Director, Alumni Engagement - Advancement, University Relations

Competition Number: 26.09.237
Category: Full-Time Continuing (35 hours per week)
Salary: $117,979 to $159,492 per annum
Closing Date: October 14, 2026

MacEwan University is seeking a Director, Alumni Engagement for a full-time continuing opportunity with our Advancement department.

In this role, you will oversee the university’s outreach and programming for a growing community of nearly 100,000 MacEwan alumni. As a member of the Advancement leadership team, you will lead a team responsible for developing and delivering strategies, programs, services, events, and activities that foster meaningful, lifelong relationships between the university and its alumni.

Working in partnership with the Director, Philanthropy, you will also contribute to the strategic direction and overall effectiveness of the department while leading an integrated engagement strategy that strengthens alumni participation, stewardship, volunteerism, advocacy, and philanthropic support.

Key responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic leadership for the university's alumni relations function and establishing a long-term vision for alumni engagement that supports institutional priorities, enhances alumni affinity, and strengthens the university's reputation and community impact;
• Developing and executing an integrated alumni relations strategy aligned with the university's strategic plan, Advancement priorities, and broader University Relations objectives;
• Identifying opportunities to enhance the university's profile, expand alumni participation, and strengthen relationships that contribute to long-term institutional success;
• Cultivating strategic partnerships across the university to embed alumni engagement within institutional initiatives, academic priorities, student success efforts, experiential learning opportunities, and community engagement activities;
• Representing the university externally with alumni, community organizations, professional associations, volunteers, and external partners to strengthen relationships and advance institutional priorities;
• Collaborating with the Director, Philanthropy to ensure alignment between alumni engagement activities and Advancement priorities by identifying opportunities that support stewardship, advocacy, and philanthropic participation;
• Leading, managing, and developing the Alumni Relations team to deliver high-quality programs, services, communications, events, volunteer engagement, and relationship-building activities that strengthen alumni affinity, participation, and connection to the university;
• In consultation with the AVP, Advancement, planning, forecasting and managing the alumni annual budget, including tracking and controlling all expenditures within assigned budget;
• Promoting alumni achievements, contributions, and success stories to strengthen institutional reputation, alumni pride, and community connection;
• Overseeing alumni events, reunions, networking opportunities, mentorship initiatives, affinity programs, awards programs, and recognition activities;
• Serving as the primary staff liaison to the Alumni Association and Alumni Advisory Council, providing strategic guidance, fostering effective relationships, and supporting the achievement of annual priorities and objectives; and
• Overseeing the administration and continuous improvement of alumni leadership structures, charters, policies, and practices that support effective alumni participation and representation.

Skills

You will have:

• Strong leadership and people management skills, including the ability to recruit, develop, coach, motivate, and lead high-performing teams;
• Strong relationship-building, collaboration, and influencing skills, with the ability to establish credibility and work effectively with senior leaders, faculty, staff, alumni, volunteers, donors, community partners, and other stakeholders;
• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and represent the university professionally;
• The ability to engage, influence, and support volunteer leaders, advisory councils, and alumni leadership groups in achieving shared objectives;
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to assess complex issues, balance competing priorities, and develop practical solutions;
• The ability to use data, performance measures, and stakeholder feedback to inform planning, evaluate outcomes, and support continuous improvement;
• Knowledge of relationship management principles, stakeholder engagement practices, volunteer leadership, and alumni engagement strategies within a complex organizational environment;
• The ability to exercise sound judgment, diplomacy, discretion, and political acuity when navigating sensitive, confidential, or high-profile matters; and
• The ability to manage multiple priorities, lead change, and adapt strategies in response to evolving organizational needs and stakeholder expectations.

Qualifications

• A minimum of an undergraduate degree in Communications, Marketing, Business, Public Relations, or a related discipline.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible experience in alumni relations, advancement, stakeholder engagement, external relations, communications, volunteer management, community engagement, or related field.
• A minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible leadership experience, including direct responsibility for staff, budgets, and program delivery within a complex organization.
• Experience developing and implementing engagement, relationship-building, or outreach strategies involving diverse stakeholder groups and competing priorities.
• Experience leading volunteer engagement programs, advisory bodies, boards, councils, committees, or other governance-related structures would be considered an asset.
• Experience within a post-secondary institution, not-for-profit organization, membership-based organization, or similarly complex stakeholder environment would be considered an asset.
• The completion of professional development or certification in fundraising, advancement, volunteer management, leadership, or stakeholder engagement would be considered an asset.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Position Requirements

• This position is on campus only.

Benefits

When you become part of the MacEwan University team, you will enjoy a competitive salary. Our total compensation package includes:

• Competitive base pay
• Generous vacation time
• Secure pension plan
• Flexible benefits package
• Continuous learning culture
• Opportunities for career growth

How to Apply

To apply, please head to our MacEwan University Opportunities Page, select the job opportunity and click Apply Now. If you require assistance, please contact us at careers@macewan.ca.

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This position is included under the Out of Scope employee policy (D1015). Applications sourced through this process may be considered for similar opportunities within MacEwan University.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.