Director of Engagement Communications

Overview

The Director of Engagement Communications creates, manages, and directs alumni and constituent communications that promote a lifelong relationship with the College. This position leads strategy, implementation, and analysis for engaging alumni and parents and families, cultivating and stewarding
their relationships with the College with a goal of ultimately increasing philanthropic support .

A central part of this work is crafting fundraising solicitations, stewardship messages, and impact reporting in close collaboration with the AVP of Engagement. The director will also set and facilitate regular strategy and content development meetings with colleagues across engagement and
advancement, serving as a strategic partner across teams and creating a holistic communications experience for our constituents.

Working within a shared production model, the director partners with content-providing offices across Advancement, allowing the director to focus on strategy, writing, and quality, while staying current on digital communications best practices and driving continuous innovation in the field.

About the Department

When students choose Macalester, they join a lifelong community of support. The Macalester Engagement department—made up of the alumni engagement, annual giving, parent and family, and special events teams—fosters meaningful relationships with students, alumni, and parents through increasing levels of engagement with the college over a lifetime.

Our work is about growing the number of constituents who connect with Macalester: inspiring active engagement through campus- and volunteer-driven events, fostering community, connecting audiences to volunteer opportunities, and building philanthropic journeys.

Responsibilities & Qualifications

Lead Strategic Vision:
 

• Design and execute a strategic communications plan that strengthens constituent engagement while balancing needs of the Engagement team and wider College

• Collaborate with the Macalester Fund and Alumni Engagement teams to achieve shared goals for alumni engagement, philanthropic education, solicitation, retention, and advancement

• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications team to create unified messaging for alumni outreach that aligns with College-wide communications, incorporating industry best practices and innovative communications techniques

• As a leader on the Engagement Team, participate in setting office-wide strategies to further the division’s equity-grounded principles and the college’s strategic priorities

Communication Strategy, Solicitation Writing, and Execution

• Partner with the Macalester Fund director and Parent & Family Engagement director to develop strategy and write persuasive fundraising solicitations, stewardship communications, and impact reporting for multi-channel, multi-segmented campaigns, with a goal of increasing donor support for the College’s operating budget

• Collaborate with the Engagement Directors to design targeted approaches to engage distinct constituent segments including students, recent graduates, young alumni, mid-career alumni, identity & affinity groups, parents & families, and regionally based groups 

• Guide the Engagement team’s shared email production model: set standards, timelines, and quality controls for broadcast email, including strategic calendaring; create, maintain, and upgrade systems to communicate at scale on behalf of campus partners as appropriate; represent Engagement for large-scale event communication strategy; and build and send high-priority emails as needed using a responsive email framework (HTML/MJML) and the Slate Deliver platform

• Demonstrate interest in digital best practices and tools to support effective email communications campaigns

Project Management:

• Develop and manage an annual integrated communications strategy that tracks Engagement and wider College communications to ensure a steady cadence of information, calls for engagement, solicitation, and stewardship

• Use project management software to keep the Engagement team updated and timely on all constituent communications

• Direct the creation, curation, and distribution of content, partnering with Marketing and

• Communications as well as vendors and consultants as needed

Data and Analytics:

• Track and analyze the performance of alumni and family communications to understand what’s working and where to improve

• Translate data into action — refine segmentation, channel mix, timing, and messaging based on results, and test new approaches to strengthen engagement and giving

• Bring data-informed recommendations to the Engagement team’s strategic planning, shaping communications priorities and investments for future cycles

Other Responsibilities:

• Completes other responsibilities as assigned. Participates as an active member of the team. Participates in department and college activities and supports implementation of shared goals and initiatives. 

• Provides backup support to other members of the team.

 

Qualifications: 

• Minimum 3-5 years of fundraising, development, annual giving, or nonprofit communications experience with a demonstrated record of writing effective solicitations for segmented audiences.

Compensation:

$68,330.00-$71,436.00 Annually

Union:

MAPE

Benefits

At Macalester, we are proud to offer excellent comprehensive employee benefits. Here are some highlights:

• 10% employer contributions to the retirement plan.
• Outstanding vacation and sick time packages, plus an additional 10 holidays.
• Competitive health, dental, vision, and life & disability insurance
• Generous employer contribution to Health Savings Account.
• Tuition assistance which pays between 75% - 90% of eligible tuition for employee dependents at select institutions.
• Free primary care for most services through Nice Healthcare when enrolled in a Macalester health plan.
• Access to the athletics fitness facility, wellness coaching, and activities.

These are just some of the great benefits Macalester has to offer! To see our full benefits packages and options, please visit our Benefits Page

Bargaining units may have slightly different benefits negotiated in their contracts. Please see applicable contracts for more details.

 

Satisfactory completion of a criminal background check is a condition of employment.

Application Guidelines

For best consideration, please submit your cover letter and resume through the Macalester Employment Opportunities webpage by August 18th. No applications will be received after this date.
 
Kim Price
Interim - Talent Acquisition Manager
price@macalester.edu

Macalester College does not discriminate on the grounds of sex, gender identity, race, color, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, marital status, familial status, pregnancy, genetic information, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, veteran status, sexual orientation, status with regard to public assistance, or other categories protected by law. For additional information, see Macalester College's full Notice of Nondiscrimination.