The University of Connecticut is a top-ranked national university and health system with its flagship campus located in idyllic Storrs. Designated a Carnegie Research 1 institution, UConn is the state land- and sea-grant university focused on education, research, and service to the state of Connecticut and beyond. The University serves over 33,000 students — 8,550 of them first in family — across seven campuses, with a legacy of national championships. UConn Health is a top-ranked health provider that delivers groundbreaking medical education, research, and hospital and clinical services to over one million patients each year. In addition, UConn has nearly 300 scientists who are in the top 2 percent of researchers globally advancing discoveries in fields ranging from cancer to AI.
UConn continues its meteoric rise as a top public university with a record number of applications, continued investment in student success, health, and wellness, recruitment of top faculty, innovation in research, and top-tier athletic programs focused on the holistic success of student-athletes. UConn is proud to have 26 national championships across all sports. This includes the men’s and women’s basketball teams, which have brought home three consecutive NCAA National Championship trophies in the last three years.
Guided by the public launch of our most ambitious campaign in history, Because of UConn: The Campaign for UConn Nation, we are moving boldly into the future. The $1.5B comprehensive campaign spans all schools, colleges, campuses, and UConn Health, focusing on four pillars designed to make education more affordable and elevate UConn among its national peers:
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Students First: making transformative investments in financial aid, student health, career readiness, and life skills to improve time-to-degree and career outcomes.
- Academic & Innovation Excellence: driving investment in top faculty and graduate fellows and building the innovation ecosystem of the state and beyond.
- Health & Wellness of People & Planet: focusing on patient care, medical research, and development of life-changing technologies that improve healthcare outcomes.
- Husky Pride: investing in athletic excellence and supporting a thriving UConn Nation that includes more than 290,000 alumni worldwide.
The campaign will have a profound impact on the University, doubling the number of named scholarships, funding scientific breakthroughs and advanced lifesaving therapies, and engaging UConn Nation in the life and mission of the University like never before.
We seek the top talent in the country to join The UConn Foundation and help us drive our mission to connect people to the University of Connecticut, growing philanthropy, engaging a thriving alumni and donor community, and building a robust endowment to strategically advance UConn and UConn Health’s educational, research, and service missions.
We are committed to a caring and supportive work culture, professional and leadership development, and flexibility for high achievers with a passion for higher education.
We’re looking for dedicated professionals to drive success and excellence and exemplify our values of Purpose, Excellence, Culture, Communication, and Integrity.
The UConn Foundation is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. We celebrate different perspectives and are committed to a welcoming environment that values your unique experiences and identity. As an organization, we strive for continued growth each and every day.
POSITION SUMMARY
The Alumni Relations Coordinator plays a critical part of the team’s success by coordinating and providing administrative support and key project management to the Alumni Relations team. The Specialist serves as a liaison with alumni and other Foundation and University staff. The position provides the opportunity to experience and support many facets of higher education advancement in a supportive and innovative environment.
Primary Responsibilities
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Provides administrative support to the Sr Associate VP for Alumni Engagement:
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Acts as the first point of contact in scheduling and arranging meetings for the SAVP and the department.
- Manages spending, reimbursements, budget reports, travel and ordering as needed.
- Prepares agendas, meeting materials; prepares minutes; tracks status of agenda items; proactively follows up on open items as necessary.
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Provides backup support for others in the department as needed
- Contributes to the tracking of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to gauge the effectiveness of the Foundation’s engagement efforts with a focus on identifying return on investment (ROI).
- Carefully reviews documents for accuracy and appropriateness for the SAVP’s and other staff signatures.
- Interact with leadership, faculty, deans, alumni, and donors on behalf of the SAVP and the Foundation.
- Runs and maintains reports to review with the SAVP on a regular basis regarding status, metrics, and any potential issues with key deliverables.
- Prioritizes information for review.
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Provides operational support to the Foundation Events team:
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Coordinates review and approval of contracts, RFDs, purchase orders, and supplies.
- Assists the team with compiling and preparing event supplies, name badges and other needs on a timely basis.
- Manage record keeping needed for event details and registrations in events platform and CRM to ensure data integrity.
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Assist with integration and adoption of new event registration platform and managing platform in partnership with Digital Engagement.
- Partner with Digital Marketing to create a seamless external user experience through continual review and revision of platform usage.
- Execute the creation of Stova pages for internal and external partners and large-scale initiatives.
- Assist in providing guidance and training for internal team members and maintain usage guidelines and documentation.
- Demonstrate technical fluency of organization CRM and reporting capabilities in support of event programming.
- Routinely monitor and update web content for the Alumni Relations team. Provide leadership for assigned engagement projects as needed. (Alumni Owned Business Directory, Alumni Appreciation program)
- Provides support with the alumni database updates and reporting as needed
- Submits new biographical information, contact reports of entry, and preliminary prospect research.
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Performs other duties as assigned.
Engagement
Collaborate with your department and stakeholders to steward donors, engage with alumni, and support events specific to your unit.
Leadership
Provide visible leadership across the entire organization by engaging in organization-wide activities such as department meetings, all-staff meetings, and staff events.
Key Competencies
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Champion for inclusion and diversity both internally and externally.
- Demonstrated ability to understand and effectively use online databases for event platforms (i.e Stova, Blackbaud).
- Well-organized, self-starter who can manage time effectively and who has excellent written and oral communication skills.
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Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of the team, to meet organizational goals.
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Demonstrated a strong ability to manage multiple projects, meet deadlines and work in an hybrid environment.
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Ability to be congenial, professional, and effective in handling situations with alumni, Foundation staff, University staff, and visitors.
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Integrity in dealing with confidential information
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Provide onsite support for alumni relations programming. This will require the ability to work outside of normal business hours, but with advanced notice.
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Requires lifting up to 25 pounds, moving equipment and the ability to move a rolling cart.
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Must be able and willing to travel. Reliable personal transportation is required for this position.
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Employees must possess a valid driver's license issued by the state in which the employee resides. Employees must maintain, at their expense, at least $300,000 in total automobile and/or umbrella liability coverage of $300,000. Coverage of $500,000 is preferred. Proof of the required coverage must be provided at hire and annually thereafter.
Education & Experience
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Associate degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 2+ years of experience in an administrative/coordinator support capacity.
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Proficient with virtual meeting tools, MS office, including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Demonstrated ability to work in multiple system environments.
The salary range for this position is $60,000 - $65,000. It will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, while also placing an emphasis on internal equity.
Benefits:
Benefits start from day one. We offer medical, dental, and vision plans and will make an annual contribution to your health savings account if enrolled in one of the high-deductible health plans offered by the Foundation.
In addition, there are a few other perks to being a UConn Foundation employee:
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We offer a generous contribution to your 403(b) retirement plan to help you plan for retirement.
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We place an emphasis on work/life balance. In addition to a hybrid schedule, you will receive thirteen paid holidays, five weeks of paid time off per calendar year, and additional sick time.
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We invest in your professional development. Aside from opportunities to participate in various trainings, committees, and conferences throughout the year, you will also be eligible for tuition reimbursement after one year of employment.
Please contact an Employee Support & Experience team member if you need any assistance completing any forms or participating in any part of the application process due to a disability.
