Position Job Title: Alumni Operations Assistant
Location: Vancouver (hybrid)
Reports To: Associate Director, Alumni Engagement Services
Primary Purpose
The Alumni Operations Assistant provides front line customer service for the department in support of the Alumni Engagement Services (AES) engagement goals. Working collaboratively with AES team, the assistant implements operational strategies designed to ensure that alumni information is processed and tracked in a timely and appropriate manner. The assistant works to ensure that alumni are engaged and their expectations are managed in accordance with the established alumni engagement strategies. The assistant in collaboration with the team, is responsible for supporting and implementing alumni engagement programs, services, volunteers, and events to respond to alumni interests, and engage educational units, as appropriate to enhance alumni participation, promote lifelong connections, and support the overall alumni relations goals of University Canada West (UCW).
The assistant also supports the administrative needs of the team and routinely interacts with alumni, senior university administrators, faculty, professional employees, partners, and key volunteers in the fulfilment of their role. The assistant is privy to confidential information and must exercise appropriate judgement in adhering to privacy laws.
Hybrid work environment. However, the assistant must be able to travel and attend events outside normal business hours including evening and weekends across Metro Vancouver.
Specific Responsibilities
ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE
- Process and coordinate purchase orders, fund transfers, office supplies, travel claims, and maintains department filing systems.
- Serve as the primary liaison between alumni/partners, university administration, and the associate director, maintaining confidentiality and tact.
- Identify and collect information on issues for administrative action, exercising judgment to determine if escalation to the associate director or another administrator is necessary, or if it can be managed by the assistant.
- Coordinate team meetings by arranging facilities, AV, and preparing agendas.
- Implement and monitor the operational budget in accordance with university policies and procedures and ensures that financial goals and targets are appropriately met or exceeded.
- Prepare, review, and finalize reports on key performance indicators, budget, and projects.
ALUMNI ENGAGEMENT STRATEGY
- Collaborate in the strategic planning, development, coordination, and implementation of alumni engagement initiatives.
- Support process development to increase alumni pipeline to identify alumni for volunteer roles and various engagement opportunities.
- Help recruit and engage UCW faculty, staff, students, and alumni volunteers for participation in virtual, on-campus, and regional events.
PROGRAM AND EVENT DEVELOPMENT
- Help prepare and actively engage in alumni platform (Graduway), social media messaging and communications by preparing content for communications.
- Participate and support all aspects of the University alumni programs, activities and events.
- Participate and support the development of event plans. Provide administrative support to the annual alumni award program and engagement strategies.
- Support the team in research and coordination of initiatives to advance UCW’s strategic plan, in addition to the Student Affairs & Services strategic plan and priorities.
VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT
- Assist in supervising alumni engagement volunteers for programs and events.
- Support current alumni activities to engage local and global communities.
- Identify new processes to enhance alumni pipeline for volunteer roles and engagement opportunities.
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS
- Support communications campaigns, including newsletters, online content, surveys, nominations, and letters.
- Aid in alumni stewardship communications, fostering deeper engagement.
- Assist in developing promotional content for community engagement, coordinating with partners and internal teams as necessary.
RELATIONSHIP BUILDING
- Set up constituent visits or calls, often coordinating multiple individuals’ calendars, and geographic locations. Coordinates campus visits or external meetings logistics.
- Interact with the President’s Office and other administrators to relay information, and coordinate involvement in alumni activities.
- Participate in strategies for recognition and stewardship of alumni, volunteers and community leaders.
- Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with UCW alumni.
- Support collaboration with university staff on alumni engagement activities.
- Provide administrative support for Alumni Advisory Board meetings.
DATA ENTRY AND REPORTING
- Ensure accurate and timely database entries within 72 hours.
- Update data on alumni database paying close attention to alumni engagement metrics.
- Follow the University’s policies and best practices in data collection and management.
- Develop and maintain a deep understanding of the University Information Management Systems.
- Ensure up to date information from different data systems is maintained; ensure that all alumni activity is tracked, recorded, and analyzed; generate reports and lists as required.
- Collaborate with data analyst to implement data management protocols and safeguards.
- Utilize alumni databases and analytics tools to track engagement metrics, analyze trend, and generate reports.
- Support data tracking for key performance metrics across engagement programs.
- Work with data analyst to incorporate Alumni Portal data into assessment processes.
- Maintain strict confidentiality with sensitive information.
TEAM COLLABORATION AND SUPERVISION
- Oversee onboarding/orientation for department and coordinates office and technology additions and moves.
- Assist in creating guidelines for events and projects, supporting volunteers and staff.
- Provide back-up for Data Analyst.
- Prepare reports on events, programs and activities, environmental scans, statistical reports, proposals and post-event reports.
- Collaborate with other student affairs and services, university departments, such as career and development centre, experiential learning team, admissions, and the Registrar, to ensure a cohesive approach to student and alumni engagement.
- Participate in team meetings and provide administrative support.
- Address inquiries from stakeholders, coordinating with central teams as needed.
- Perform other responsibilities as required
Position Requirements
Competencies:
- Supportive, personable and able to develop relationships and effectively and positively interact with other staff and team members
- Excellent interpersonal skills as well as a high level of diplomacy and discretion
- Exceptional organizational and analytical skills and the ability to multi-task
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills and excellent attention to detail
- Ability to complete work in a timely manner with accuracy and attention to detail
- Positive attitude, flexible approach with a sense of humor.
- Demonstrated ability to learn and adapt to different technology or environment
- Passionate in supporting students
- Proactive and innovative thinker
- Ability to work in a diverse environment
- Preference will be given to candidates with communications, marketing, advancement, or planning background
- Proficiency in other languages would be considered beneficial
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and Office Suite would be considered an asset
- Knowledge and use of a CRM, alumni/donor database, content management systems an asset
- Ability to learn and integrate new software or apps quickly and access software while off-site
- Ability to take initiative where minimal direction is provided
Minimum Qualification:
- Bachelor’s Degree from or equivalent combination of education and experience
- Proven success in managing projects and being a team-player
- Minimum 1 years of relevant experience
- Understanding of and familiarity with post-secondary alumni services
- Experience and previous involvement with Alumni Services and Alumni Events
- Needs to accommodate flexible hours, attending events, evenings and weekends
- Experience with philanthropic and alumni engagement strategies are considered assets
To apply for this role, please submit your resume and cover letter in one PDF file.
We greatly appreciate your time and efforts in applying for the position at UCW, however, please note only successful candidates will be contacted.
University Canada West is strongly committed to equity, diversity and inclusivity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.
The University recognizes that applicants may have had obligations outside of work that have negatively impacted their record of achievements (e.g., parental, elder care and/or medical). You are not required to disclose these obligations in the hiring process. If you choose to do so, the University will ensure that these obligations do not negatively impact the assessment of your qualifications for the position.
If you require any accommodations at any point during the application and hiring process, please include this note in your application.
