer opportunities in the Board of Governors, the Class Agent Program, Reunion and activities of the Career Development Office. The Alumni/ae Engagement Associate works directly with the Board of Governors Young Alumnx Committee and the Events Committee. They will coordinate and attend (where possible) an annual calendar of events for alumni/ae, including Cities Parties. The Associate will provide administrative support for all Board of Governors meetings, including taking minutes, preparing materials and meeting set up. They will solicit and write up Class Notes for print and online and manage a regular online update on alumni/ae news. They will be responsible to keep the website updated in areas they are working on. They will research and update alumni/ae records as needed. The Associate is the first responder to emails to the Office of Alumni/ae Affairs and manages incoming all alumni/ae requests. The Associate maintains the alumni/ae office calendar as well as the calendar of the Director of Alumni/ae Affairs. Other administrative duties and writing assignments as needed.
The Engagement Associate will report to the Director of Alumni/ae Affairs. A successful candidate will have the ability to keep the overall mission in focus while multi-tasking in a fast-paced, sometimes unpredictable, environment. They will have excellent writing, communication and data manipulation skills. They will be able to create and maintain relationships with a variety of types of people and maintain calm under pressure, evening and weekend work is required. Knowledge and experience with databases and websites is preferred.
Bard alumni/ae are encouraged to apply to this position. The successful candidate will excel at working in a community that is broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, gender identity, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion.
Bard College's main campus is in Annandale-on-Hudson, N.Y., with 1,900 undergraduate students; the College also includes multiple graduate programs. The 1,000-acre campus sits along the Hudson River and offers the Fisher Performing Arts Center, and Hessel Museum of Art, and is the home of the Bard Prison Initiative, the largest college-degree-granting prison education program in the U.S. The Bard Network also includes several Bard High School Early Colleges across the country as well as international campuses and partnerships. The Bard Network is complex and demonstrates Bard's priorities well in addition to the College's emphasis on civic engagement.
Bard College is a private institution working in the public interest. Bard faculty and staff lead their students by example, building upon the existing network of boundary-breaking programs focused on rethinking who can and should be included in a liberal arts education.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
Develop a strategy of targeted engagement with young alumni/ae to advance the mission Alumni/ae Affairs and promote loyalty to the college.
Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Alumni/ae Affairs, the Career Development Office and the BardWorks team to engage young alumni/ae as participants and attendees and assist with administration of the program.
Develop a workflow plan to collect alumni/ae news to be updated in records, shared with the community, promoted on social media and the website.
Develop a strong connection to the current student body through work with the Senior Class Council and other student groups.
Work closely with the social media coordinator and communications team to craft and implement a communications strategy that engages young alumni/ae.
Provide administrative support for all Alumni/ae Association Board of Governors meetings, including taking minutes, preparing materials and meeting set up.
Promote and manage volunteer opportunities for young alumni/ae to participate in the Alumni/ae Association Board of Governors
Work closely with Young Alumnx Committee of the Alumni/ae Association Board of Governors
Work closely with the Events Committee of the Board of Governors, attend and support events
Organize and attend Cities Parties, where possible.
Write up Class Notes for the Bardian Magazine and oversee online Class Notes content.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS and ABILITIES:
Bachelor's degree
Experience in project management demonstrating excellent written and oral communication skills.
Knowledge of and experience with content management systems, website flow and structure, email marketing, and video editing.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy, including the ability to proofread diverse materials for grammar, style, voice, and continuity.
An organized and detail-oriented self-starter with a track record of handling multiple projects with rapid turnaround.
Excellent prioritization and problem-solving skills.
Proven ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.
Must be able to build relationships with and support an alumnx and student body that is broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, gender identity, nationality, sexual orientation, and religion.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS:
Must be able to sit for extended periods of time and work in standard office environment.
Must be able to occasionally lift 20 pounds.
Must be able to work occasional weekends and evenings as needed.
To apply, please submit a cover letter, resume, and the names of three contact references through Interfolio. In your cover letter, please address how you view Alumni/ae Affairs as part of Bard's broader commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Bard College is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from those who contribute to our diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, mental, or physical disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, familial status, veteran status, or genetic information.
Bard is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for all individuals in employment practices, services, programs, and activities.
