DIRECTOR, School of Law, Development & Alumni Relations

Tracking Code0452 Job Description

Our Mission

We in Boston University Development & Alumni Relations (DAR) harness the power of philanthropy to make an excellent education accessible and welcoming to all, and to advance BU’s global leadership in research, scholarship, artistic creation, and professional practice. To support our work, we have built—and are continuing to build—an outstanding team of dynamic, mission-driven advancement professionals who constantly strive to create an environment where everyone belongs. Where it’s not just a job, but a career and a community.

Now, our Alumni & Development Office at the School of Law is looking for a Director, Alumni Relations who will oversee and manage the School of Law’s alumni events and volunteer groups with a goal of growing and maintaining an engaged and supportive alumni community.

Development & Alumni Relations, School of Law at Boston University

The Development & Alumni Relations (DAR) Office at the School of Law is responsible for engaging and connecting with the over 25,000 alumni around the world and raising money to benefit the School of Law. The School of LAW DAR team aims to engage all of our alumni in getting them to commit their time, talent, and treasure to the School. The Law School has a Dean’s Advisory Board comprising 35 members; an Alumni Association Executive Committee with over 30 active members; members of the University’s Board of Trustees and University Advisory Board, and Regional Leadership Council members. The Law School has more than 2000 donors each year, and in the last campaign raised over $150 million. We are a top-20 law school, and the Director, Alumni Relations is a critical member of the team as we look to grow our engagement of the alumni community.

Director, Alumni Relations

This position reports directly to the Assistant Dean, Development and Alumni Relations, School of Law. The person is primarily responsible for the planning, promotion, execution, and analysis of School of Law alumni events with strategic importance to the School of Law’s Development and Alumni Relations department (Law DAR). The Director also works closely with the BU School of Law Alumni Association and various School of Law alumni volunteer groups to foster a sense of community and promote lifelong engagement with the School of Law and one another.

Responsibilities:

• Principle manager of BU Law's Reunion and Alumni Weekend and Annual Silver Shingle Gala, including but not limited to, the planning, promotion, and execution of all events throughout the weekend; hiring and supervising a seasonal employee; overseeing the budget; setting and tracking goals; and collaborating with Law DAR staff assigned to specific tasks necessary for the success of the weekend. Manage reunion classes, including recruiting chairs and committee members, and soliciting reunion gifts when appropriate.
• Manage Young Alumni Committees (YAC) throughout the country. Work with current leadership to plan and execute events throughout the year and identify new alumni to be involved. Partner with alumni and other LAW departments to ensure that young alumni contact and career information is updated in the database, and that there is an appropriate strategy to engage the community philanthropically.
• Manage and support the School of Law Alumni Association Executive Committee (EC). Tasks include, but are not limited to, assist in scheduling quarterly meetings; regular planning and strategic advising calls with EC President and leadership; and other logistical support as needed.
• Manage and grow the class agent program, which seeks to expand the School of Law’s volunteer base and reach among alumni in all classes. Work with current class agents on quarterly activity and partner with LAW DAR staff to recruit new class agents.
• Working with the Assistant Dean and others, create and plan alumni events throughout the year with primary responsibility for logistics related to those events: researching and contracting with venues, caterers, and rental companies; volunteer management; and on-site event management (locally and in other key cities), including but not limited to, alumni holiday parties (Boston, NY and DC), Dean's dinners, alumni panels and speaker events, and admitted student receptions. Collaborate with other LAW departments to ensure events’ success as necessary.
• Manage an Assistant Director and a Development Associate, who will support the Director in all of these efforts, with a particular focus on volunteer and program management for the Assistant Director and communications and operational support for the Development Associate. Provide guidance, mentoring, and training to each.

Required Skills

• Bachelor’s degree
• 5-8+ years of directly related experience
• Outstanding and successful experience as an event planner, project manager, and volunteer manager
• Effective experience in enlisting and interacting with senior level leadership volunteers and committees, both internally and externally
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills
• Superb judgment and the sensibility to adjudicate wisely among competing priorities
• A disposition to listen and circulate widely
• Outstanding interpersonal skills

But that’s not all we’re looking for; we want someone who embodies our values:

• Teamwork, transparency, and mutual respect, because we value every member’s contributions and know that leadership can come from anywhere.
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and a commitment to ensuring that each of us knows we belong here.
• Integrity in how we work and how we treat one another.
• Strategic thinking and curiosity in the relentless pursuit of fresh approaches and measurable results.
• Continuous growth and improvement, both as individuals and as a team.
• Joy and shared appreciation for working hard toward goals that matter.

If this resonates with you and you want to help us in our ambitious next campaign—and maybe do some of your best work as an advancement professional— we encourage you to apply. If you are hesitant to apply because you have not previously performed every responsibility listed in the description, but you do possess transferable skills, our values, and the defined qualifications, we still want to hear from you and welcome your application.

To learn more about Development & Alumni Relations at Boston University, and other job opportunities, please stop by the DAR Talent website: https://www.bu.edu/dar-talent/.

Boston University is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

If you require a reasonable accommodation in order to complete the employment application process, please contact the Equal Opportunity Office at 617-353-6474 or druckman@bu.edu.

Job Location BOSTON, Massachusetts, United StatesPosition TypeFull-Time/Regular