Senior Director of Student and Young Alumni Engagement

Are you ready to be part of an energetic and unified team dedicated to transforming higher education? Our foundation is breaking down barriers between advancement, alumni relations, and stewardship to create a cohesive environment where philanthropy and innovative partnerships thrive. This is your chance to make a significant impact as we fulfill Our Call to Beneficence: The Campaign for Ball State University, aimed at elevating student support both financially and academically.

Ball State University offers an excellent benefits package for eligible positions. Click here to explore options.

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The Senior Director serves as a strategic leader responsible for building and sustaining a strong pipeline from student experience to lifelong alumni involvement, with a focus on increasing affinity, volunteerism, engagement, and philanthropy among emerging generations of alumni. This position is responsible for designing and executing engagement strategies that inspire pride, foster loyalty, create traditions, and build a lifelong culture of philanthropy and involvement.

Through signature events, student programs, and cross-campus collaboration, the Senior Director ensures that students and young alumni (primarily ages 22-35) see themselves as valued members of the Ball State community-now and in the future.

Signature events led by the Senior Director and their direct report(s) include Homecoming/Alumni Weekend, Top 100 Student Awards, One Ball State Day campus activities, Senior Celebration, Nest to Next, the Foundation's presence at Admitted Student Day, Orientation, and more.

This role is primarily on-site to support close team collaboration and hands-on engagement with occasional opportunities for remote work.

Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.

Three years of experience in alumni engagement, event planning/management, student affairs, higher education advancement, or related field

Master's degree.

Direct experience within a university foundation or alumni association setting.

1. Associate Director of Regional Engagement
2. Associate Director of Campus and Student Engagement
3. Graduate Assistant

Ball State University is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, genetic information, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, age, protected veteran status, or any legally protected status.

Ball State University is located in Muncie, Indiana, on an attractive campus 45 miles northeast of Indianapolis. Approximately 20,000 graduate and undergraduate students enroll in one of eight academic colleges that offer 270+ undergraduate and graduate programs. Many of our master's, doctoral, certificate, and specialist degrees rank among the best in the nation. We engage students in educational, research, and creative endeavors that empower our graduates to have fulfilling careers and meaningful lives enriched by lifelong learning and service, while we enhance the economic, environmental, and social vitality of our community, our state, and our world.

The minimum salary for this position is $75,000.00.

Provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for Foundation-led engagement initiatives, including the planning and execution of high-impact events and programs such as Homecoming and Alumni Weekend, Nest to Next, the Top 100 Student Awards, One Ball State Day events and more.

Lead the Nest to Next effort, which is to foster a culture where students see themselves as future alumni from day one, understand the lifelong value of staying engaged, and are equipped with simple, actionable ways to stay connected after graduation. In partnership with deans, department chairs, Student Affairs and Admissions, foster relationships with students from admitted student day, to orientation, to commencement with a goal of creating a strong pipeline for lifetime engagement.

Develop and implement a comprehensive, multi-year strategic vision and plan for Homecoming and Alumni Weekend, aligning with University priorities and alumni engagement objectives. Ensure programming engages students and increases the number of alumni participating in activities.

Cultivate and maintain strong collaborative relationships with key internal stakeholders (e.g., University leadership, academic departments, athletics, student affairs, marketing, facilities) and external partners (e.g., volunteers, community leaders, vendors).

Lead and inspire a team with responsibility for the student to engaged graduate pipeline. Ensure culture of beneficence tactics provide a clear pipeline for student leaders and recent grads to engage with us as ambassadors, Club leads, mentors and volunteers.

Successfully utilize the Raiser's Edge NXT ( CRM) and other technologies to analyze data and evaluate trends to determine new tactics, reprioritize programs, and strategy modification to assist in reaching goals.

Establish and maintain peer and aspirational contacts across higher education, benchmark work related to the position of hire and seek professional development opportunities that enhance knowledge and improve our work.

Represent the Ball State University Foundation and the Alumni Association at University functions as necessary, which may at times include evenings or weekends.

Supervise a graduate assistant who will conduct listening sessions with student leaders, represent the Foundation at student org meetings, assist with the backend logistics of Top 100 and more.

For nominations and questions regarding this opportunity, please contact Kyla McKillip, Interim Assistant Director of Talent Acquisition, at work@bsu.edu

In support of your application for this position, please prepare and submit a cover letter that describes how your qualifications and experience align with the elements of the position description (or leadership profile). In your cover letter, please select one of our enduring values and describe how you have demonstrated a commitment to that value in your professional endeavors.