Career Center

The Institutional Advancement Department at the College of Saint Benedict invite applicants for the full-time, benefit eligible position of Director of Alumnae Relations. 

The College of Saint Benedict is in the second century of providing high quality, liberal arts education for women in the Catholic Benedictine tradition. To continue to prepare women to think critically, lead courageously, and advocate passionately, the college has recommitted to its promise to alumnae. This promise is to maintain and increase the value of a degree from College of Saint Benedict and to care about each alumna of the college. This promise demands high levels of alumnae engagement and staffing levels that correspond to an active alumnae base of more than 25,000 women and people who have attended Saint Ben’s. The College is seeking a highly organized, personable, and detail driven professional to join the alumnae relations team in institutional advancement. This position reports to the executive director of alumnae relations.
 
The Director of Alumnae Relations is responsible for working with the alumnae relations team to create and implement a comprehensive alumnae relations program through the planning, organization, and implementation of alumnae relations events, volunteer opportunities, philanthropic opportunities, communication techniques, and other engagement strategies that cultivate relationships with and between alumnae and the college. As a member of the alumnae relations team, this position is responsible for coordinating a broad and comprehensive alumnae engagement strategy, supervising one staff position, and collaborating with constituents and partners. As an institutional advancement professional this position is also responsible for the college’s fundraising objectives by creating strategies that drive alumnae giving (working collaboratively with annual giving and the major and planned gift team) and deepen engagement. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional administrative skills, strong project management skills, strong organizational and task management skills, well-developed volunteer management skills, exceptional interpersonal and communication skills, and the ability to succeed in a highly visible and fast-paced work environment.

Institutional Inclusion Visioning Statement

The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University believe that an excellent liberal arts education requires an understanding and appreciation of cultural difference and that everyone deserves to feel safe and morally valued. To that end, we will challenge our own practices and systems. Our commitment to an inclusive environment will be incorporated into all decision-making processes. We dedicate ourselves to cultivating an equitable, inclusive community founded on respect for all persons.

CSB offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits program. For further information, see http://www.csbsju.edu/about.

Responsibilities

1. Working closely with the executive director, coordinate the College of Saint Benedict’s overarching strategy for Alumnae Relations. This strategy is based on the definition of alumnae engagement in four categories: experiences, volunteerism, philanthropy, and communication. Assist in setting annual engagement goals in each category and implement strategies and tactics to meet the goals. Include virtual and hybrid programming in this strategy to ensure an inclusive and broad reach to Saint Ben’s alumnae. 
2. Apply best practices in volunteer management to all areas involving work with volunteers.
3. Provide professional staff support to the alumnae association board of directors by supporting two standing committees: alumnae development and alumna-in-training. 
   • Attend committee meetings, coordinate committee activities with assistance from the committee chair, provide volunteer oversight to committee members, manage committee projects and workplan, and share regularly with other staff liaisons and alumnae board members to ensure cross-committee communication.
   • Work in partnership with annual giving, the resource development committee, and the assistant director of engagement strategy to develop and implement a comprehensive student strategy so that all students understand the role of alumnae when they graduate.
4. Serve as the lead CSB staff member and project manager for the annual CSB/SJU Reunion weekend. Sit as a member of the Reunion and Homecoming Leadership Team with the executive director and designated staff from Saint John’s University. Manage reunion and homecoming committee structure and all activities. Provide timely and accurate cross committee communication.
5. Supervise the alumnae relations assistant director. Manage, mentor, and prioritize responsibilities for the colleague in this position. Annually assess performance and provide ongoing feedback throughout the year through regular supervision meetings. 
6. Maintain and cultivate strong relationships with other departments and Centers on campus. Serve as the CSB representative in programming decisions and efforts with our partners at SJU. Efforts include programming, communication, and support of the McCarthy Center, the McNeeley Center, XPD, Student Development, Academic Affairs including FYX programming, and other departmental collaborations as they emerge and change. Ensure a collegial and functional relationship with Saint John’s University Office of Alumni Relations. 
7. With an awareness of evolving needs, shifting priorities, and changing demographics, assess and adapt programming priorities and offerings to meet the needs of alumnae on a regular basis.
8. Provide leadership and direction for the production of the annual outreach and execution of events and programming for the graduating senior class. This includes December graduates. 
9. Participate in the office of alumnae relations annual operational planning and other team designated work including weekly staff meetings, strategic planning meetings, committees, task forces and/or other project tasks. Participate in CSB Institutional Advancement operational planning and other team designated work including monthly staff meetings, DEIJ training sessions, and other projects or task forces as they arise. 
10. Preserve legacy relationships with institutional corporate sponsors, the Sisters of Saint Benedict Monastery and maintain professional relationships with Saint John’s University and Saint John’s Abbey.

