Director of Alumni Relations Candidate Information Pack
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Letter from Chris Cox Dear Candidate Thank you for your interest in the role of Director of Alumni Relations. This is a very important appointment so I’m delighted to be working with Execucare to find the best possible candidate to join our team. The University of Edinburgh already has a strong alumni relations programme. We’re now looking for a thought leader and partner who, through innovative and risk-taking ideas, will shape a programme that fundamentally re-defines what truly meaningful alumni engagement can accomplish, and how this can connect with wider stakeholders. In a few short years, you will build Edinburgh’s reputation so that we are known as one of the leading institutions in Europe in this area. We have the opportunity to engage one of the most influential global alumni communities to work with the University and its partners to help tackle the grand challenges of our time. We genuinely value our alumni for the full range of their contributions to the university—not just their financial support (vital though that is), but also their thought and policy leadership and their networks across all sectors in Scotland and globally. There is tremendous potential to harness alumni support and advocacy even further for the good of the university and indeed the wider world. For example, our alumni can help prepare our students for the job market not just by offering internships but also by helping to shape curricula, serving as guest lecturers, and providing mentorship to equip students for work environments that are being rapidly transformed by increasing automation, big data, and globalisation. And we have ambitions to engage alumni deeply in our research and policy agendas.
As a highly collaborative, dynamic, and supportive leader, you will inspire your team as well as members of the wider campus community and the global alumni community to engage in bold initiatives that maximise the value our alumni can bring to us and that we can deliver to our alumni. As one of the world’s top 20 universities, we can and should be positioning the University as a lifelong resource for our alumni, placing on-going education at the heart of our programmes. You will build programmes that foster a sense of community from the moment a student’s application to Edinburgh is accepted and nurture it throughout his or her lifetime. We have big ideas but we want you to come and stretch and challenge us further and build concensus so we can develop innovative, strategic programmes at scale. This is a fantastic opportunity and I look forward to discussing the successful short-listed candidates with Execucare, and hopefully with you before long. Best wishes Chris Cox Vice-Principal, Philanthropy & Advancement University of Edinburgh
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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The Opportunity The University of Edinburgh seeks a senior constituency relations professional with the strategic ability to rethink what an alumni relations programme looks like in a modern institution, and the management and leadership skills to lead a highly effective team to deliver that vision and strategy. The Director of Alumni Relations will be responsible for developing a programme that will engage one of the most significant and influential global alumni communities among UK universities in imaginative and ground-cutting ways. Working for an institution that places alumni and donor relations at the very core of its overall strategy, the Director of Alumni Relations reports directly to the Vice Principal, Philanthropy & Advancement, and will be a key member of the leadership team in the Development and Alumni Relations division. Operating at the most senior level, the post-holder will work with the University’s senior leadership in taking forward both strategy and overseeing day-to-day activities to ensure that key targets are met.
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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The University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh is an ambitious and innovative university with a bold and strategic vision, located in a beautiful and thriving capital city. Driven by creativity and curiosity, it strives to fulfil social, cultural and economic obligations to Edinburgh, Scotland and the world. It is truly a global University, making a significant contribution to the world, through global partnership, exchange and engagement. It has 200,000 graduates around the world and 42% of its student population comes from 156 nations, with 33% of staff coming from 105 nations. The University provides an educationally outstanding experience for its students. Founded to advance knowledge for the public good, the breadth and depth of its scholarship, learning and teaching, and its entrepreneurial and creative culture enables the University to make a positive difference to people’s lives – both close to home and globally. For more than four centuries, the University of Edinburgh’s people and their achievements have made history time and again. They’ve explored space, revolutionised surgery, published era-defining books, paved the way for life-saving medical breakthroughs and introduced to the world many inventions, discoveries and ideas, from penicillin to Dolly the sheep. Today, in a fast moving, ever changing geo-political climate, the University is committed to making a sustained and enhanced global impact through an approach shaped by innovations and excellence. It is committed to ensuring the strongest culture of philanthropic support focussed especially on its students and on outstanding research capabilities. One of the world’s leading universities, the University of Edinburgh has been at the forefront of international research across the arts and sciences for centuries. The research, discoveries and ideas born at the University have changed the way we understand the world. The University of Edinburgh is world-renowned for the quality of its teaching, research, and wider economic and social impact. The latest Research Assessment Framework highlighted the University’s place at the forefront of international research, rating Edinburgh fourth in the UK for quality and breadth of research, and by far the most successful university in Scotland.
