th 485 Madison Ave, 7 Floor | New York, NY 10022 Phone: 212.792.6951 | Email: [email protected] | www.sandlersearch.org
Position Specification 2017
POSITION Vice President for Alumni Relations
ORGANIZATION Dartmouth College www.dartmouth.edu
LOCATION Hanover, NH
REPORTING The Vice President for Alumni Relations will report to the Senior Vice RELATIONSHIP President for Advancement, Robert W. Lasher ’88, and will serve as a member of Advancement’s senior leadership team. He/she will manage a team of 35 professionals in the division of Alumni Relations and support a volunteer organization of more than 500 leaders.
ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY:
Dartmouth seeks a new Vice President for Alumni Relations to guide one of the most vital and successful alumni programs in higher education, inspiring community among 80,000 alumni around the world. The Vice President will provide strategic vision and direction for alumni communications, engagement, programming, and volunteer leadership in service to the College and its global alumni networks.
This is an extraordinary moment at Dartmouth. Now in the fifth year of his term as President, Philip J. Hanlon ‘77 is leading the most ambitious strategic investment in Dartmouth’s academic enterprise in the College’s history. Early signs of its success are already evident. Undergraduate admissions experienced a record yield in 2017, producing Dartmouth’s most academically accomplished class in history. External recognition of Dartmouth faculty scholarship in 2017 reached new heights. Major new initiatives have rekindled the commitment inspired by John Sloan Dickey’s challenge to Dartmouth students that “the world’s troubles are your troubles” with the formation of academic clusters and a new institute oriented around global challenges. 2017 saw record attendance levels for alumni reunions, and the rededication of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, a defining part of every Dartmouth experience, brought hundreds of alumni back to campus. Bold new alumni programs – for women, for entrepreneurs, and for young alumni making the transition to professional careers – are leading the way among colleges and universities nationally. On the near horizon, Dartmouth will soon launch the most ambitious fundraising campaign in its history and celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2019 with global programs marking its remarkable past and promising future.
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th 485 Madison Ave, 7 Floor | New York, NY 10022 Phone: 212.792.6951 | Email: [email protected] | www.sandlersearch.org
The Vice President is an integral part of achieving the Advancement goals and objectives for graduates of the College and the School of Graduate and Advanced Studies in the years ahead:
• Enduring Connection to the Hanover Plain – The Vice President provides an immersive sense of welcome to alumni and their families, especially on campus, through inviting communications and engaging programming. She or he inspires hospitality and community at alumni events worldwide.
• A Forward-Thinking Alumni Relations Strategy – While stewarding the existing time-tested and best-in-class alumni relations program, the Vice President also charts innovative new approaches for engagement with alumni, especially genZ and Millennials, in programming and communications. • Promoting A Global Dartmouth Brand – The Vice President is a primary communicator on behalf of Dartmouth’s mission and values, news, and key messages. The Vice President will also inform, engage, and shape alumni insights about Dartmouth, as well as foster dialogue with faculty, students, and other campus leaders. • Building a More Inclusive Community – The Vice President will foster connections between underrepresented alumni and students, as well as consciously create outreach, engagement, and events for alumni of all backgrounds to cultivate diversity and inclusivity. • Increasing Career and Professional Development Platforms – The Vice President will expand platforms that foster alumni career and professional development, networking, and mid-career transitions, as well as develop a best-in-class internship program for experiential learning opportunities and exposure to a wider avenue of career opportunities. • Supporting The Call to Lead Campaign and the College's 250th Anniversary – Dartmouth will enter a two-year arc of celebration and campus development as it marks two important historic undertakings. With a spring 2018 launch, the Call to Lead marks the most ambitious investment in Dartmouth's academic enterprise in its history. Commencing in 2019, a year-long calendar of programs will convene the global Dartmouth community and commemorate the milestone anniversary.
Primary Responsibilities Include: STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP • Provides strategic guidance and vision to design, develop, and execute a comprehensive alumni engagement plan to meet the goals of the College. • Leads the ongoing efforts to develop and deepen a solid understanding of the Dartmouth alumni community, including alumni personal and professional interests, views, and desires for connection with their alma mater. • Understands changing student and alumni demographics, behavior, and the digital environment, and actively utilizes new technology to develop interactive programming, initiatives, and opportunities for engagement and feedback.
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th 485 Madison Ave, 7 Floor | New York, NY 10022 Phone: 212.792.6951 | Email: [email protected] | www.sandlersearch.org
• Inspires, champions, and advocates for the College in partnership with the President, Advancement, and other colleagues, from the classroom to the boardroom and beyond.
• Remains current on trends and innovations; implements market research and evaluation, proactively and in response to program strategies and results.
ENGAGEMENT AND BRAND ADVANCEMENT • Serves as one of the chief ambassadors for Dartmouth through strong representation of the College, its mission and values, to internal and external constituencies.
• Effectively informs alumni through an integrated marketing and communications strategy using traditional and new media, with a growing emphasis on digital initiatives.
