Job Details
Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore…
College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.
Who We Are:
The Swarthmore Office of Advancement manages the College's relationship with its alumni, families, and friends to further Swarthmore's commitment to intellectual rigor and creativity, nurturing of student confidence and curiosity, production of new knowledge, and inclusive excellence, among other goals. Advancement works closely with the President, faculty, and senior colleagues to foster positive and productive relationships that not only accelerate the objectives of the College but also represent meaningful and beneficial engagement for the Swarthmore community.
The Office of Advancement manages and maintains alumni, family, and friend records; engages constituents in the life of the College in a variety of ways, contexts, and over time; provides and supports meaningful volunteering opportunities; and partners with the President and Board of Managers to share information about the College and raise critical philanthropic support for the College's priorities and new initiatives. Advancement ensures that alumni and donors are appropriately recognized and informed about the impact of their service and contributions, and manages all gift acceptance and stewardship.
The opportunity:
The Alumni Engagement Coordinator supports the planning and execution of the Alumni Engagement team’s initiatives by coordinating project workflows, maintaining planning documentation, and facilitating collaboration across complex programs and events. This individual helps ensure that multiple concurrent initiatives remain organized and on track while supporting effective communication and coordination across Advancement and the College.
The Alumni Engagement team manages a portfolio that includes several high-profile institutional initiatives requiring collaboration across Advancement and campus partners. Major initiatives supported by this role include campus signature events such as Alumni Weekend and Garnet Weekend; regional presidential events; volunteer-led engagement initiatives, including reunion programs, affinity programming, and Alumni Council activities; and other strategic alumni engagement programs.
The role requires strong organizational and project management skills, sound judgment, and the ability to manage competing priorities while working collaboratively with colleagues across Advancement and the College.
Essential Responsibilities
Project and Initiative Coordination
- Maintain and refine project timelines and planning documentation for major engagement initiatives, including Alumni Weekend, Garnet Weekend, and regional presidential events; develop new timelines as needed to support existing and emerging projects.
- Coordinate project workflows across multiple initiatives, helping ensure deliverables, partners, and milestones remain aligned.
- Develop and maintain project management tools, trackers, and shared documentation that support clear communication and collaboration across the team.
- Serve as a key point of contact for project coordination and status updates, ensuring colleagues and partners have clear information about progress, responsibilities, and next steps.
- Monitor project progress and flag potential risks, scheduling conflicts, or resource challenges that may affect outcomes.
- Work with the Director and colleagues across the team to translate program plans and strategic priorities into coordinated workflows and next steps.
- Assist with coordinating materials needed to support the preparation of presidential briefings for major events and initiatives.
- Facilitate coordination with internal partners across Advancement and campus offices to support engagement initiatives.
Program and Volunteer Support
- Provide operational support for alumni engagement programs and volunteer-led initiatives, including reunion activities, affinity and regional programming, and other volunteer engagement efforts.
- Assist with planning documentation, meeting coordination, and preparation of materials for volunteer committees and internal planning groups.
- Manage volunteer participation, committee activity, and program information within Advancement’s CRM platform (Slate).
Data, Reporting, and Engagement Systems
- Manage attendance lists, reports, and other program and constituent data to support engagement initiatives and internal planning, primarily through Advancement’s CRM platform (Slate).
- Assist with tracking alumni engagement metrics, including metrics aligned with CASE engagement reporting standards.
- Support the team’s management of engagement platforms and systems (e.g., SwatLink), including helping develop and document workflows that support effective platform use and ongoing program coordination.
Event Support
- Support the planning and on-site execution of major alumni engagement events, including Alumni Weekend and Garnet Weekend.
- Staff these events as needed, requiring on-site participation throughout the duration of the programs.
Who you are:
Highly organized, proactive, collaborative, adaptable, dependable, and detail-oriented, with strong judgment, initiative, and follow-through. The strongest candidates will also be calm under pressure, effective communicators, and skilled at building positive working relationships.
What you bring:
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree with at least three years of relevant professional experience in project coordination, program management, alumni relations, or a related field.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail and competing priorities.
- Strong organizational and project management skills, including experience coordinating initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
- Ability to exercise sound judgment and proactively identify opportunities or challenges that may affect project progress.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail.
- Ability to work collaboratively across teams while independently managing responsibilities and follow-through.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build effective working relationships with colleagues and volunteers.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in higher education advancement, alumni relations, or nonprofit program management.
- Familiarity with higher education CRM platforms and event registration systems.
- Experience supporting data tracking or program reporting.
What You Will Get:
You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.
We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration and priority review, submit applications with pay expectations, including a resume and cover letter, and the application materials will be reviewed immediately and on a rolling basis until the position is filled. We expect the person starting this position to begin by the end of July. However, the successful candidate may be able to start earlier, subject to the interview process and availability.
The market range for this position is $57,000-$62,000 per year, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.
PA Criminal Clearance Required
Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.
Education Verification Required by Position
An education verification is required for this position because a college degree is a required qualification for this position.