It is ranked the 23rd most employable university in the world by the 2015 Global Employability University Ranking and is a member of both the Russell Group, and the League of European Research Universities. The University is organised into three colleges, the Colleges of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), Science & Engineering (SCE) and Medicine & Vet Medicine (MVM). Within these colleges are twenty schools. Together they offer more than 500 undergraduate and 160 postgraduate courses to over 30,000 students each year. Professional services are as critical to this success as the world-class teaching, research and student facilities. In fact, the University is one of the top employers in Edinburgh, with over 11,700 people spread across a wide range of academic and supporting roles. The University of Edinburgh has a clear strategic vision, published in its Strategic Vision 2025; this helps focus and drive all decisions made at the University, and holds it accountable to ambitious key performance indicators. Included in the Strategic Vision 2025 is a clear commitment to philanthropic support and the engagement of the University’s global alumni community.
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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City of Edinburgh
Scotland is a distinctive and fiercely ambitious country: Edinburgh is a cosmopolitan city and one of Europe’s most vibrant capitals. A city with both heritage and ambition, Edinburgh has a distinctive character and offers an outstanding quality of life.
The city often tops lists for best places to live in the UK, beating off competition from London and York, and is at the heart of an international transport network that connects the city to major UK, European and global destinations.
As a great civic university, Edinburgh especially values its intellectual and economic relationship with the Scottish community that forms its base and provides the foundation from which it looks to the widest international horizons, enriching both itself and Scotland. The University is deeply embedded in the fabric of the city of Edinburgh with many of the buildings in the historic Old Town belonging to the University.
The University is a major partner and contributor to the city and region, attracting the best minds, the best facilities, and the best academic and business connections.
With a population of approximately 450,000 (one million in the city region), the city manages to combine both ancient and modern in a uniquely Scottish atmosphere. Edinburgh combines medieval relics, Georgian grandeur and a powerful layer of modern life with contemporary avant-garde. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is also the leading festival city in the world. Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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Development and Alumni Relations at The University of Edinburgh
The Development & Alumni department’s (D&A) mission is to help alumni and friends to shape the future by supporting and inspiring Edinburgh students and researchers, maximising the University’s impact on Scotland and the world. In 2016, Chris Cox joined the University as Vice Principal, Philanthropy & Advancement, to lead an ambitious advancement programme that will match the ambition of the University. As one of the first universities in the UK to appoint an advancement professional at this level, the University has underlined its commitment to advancement and the importance it places on alumni and donor engagement as part of the University’s future. The Development and Alumni Department of the University of Edinburgh has one of the largest and most successful teams in the UK Higher Education sector. It is one of the most successful development operations in the UK (outside of Oxbridge) in terms of current donors and legacy giving, and high-level philanthropy has increased significantly in recent years. The University of Edinburgh is now embarking on an exciting step change in its alumni relations programming, and seeking a new Director of Alumni Relations to build on a strong base of alumni activity, and a talented and committed staffing base across alumni relations, alumni and donor communications, and events (which ties together alumni events with broader corporate and Protocol events, working very closely with the Principal’s Office).
This key leadership role is critical to the success of the University’s advancement programme. The postholder’s objective will be to develop, build and lead programmes that engage alumni and supporters at all levels in partnerships to assist the University in reaching its strategic objectives. The University aims to develop closer and more meaningful ties with the expanded alumni network, enabling them to act as the University’s ambassadors in support of the academic, fundraising, public affairs and student engagement and employability goals of the University, and to enhance the University’s international standing. The University’s alumni include leaders in business, government, third sector and academe around the world and the Director of Alumni Relations will engage in personal contact at the highest level to ensure that the University’s most influential and connected alumni are invested personally in the life of the University and play a useful and fulfilling role both on campus and as part of the University’s global community. This will include planning and leading the University’s relationship with its Regents – a group of highly influential ambassadors for the University based in the UK and internationally.
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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Development and Alumni Relations at The University of Edinburgh The department is working to engage as many as possible of the University’s 185,000 contactable alumni (in over 150 countries) in the life of the University through a programme of events (both UK and International), UK & global alumni Clubs, social media, and opportunities to return to the University, especially in connecting to student experience and employability programmes. The Director will be expected to continue and accelerate the department’s current move towards developing programmatic campus-wide approaches to alumni engagement, building evercloser connections with specific subject areas and academic schools, so that innovative, goal-oriented pilot programmes can be scaled up at speed (both face to face and online) once proven to be effective in delivering agreed objectives. The ability to think and deliver programmatically, in a highly strategic manner, and at scale, is essential. Sensitivity to the requests and needs of these alumni and the University’s 15,000 donors, and the ability to develop long-term relationships with them, is key to the success of the University of Edinburgh’s Development and Alumni Engagement strategy of the future.