• Strengthens and sustains a high-impact, comprehensive volunteer program, providing the highest level of personal support to volunteer leadership on behalf of Dartmouth. • Spearheads representation of the College through an extensive local and global event calendar to personally connect and engage with alumni. • Plays an active role in the life of the College, on and off campus, including participation in homecoming, commencement, small alumni gatherings, and reunions, among others, to ensure all alumni feel welcome, inspired and energized. CULTURE CREATION AND MANAGEMENT • Drives a culture where effective teamwork, cross-functional collaboration, and innovative thinking are expected, recognized, and rewarded. • Leads and supports the alumni relations team; provides direction and vision, sets clearly defined and measurable goals, celebrates achievements, and creates learning opportunities. • Establishes systems for measuring the effectiveness of Alumni Relations initiatives which inspire a commitment to reaching goals and to improving the effectiveness of operations. • Leverages data analysis to inform decisions and efficiencies.
To achieve these objectives, the Vice President leads a dedicated team that oversees alumni leadership, the alumni magazine, class activities, admissions ambassador program, Dartmouth for Life, and lifelong learning on behalf of the alumni of the College and graduate and professional schools. Key partners for this individual include the Senior Vice President, Advancement’s senior leadership team, Alumni Council, and the Advancement Committee of the Board of Trustees. For more details on the Alumni Relations department, programs, and achievements, please click here.
ABOUT THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE:
The new Vice President will be strategic, forward-thinking, and business-minded with a track record of success, accomplishment, impact, and influence. A strong manager, he/she will inspire
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th 485 Madison Ave, 7 Floor | New York, NY 10022 Phone: 212.792.6951 | Email: [email protected] | www.sandlersearch.org
and empower others in support of the broader vision and goals. The successful candidate will also be innovative, driven, and intellectually curious with a global perspective.
A deep passion for and connection to Dartmouth, its alumni, and its longstanding traditions and legacy is essential, and a degree from Dartmouth College or any of its graduate institutions is strongly preferred.
Key Professional Experiences and Personal Characteristics Include: LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGY • Enterprising strategist with a history of success in building programs; able to create and introduce new ideas and initiatives while respecting Dartmouth's long-standing traditions. • Significant senior leadership and management experience, ideally in a large, complex organization; experience in professional services, business development, client management, communications, marketing, or related field a plus. • Superb planning and organizational skills with an understanding of budgets and a sharp eye for operational efficiency, the best use of resources, and the ability to manage them. EXTERNAL RELATIONS • Inspirational, authentic, and possessing the charisma, gravitas, poise, and judgment to serve as a spokesperson, influencer, and natural connector across a diverse set of audiences. • Experience with and an appreciation for leveraging marketing, branding, and communications for engagement and outreach, with specific savvy optimizing digital channels and utilizing new technology. • Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusiveness. • Promotes open communication, transparency, and the highest ethical standards. • Superior written and oral communication skills; ability to serve as an outstanding advocate on behalf of the College and alumni. TEAM AND STAKEHOLDER MANAGEMENT • Demonstrated ability to manage a volunteer, client-centric, consumer-driven, or similar program attuned to the needs of many varying constituents. • A capacity to empower and build strong relationships with those within the team and across the organization; an appreciation for higher education culture and complexity strongly desired. • Welcomes input from diverse perspectives and opinions; a consensus- and team-builder who embraces a culture of empowerment, action, and accountability. • A people person at heart who is approachable and likeable, with the ease to handle a high- volume, high-touch, fast-paced environment.
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th 485 Madison Ave, 7 Floor | New York, NY 10022 Phone: 212.792.6951 | Email: [email protected] | www.sandlersearch.org
• A proven manager of large teams who can attract, retain, and develop top staff as well as foster an inclusive, cohesive, and vibrant culture.
EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree desired.
TRAVEL (Position based in Hanover, NH): Travel expected, approximately 25-30%.
DARTMOUTH COLLEGE AT A GLANCE:
Since its founding in 1769, Dartmouth has provided an inspirational setting where talented faculty, students, and staff form an exceptional and exciting academic community.
Dartmouth is committed to delivering the finest undergraduate liberal arts experience and to providing outstanding graduate programs in the Geisel School of Medicine (founded 1797), Thayer School of Engineering (1867), the Tuck School of Business (1900), and the School of Graduate and Advanced Studies (2016). Together, the schools create an exceptional and rich learning environment. Dartmouth faculty and student research contributes substantially to the expansion of human understanding.
Dartmouth provides comprehensive out-of-classroom experiences, including service opportunities, immersive global studies programs, engagement in the arts, and competitive athletic, recreational, and outdoor programs. Pioneering programs in computation and international education are hallmarks of the institution. Dartmouth graduates include over 80,000 alumni who are marked by a capacity for leadership, the ability to collaborate, and lifelong bonds. Their passion for Dartmouth and loyalty to one another is legendary and is an enduring quality of the institution. For more specific details, please visit here.
COMPENSATION: Salary and benefits are competitive and commensurate with experience.
Dartmouth College is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer with a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications by members of all underrepresented groups are encouraged.
Please email cover letter and resume or nominations in confidence to: Josie Sandler ‘91 Sandler Search 485 Madison Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY 10022 [email protected]
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