Director of Alumni Engagement & Impact (Immediate Opening)

Director of Alumni Engagement & Impact

Mission:

At IDEA Public Schools education changes what is possible for an alumnus and for the scholars who come after them. The Director of Alumni Engagement & Impact will build, test, and codify the enduring strategy that makes this promise real. This entrepreneurial leader will make #ConnectedForGood a lifelong, reciprocal relationship: alumni gain belonging, opportunity, and a powerful network while helping the next generation navigate paths they once had to find for themselves.
 
The Director will mobilize Legacy alumni seven or more years beyond high school and bachelor’s degree earners to contribute their time, service, and financial support to current K–12 students and undergraduate alumni, especially those navigating the first two years of college. This work will turn social capital from an inherited privilege into a shared IDEA asset.
 
Success means a network that expands opportunity, strengthens the path from K–12 through college, and makes the long-term return on an IDEA public education visible. The Director will build an engagement model that can serve 70,000 alumni by 2035 and tell a clear, compelling story of their impact on one another, their communities, and the world. Every degree earned should open a door for the next IDEA scholar.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

Leads the ARC Team (Alumni Success Coordinators- Interns) and sits on the Alumni Success Senior Team. Reports to the MD of Alumni Success

Location:

This is a full-time remote position based in Texas, with preference given to candidates who live in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Permian Basin (Midland/Odessa), Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Tarrant County (Fort Worth), or who are willing to relocate. 

Travel Expectations:    

Up to 30 percent, primarily within Texas, for alumni events, Alumni Council meetings, school and region partnerships, college partner sites, and the in-person quarterly meetings.

What You’ll Do – Accountabilities

Essential Duties:

·          Own the alumni engagement strategy for Legacy 7+ alumni and BA earners, set annual targets for engagement in time, service, and dollars, and report results on the Alumni Success Scorecard and in the Monthly Impact Report. 

·          Lead the ARC Team and its outreach: set goals, own the weekly rhythm, coach coordinators through observation and feedback, and hold the team to the quality bar for every alumni touchpoint.

·          Build and run the Alumni Council: charter, recruitment, meeting cadence, and a clear ask of every member, so the council moves alumni voice into decisions and action.

·          Mobilize alumni for K-12 learning: design the ways alumni show up for current students, including storytelling, mentoring, career and college panels, and region and school partnerships, to strengthen college-going culture and Year 1 and 2 persistence.

·          Activate Legacy 7+ alumni and BA earners through pathways to volunteer, mentor, open career and network doors, give, and be recognized, and codify what works into a repeatable model.

·          Build pathway partnerships for AA to BA transfer, certificates, military, and adult learners 6+ re-enrollment with universities, employers, and community organizations, and hand sourced alumni to the Alumni Success coaching team, which owns coaching and the confirmed outcome count.

·          Build partnerships across Alumni Success, IDEA Public Schools, and the broader community: Work with the Director of Alumni UX Product Development and the Directors of Alumni Success to coordinate outreach and support for alumni served by multiple teams. Maintain accurate alumni records in Salesforce and contribute to Senior Team Strategy, Tactical, and Quarterly Scorecard Reviews. Across IDEA, partner with the IDEA Promise Foundation and the Enrollment, Marketing, Student Support Services, Communications & Creative, regions and schools teams. Externally, develop relationships with community-based organizations and other partners that expand opportunities for alumni and deepen their connection to IDEA.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

·          This role is part of the National Alumni Success team and serves Y7+ alumni, with Legacy 7+ alumni and BA earners as its core population. It carries no Year 1 to 6 coaching caseload. The Director owns the engagement strategy and the network and recommends rather than decides on anything that spends the coaching team’s people, time, or priority.

Knowledge and Skills – Competencies

• Make Strategic Decisions: This team member uses data and trends to drive decisions that impact multiple teams, while anticipating risks and planning contingencies for key initiatives. They apply strategic frameworks to clarify challenges and guide coherent action, and they actively support others in strengthening their strategic thinking and decision-making capabilities. 

• Manage Work and Teams: This team member builds and maintains systems to track progress toward team goals, ensuring clarity through defined roles and responsibilities. They implement structured processes that support smooth team operations and strategically allocate time and resources to drive goal achievement. 

• Grow Self and Others: This team member uses data to assess development needs and designs learning opportunities that align with team goals and individual career growth. They model a growth mindset by being open about their own development and ensure that both personal and team-led learning initiatives are impactful and well-aligned with organizational priorities. 

• Build a Culture of Trust:  This team member fosters a team culture where individuals genuinely care for one another both personally and professionally. They lead with transparency, encourage open communication, including healthy conflict—and promote reliability and consistency, while regularly seeking and responding to team feedback to enhance the collective experience. 

• Communicate Deliberately: This team member communicates a clear and compelling vision that aligns team efforts with organizational goals. They proactively identify and address communication gaps across workstreams, implementing solutions to enhance coordination, while anticipating and resolving stakeholder concerns before they surface. 

Additional Skills:

·          Relationship building and storytelling that moves people to give time, service, and money.

·          Event and campaign design, from concept through follow-up.

·          Project management across many partners, volunteers, and deadlines.

·          Clear writing and presenting for audiences from alumni to executives.

Required experience:

·          Bachelor’s degree.

·          Five or more years in alumni engagement, community or volunteer mobilization, development, postsecondary success, private sector business development and/or partnerships, or a related field, with measurable results.

·          Three or more years leading people, including setting goals, coaching, and giving direct feedback.

·          Proven record of building a network or program from a blank page, including partnerships with external organizations.

·          Working fluency with a CRM (Salesforce preferred) and with using data to set targets and report progress.

Preferred Education and Experience:

·          Master’s degree.

·          IDEA alumnus, or experience in a charter network, K-12 school system, or college access organization.

·          Experience in fundraising, military or workforce partnerships, or two-year to four-year transfer pathways.

·          Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Physical Requirements:

·          Ability to work at a computer for extended periods, travel by car, and occasionally lift up to 25 pounds for event setup.

·          Evening and weekend events are part of the role.

What We Offer:

Compensation & Benefits:

Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $81,800 and $95,800, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity. This role is also eligible for performance pay based on organizational performance and goal attainment.

Additionally, we offer medical, dental, and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. You can find more information about our benefits at https://ideapublicschools.org/careers/benefits/.

* IDEA may offer a relocation stipend to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.

Application process:

Submit your application online through Jobvite. Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Learn more about IDEA

At IDEA, we use our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members.  Learn more about our Commitment to Core Values here: https://ideapublicschools.org/our-story/#core-values