The new Director of Alumni Relations will be joining a University that recognises the importance of alumni engagement, and the sharing of international best practice in the advancement profession, including through CASE, the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education. The University’s current Principal, Professor Sir Timothy O’Shea, was awarded the CASE Europe Leadership award in 2009), the University’s next Principal, Professor Peter Mathieson, will join from the University of Hong Kong and is currently Chair of the CASE Asia-Pacific Board, and Chris Cox is the current Chair of the CASE Europe annual conference. This is a University where you will be expected to learn and share with your peers, to try new ideas and challenge accepted norms, to stretch the boundaries of what is considered the normal remit of a traditional alumni programme, and to build both global and campus connections to develop new best practice. The University of Edinburgh is looking for an exceptional candidate for this career defining opportunity. If you want to work for a globally renowned University that positions alumni relations at the centre of both its advancement and broader University goals, and welcomes new ideas to maximize impact and influence, then this is that opportunity.
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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Staff Diagram Vice Principal, Philanthropy & Advancement & Executive Director, Development & Alumni
College Registrar, CMVM
Head of External Engagement & Communications, CMVM
PA to Vice Principal & Executive Director
Director, Development & Alumni Services
Fundraising & Communications Team, CMVM
Director of Alumni Relations
Development & Alumni Services Team
Director of Philanthropy & Donor Relations
Philanthropy & Donor Relations Team
Alumni Relations Team
Head of Alumni Engagement
Alumni Manager, Engagement
Head of Communication
Donor Communications Manager
Global Alumni Networks Manager
Head of Events and Protocol
Events and Protocol Officer
Events Assistant
Global Alumni Coordinator
Alumni Manager, Schools & Colleges
Alumni Administrator Key CMVM = College of Medicine & Vet Medicine
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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Job Description Title
Purpose
Director of Alumni Relations
To develop, build and lead programmes that engage alumni at all levels in partnerships to assist the University in reaching its strategic objectives.
Department Development and Alumni Relations
School/Support Department Development & Alumni
Line Manager Vice Principal Philanthropy and Advancement
The postholder will provide University leadership to build long lasting, mutually beneficial relationships with key external stakeholders, particularly alumni and other university supporters. S/he will shape and implement a long-term supporter relations strategy. S/he will undertake internal and external horizon scanning and analysis to identify and develop alumni and supporter relations opportunities; and to identify – and rectify – any gaps in university alumni and supporter relations policy, strategy and actions.
Main Responsibilities 1. To lead the development and implementation of an Alumni Relations strategy, and the planning and delivery of a range of programmes and initiatives designed to engage the University’s global alumni body in support of the University’s priorities and strategic objectives. 2. To develop and embed a clear, compelling and inspiring brand for the University’s alumni activities and programming, consistent with the University’s corporate identity, liaising with General Council and other bodies to ensure consistent and coherent messaging with alumni and graduates, overseeing key messaging to alumni and supporters via the full range of printed and digital communications platforms. 3. To lead in developing engaging and meaningful relationships between key alumni in positions to assist the University globally and relevant leading figures on campus, including the Principal and VicePrincipals, and wider members of the University’s leadership team.
5. To contribute fully as a senior member of the Development and Alumni management team, ensuring a single team collaborative approach across the Division, and deputising for the VicePrincipal Philanthropy and Advancement to represent the Division and the University across campus and externally on a regular basis. 6. Develop and embed new programmes to include on-going campus and online education at the heart of the University’s alumni programming, as a means of fostering on-going deep relevance of the University in the lives of alumni around the world, and including the development of potential revenue-earning educational initiatives. 7. Play a full role in promoting philanthropic giving at all levels to the University, and in building outstanding connections and seamless planning and communications with annual giving, legacy and major gifts colleagues.
4. To inspire and lead the alumni, communications and events functions within Development and Alumni in a consultative, supportive and energising manner, encouraging creative approaches to developing highly effective campus-wide programmes to engage alumni individually, and at scale, in the furtherance of the University’s goals.
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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Job Description Planning and Organising
Key Contacts/Relationships
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Work closely with Communications and Marketing, the Head of Communications in D&A, and colleagues on D&A’s Senior Management Team, to ensure communications messaging is consistent and clear.
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Work closely with colleagues across D&A, the International Office (both on campus and across the University’s offices around the world) and Communications & Marketing, to ensure a highly integrated approach to the furtherance of D&A and University-wide international objectives.
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Contribute actively as a member of several Universitywide planning and strategy groups, ensuring full synergy between alumni engagement strategy and broader University plans and priorities.
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Consult regularly with senior figures across the University, its three academic Colleges and constituent Schools, and the professional support services, to ensure alumni activity is delivering agreed priority objectives.
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Work closely with colleagues in Careers, other parts of Student Experience Services, and the Edinburgh University Students Association, to develop internationally-leading programmes to engage alumni in student and graduate employability programmes, including mentoring, internships and other forms of workplace-based learning, and graduate recruitment.
