Alumni Affairs Consultant

At IREX we strive for a more just, prosperous, and inclusive world—where individuals research their full potential, governments serve their people and communities thrive.

But around the globe, persistent poverty, repression, and injustice prevent too many people form achieving their full potential.  To address these problems, we focus on people, not on vaccines, roads, or wells. We support individuals and institutions to create change in their own communities—and to create person to person bridges between nations.

IREX works with partners in more than 100 countries in four areas essential to progress: cultivating leaders, empowering youth, strengthening institutions, and increasing access to quality education and information.  We are doers. Our decades of on-the-ground experience help us create greater impact, practical recommendations, and lasting partnerships.

In collaboration with partners, IREX is developing a framework to conceptualize, design and launch Offices of Alumni Affairs at public universities in select locations internationally. The program team is seeking higher education alumni relations and university advancement experts who will be engaged as consultants. The Alumni Relations Consultant(s) will be expected to have demonstrated expertise in university alumni engagement, working closely with IREX to develop resources, training (including a training manual) and provide consultations on topics broadly related to alumni affairs & engagement, including these listed below:

Topic

Specific Areas

Launching an Office of Alumni Affairs

• Purpose and value add
• Development strategy
• Mission and goals
• Leadership & management
• Organizational structure
• Developing policies and procedures
• Annual budget

Alumni Engagement & Events

• Alumni chapters
• Alumni reunions
• Alumni mentor / ambassador programs
• Alumni volunteer activities
• Outstanding alumni awards and recognition
• Corporate sponsorship and engagement

Alumni Resources

• Alumni magazine
• Alumni spaces on campus
• Website and social media

Alumni Career Support

• Professional development workshops
• Assistance with job placement

Marketing and Communications

• Branding and Marketing
• Communications, Tools and Platforms
• Alumni Success Stories

Other

• Monitoring and Evaluation

Your Background & Skills

Required:

• At least 5 years of program and project management experience specifically in higher education alumni affairs
• Strong working knowledge of higher education alumni affairs & university advancement, including: developing and implementing an alumni relations strategy, designing on and off-campus networking and professional development events for alumni, working with alumni associations, managing alumni-related data, developing partnerships with internal departments and external organizations, alumni career support, marketing and development related to alumni affairs
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation, including designing surveys and needs assessments
• Experience using tools such as LinkedIn and online platforms for alumni, university and employer engagement
• Very strong verbal, written, and listening communications skills in English
• Ability to work independently on assigned efforts
• Strong interpersonal skills as well as experience developing solid professional relationships
• Broad training experience working with staff with limited technical knowledge

Preferred:

• Experience implementing or overseeing some or all of the following: alumni annual giving campaigns, alumni reunions, university alumni website/magazine content creation, alumni office strategic planning, alumni office budget

Duties and Responsibilities: Selected individuals will be asked to work closely with IREX and partners to develop a framework for the development and launch of alumni programming at public universities internationally. Specifically, this may include:

• Initial consultations and coordination with IREX and partners
• Producing a comprehensive training session plan which will be approved by IREX staff
• Preparing relevant learning materials broadly related to the topics and specific areas for alumni engagement listed in this call
• Delivering high-quality interactive training(s) and remote mentoring
• Preparing pre-and post-evaluation questionnaires for training sessions
• Developing and providing an alumni affairs framework manual in conjunction with the training, subject to revision throughout the training period
• Other duties may be added per the needs of IREX or partners.

How to Apply: Please submit a CV and Cover Letter including preferred daily rate. Selected candidates will be contacted for an interview for the selection process. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. IREX has the right to withdraw this announcement at any time.

IREX may at its discretion ask for additional information, including samples of work products. Issuing this call does not commit IREX to select any candidate. IREX reserves the right, based on availability of funding and consultant performance, to increase the duration and/or enter into subsequent contractual agreements with the selected expert(s) without re-publicizing the opportunity.

IREX will make reasonable accommodations in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments of 2008.