Associate Director, Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving

Vanderbilt University Medical Center

. Lead all aspects of event planning including coordination, logistics, and management for Reunion as well as ad hoc virtual, local, and regional Owen alumni events, and the Owen Event-in-a-Box program.

Posted 5/20/2026full-timeNashville • Tennessee • 🇺🇸 United StatesSeniorWebsite

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead all aspects of event planning including coordination, logistics, and management for Reunion as well as ad hoc virtual, local, and regional Owen alumni events, and the Owen Event-in-a-Box program.
Responsibilities include supporting alumni Event-in-a-Box hosts, selecting venues and caterers for events, budgeting, producing invitations and registration websites, monitoring and encouraging attendance, creating an amazing experience, and assisting with post-event surveys.
Plan and execute reunion and event communications, including data preparation, list and email management, and content editing for direct mail, email, print, web, and social media communications.
Monitor event ROI based on key metrics and data-driven goals and outcomes to ensure continued event improvement.
Support the Senior Director of Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving in executing the Owen Annual Fund strategy to increase alumni giving in both funds raised and annual support participation.
Oversee the production of high-quality communications content for newsletters, websites, social media, annual fund solicitations such as reunion, giving day, calendar and fiscal year end, and promotional materials in partnership with the Owen and DAR Marcomm teams.
Manage the content for Owen Graduate School of Management’s alumni pages with an active focus on developing the website as an effective and clear tool for information sharing.
Oversee the marketing and communications content and annual fund fundraising calendar for the Owen team, ensuring timely updates and alignment with the school’s voice and branding.
Tailor content to meet the needs of various audiences, including alumni, students, parents, etc.
Partner with leadership to develop strategic plans for Owen alumni engagement and annual fund communications and evaluate effectiveness on a yearly basis.
Support all event marketing, Owen alumni website, LinkedIn Owen Alumni Group, and Inside Owen alumni e-newsletter.
Assist with Vanderbilt Business Magazine.
Manage volunteer communities such as Class Secretaries and Class Agents which increase alumni giving participation and engagement through peer-to-peer outreach, and DAR Fellows (student volunteers).
Cultivate and maintain relationships with alumni and donors through strategic outreach and engagement activities.
Develop strong communications with alumni through regular contact and relationship building.
Maintain volunteer lists, event calendars, timelines, and event attendance records.
Manage information flow for Salesforce VandyQuest (Development CRM Database).
Assist with ad hoc data analysis, reports, and requests such as alumni and donor lists.
Collaborate & Engage - Partner across Owen, Vanderbilt, Development and Alumni Relations, and professional school counterparts.

Requirements

What you’ll need

A Bachelor’s degree, or the equivalent, is necessary.
4 years professional experience is required, ideally in higher education, fundraising/development, communications, event planning, or sales.
Excellent written and oral communication skills due to heavy interaction with high level alumni executives.
Proficient in utilizing CRM systems (Salesforce preferred), databases, and other relevant software to manage and analyze alumni data and engagement efforts.
Service mentality – a spirit of hospitality; enjoys being of service to alumni, faculty and staff.
Strategic thinker – enjoys flexing strategy, innovation, and creativity muscles.
Ownership mentality – proactively anticipates what needs to be done.
Executively mature - Applies sound judgment in all situations.
Experience with planning and implementation of events and programs.
Strong volunteer outreach and engagement skills (including written and in-person interactions).
Excellent organizational skills with a meticulous attention to detail.
Manages multiple projects simultaneously, meets deadlines, and adapts to changing priorities.
Strong relationship building skills.
Analytical approach – ability to analyze data and find actionable insights.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a goal-oriented team environment.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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Hard Skills & Tools

event planningdata analysisbudgetingcontent editingcommunicationsCRM systemsSalesforceevent marketingrelationship buildingvolunteer management

Soft Skills

excellent written communicationexcellent oral communicationservice mentalitystrategic thinkingownership mentalityexecutively matureorganizational skillsattention to detailanalytical approachcollaborative work