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Act as main point of liaison between D&A and the General Council (and carry out line management duties in relation to the General Council Assistant)
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Work with colleagues across D&A and elsewhere in the University to ensure a highly integrated approach to the furtherance of D&A and University-wide objectives in areas such as student recruitment, graduate employability industry engagement, public policy, commercialisation, philanthropy, research partnerships, and internationalisation.
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Lead the planning and execution of engagement and communication activities/channels for the University’s Regents - influential individuals appointed by University Court to act as Ambassadors and Advocates for the University - becoming a key facilitator for their work in supporting agreed priority programmes.
Work closely with the Head of Protocol and Events and the Head of Alumni Relations, to ensure that the D&A annual events and reunions calendar is appropriately prioritised to ensure delivery of key messages to key audiences (for both alumni, donors and wider key individuals and networks), and acts as a spur to deeper and more supportive relationships with guests via effective follow-up.
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Develop KPIs to assess and continually improve the effectiveness, efficiency and strategic relevance of alumni programming across campus.
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Ensure robust processes for the storing, analysis and approved sharing across campus of alumni data, fully in accordance with current and emerging EU Data Protection regulations and guidance and in close collaboration with the Director of D&A Services.
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Ensure that D&A and University plan effectively for the full engagement of online learners – from distance learning Masters graduates potentially through to the University’s 2 ½ million MOOC learners.
Problem Solving •
Balance competing demands for resources to ensure optimum delivery of University goals in the areas of alumni relations, communications and events.
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Identify opportunities to connect external interests with internal priorities, working with colleagues and external contacts to bridge any gaps in understanding and engagement.
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Help Alumni Relations staff find solutions to issues that arise in the course of their work, and when conflicts of opinion occur.
Decision Making •
Act with a considerable degree of autonomy, within the strategy agreed with the Vice Principal Philanthropy and Advancement.
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Provide solutions and make difficult decisions when issues arise in the course of their communications, alumni relations and events areas of expertise, on occasions when conflicts of opinion occur, and the prioritisation of tasks is difficult to assess.
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Anticipate difficulties, take timely action to overcome obstacles and manage risk. Make sensitive decisions on a case-by-case basis to ensure that all activity adheres to the University’s policy on engagement with alumni, ensuring that the relationship is always a positive one and that all team members are sensitive to the varying needs of all alumni.
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Manage a substantial budget in full accordance with D&A and University procedures.
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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Person Specification Knowledge, Skills and Experience Needed for the Job Qualifications/Training An honours degree is essential; a post graduate qualification is desirable. Experience •
A track record of success in delivering alumni relations programmes within the Higher Education sector or very significant senior experience of membership and communications, customer relationship management and strategic planning.
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Experience in devising and implementing strategic change programmes.
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Experience of events or a strong understanding of such is highly desirable.
Knowledge, Skills and Competencies An understanding of universities as complex organisations attracting funding from a wide variety of public and private sources is preferred as is an interest in and knowledge of factors affecting Higher Education, in Scotland, the UK, and more widely. Personal Attributes •
A supportive, collaborative manager with proven ability to lead a team effectively, to engender team-working, and to develop individuals within the team.
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Entrepreneurial, innovative with a track record of delivering initiatives.
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An ability to promote the often complex work of the University with the utmost enthusiasm, clarity and integrity.
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Strong relationship building, influencing and negotiation skills, comfortable with ambiguity.
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An ability to initiate change and to lead others through change.
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Commitment to diversity and with the firm belief that a diverse team is a stronger team.
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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Terms & Conditions Terms & Conditions
Equality of Opportunity at the University
Location
The University of Edinburgh is committed to equality of opportunity for all its staff and students, and promotes a culture of inclusively. It has a range of policies and procedures in place to provide a workplace that embraces diversity and is free from any potential bias.
Charles Stewart House 9-16 Chambers Street Edinburgh Scotland EH1 1HT
Salary The post is graded on the University of Edinburgh Grade 10 Scale and the link below provides information on the appropriate conditions of service.
The link below provides further information on equality and diversity: http://www.ed.ac.uk/equality-diversity
http://www.docs.csg.ed.ac.uk/HumanResources/ Policies/Conditions_of_Service_Summary_Grades_ UE06-10.pdf
Hours of Work 35 hours. At this level, the postholder will be required to be flexible with working hours, and on occasion weekend and evening work will be required.
Probation period One year
Annual leave 36 days per year
Pension eligibility You will be automatically enrolled into the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS) with effect from first day of employment. If you do not wish to remain a member of USS you will need to opt out.
Application Process Please apply by submitting a copy of your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a Covering Letter highlighting your suitability for the position by email to:
For an informal conversation prior to applying to this role, please call either Nicola Reames on 020 3621 1540 or Joanna Logan on 020 3589 0467.
claire.reynolds@execucare.com
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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Candidate Information Pack created by the Execucare Design Team
Candidate Information Pack Director of Alumni Relations, The University of Edinburgh
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