Assistant Director, Careers and Mentorship

Department: Alumni Relations & Development
Salary/Grade: EXS/6

Please note: The target budgeted salary for this position is $60,000 to $64,000 annually. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Job Summary:

The Assistant Director is responsible for collaborating across departments to advance alumni engagement and relationship management efforts for Northwestern University, with a particular focus on career and industry-based engagement. Reporting to the Director, Alumni Engagement on the Career and Mentorship team within the Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA), this role supports the planning, execution, and growth of strategic engagement initiatives designed to meaningfully connect alumni, cultivate volunteers, and strengthen pathways to philanthropy.

This position serves as a functional expert in the coordination and management of career and professional development programs, including virtual and in-person events. As the operational lead, the role includes researching topics, outreach to speakers, developing program content, and producing marketing in collaboration with alumni and team partners. The Assistant Director will partner on the strategy, development, and growth of the Northwestern Alumni Industry Networks, managing associated volunteer committees and supporting virtual and in-person event planning for the groups.

The Assistant Director will support the following:

• Northwestern Alumni Industry Networks
  • Assist in the strategy, development, and growth of this new initiative with the team's Associate Director
  • Manage volunteer committees
  • Support LinkedIn groups and other online community spaces
  • Help plan industry-focused events in collaboration with the alumni volunteers
• Virtual and in-person career programming
  • Support the development of the annual calendar of speakers and themes
  • Assist the Associate Director in the research and recruitment of speakers
  • Responsible for promotion and marketing of career events
  • Coordinate event logistics including venues, catering, etc.
  • Pre- and post-production for podcasts/webinars
  • Lead event follow-up duties (upload recordings, transcriptions, code data in CRM, and program analytics)
  • Partner with stakeholders to build and sustain successful virtual content, including periodic check-ins with communications, engagement, and editorial teams for assessment

Please note: This role is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, up to two days remote and three onsite.

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategic Planning

• Develops, implements, and periodically refines strategic plans for alumni engagement initiatives with a focus on professional development and industry-based engagement
• Co-leads the long-term strategy, growth, and sustainability of the Northwestern Alumni Industry Networks, aligning programming with NAA goals and institutional priorities.
• Uses data, feedback, and analytics to inform continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.

Collaboration

• Involves moderate level of collaboration with internal department partners and low level of collaboration with University partners in implementing and expanding existing relationships to accomplish strategic goals.
• Key partnerships include, but are not limited to:
• Northwestern Alumni Association (strategy, content development, analytics)
• Marketing and communications team (promotion, messaging, branding)
• Major gift officers, directors of development, and professional school colleagues
• Alumni volunteers and industry leaders serving on committees or as program hosts
• Faculty and cross-campus staff contributors to career and industry programming

Prospects & Gifts

• Partners with development colleagues to align engagement initiatives with stewardship and fundraising strategies, strengthening donor readiness through meaningful involvement.
• Accurately records alumni interactions, participation, and outcomes in CRM systems to support prospect strategy and institutional reporting.

Volunteers

• Recruits, manages, and supports alumni volunteers serving on Industry Network and affinity-based committees.
• Maintains volunteer rosters, reports, and communications to ensure consistency and sustained engagement.
• Travels, as needed, to support in-person events, planning meetings, or leadership gatherings.

Events

• Supports the planning, execution, and evaluation of virtual and in-person alumni engagement programs, including webinars, podcasts, and industry-focused events.
• Coordinates in-person and virtual events, including topic development, speaker coordination, and production planning.
• Develops and manages event timelines, production plans, and run-of-show documents to ensure high-quality execution.
• Oversees event promotion and marketing in collaboration with marketing and communications team.
• Conducts post-event follow-up, including uploading recordings, managing transcriptions, coding data in CRM, and analyzing engagement metrics.
• Assesses program outcomes and identifies best practices for continuous improvement.

Administration

• Oversees administrative processes related to the production, promotion, and assessment of alumni engagement initiatives.
• Manages timelines, workflows, and project documentation for multiple concurrent programs.
• Tracks and documents participation, volunteer involvement, and engagement outcomes in relevant databases and systems.
• Develops dashboards, ROI reports, and analytics that assess program effectiveness and inform strategic planning.
• Responsible for tracking participants & volunteers, recording engagement, and donor interactions in database.
• Optimizes the use of technology including social media for marketing, communications & data reporting & analysis.
• Assists in the development of dashboards & metrics which provide quantitative analysis of program & event outcomes.

Budget

• Implements & administers approved budget for designated programs &/or events.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.

• 2 years development, marketing, event planning, or the equivalent experience is required.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively with alumni, volunteers, faculty, staff, and external partners.

• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and projects with attention to detail.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Volunteer and/or program management experience.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Familiarity with CRMs and/or Microsoft Suite (including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word)
• Career coaching/advising background
• Familiarity with using Zoom Webinar
• Knowledge of career or professional development programming
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate and execute virtual events, including planning logistics, managing timelines, and ensuring successful program execution.

Benefits:

At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful and competitive benefits. The available benefits package for this position will include health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance; paid vacation and holidays; paid medical/sick and parental leave; tuition benefits for the employee and dependents; pre-tax and flex spending accounts for commuting and dependent care; generous retirement savings options; and wellness programs. For a comprehensive overview of available benefits, including eligibility details, visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.