1. Bachelor’s Degree
2. Demonstrated project management experience
3. Demonstrated experience planning and executing events
4. Demonstrated experience in customer service settings
5. Demonstrated strong organization and attention to details 
6. Demonstrated ability to solve problems
7. Demonstrated experience leading or participating in collaborations or complex partnerships that produce mutual benefit
8. Experience in program evaluation or data analytics
9. Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communications skills
10. Demonstrated ability to take initiative, establish appropriate priorities for work tasks, and delegate tasks as needed
11. Ability to learn and adapt quickly
12. Ability to project a positive and professional image of the college and its mission and feel comfortable in formal and informal situations both on and off campus
13. Ability to maintain the confidentiality about constituents and their relationship with the college 
14. Strong computer experience and skills preferably in Microsoft Office products and Outlook 365 
15. A valid drivers’ license with an acceptable motor vehicle report
16. Ability to conduct some travel and to work extended hours, including evenings and weekends

Preferred:

1. Master’s Degree
2. Advanced computer skills including experience with a constituent database (Slate), Adobe Creative Suite, a website content management system, and social media platforms
3. Experience with online communities and contact management systems 
4. Experience in personnel management, including supervising volunteers
5. Administrative experience, including budget management and oversight 
6. Experience in or comfort with speaking in front of crowds 
7. Experience in fundraising in a nonprofit or higher educational setting

Physical Requirements:

1. Ability to lift 25-30 pounds 
2. Ability to stand/be mobile for periods longer than 60 minutes 

Travel Requirements:

1. Limited travel between the campuses of Saint John’s University and College of Saint Benedict.
2. Ability to conduct some travel and to work extended hours, including evenings and weekends

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About College of Saint Benedict

The College of Saint Benedict (CSB), a liberal arts college for women, and Saint John's University (SJU), a liberal arts college for men, are located in the central lakes area of Minnesota, surrounded by more than 3,000 acres of pristine forests, prairies, and lakes. The campuses are minutes away from St. Cloud, an increasingly diverse regional center with a population of over 100,000, and 70 miles from Minneapolis and St. Paul. Some CSB/SJU faculty and staff choose to reside locally, while others commute from the Twin Cities. Both St. Cloud and the Twin Cities offer a wide range of fine arts, cultural, dining, recreational, and sporting opportunities. CSB and SJU are Catholic colleges in the Benedictine tradition enlivened by values of community, hospitality, stewardship, and justice. The schools are dedicated to cultivating an equitable, inclusive community founded on respect for all persons. Students, staff and faculty from many diverse belief systems and backgrounds collectively bring a rich dimension to the academic, cultural, and religious experience at CSB/SJU. We welcome faculty who devote themselves with passion and integrity to their disciplines and to a transformative ed...ucation of their students. With a total enrollment of approximately 3600 students, faculty members develop relationships with students in small classroom settings and have opportunities to work closely with students on research projects, experiential learning experiences, and study abroad programs. Recent initiatives to create a dynamic general education curriculum and to develop plans for a new teaching and learning center demonstrate strong institutional support for faculty development. CSB and SJU offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits program.

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