Teach For America – Detroit seeks a Manager, Alumni Engagement to ensure that we are building and supporting a broad and diverse coalition of leaders that is united by a belief in all kids, and a commitment to equity and excellence in education. In order to maximize the leadership of our full alumni base, we must spend time getting to know our alumni, and provide spaces and experiences where they come together to feel connected, valued, and called to act. Our alumni are positioned to be critical agents of change in the Detroit region; their likelihood to stay in Detroit and continue to impact change hinges on the extent to which we tap into their unique leadership potential.
Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit and strengthened by relentless optimism, the Manager, Alumni Engagement will ensure that we are uplifting a collective effort to positively impact local and state policies and systems that reflect a belief and commitment in equitable opportunities for all kids. There is no playbook for how to do this; the Manager, Alumni Engagement will forge a path forward by getting to know our community as individuals as well as developing and managing network-wide opportunities and targeted engagements based on specific interests, areas of impact, etc. They will take risks, apply lessons learned thoughtfully, fail courageously and continuously iterate.
The Manager, Alumni Engagement is a member of the External Affairs team and reports to the Chief of Staff.
Develop Vision & Strategy for Network Engagement (20%)
- Partner with the Executive Director, the regional Leadership Team, and other Teach For America alumni affairs teams to develop bold vision, strategy, and metrics that support activating and amplifying a broad and diverse coalition of leaders
- Research and learn from other organizations and their approaches and strategies for catalyzing and empowering individuals and groups to organize and activate their leadership; apply these lessons on an ongoing basis
Energize and Activate our Alumni Base (40%)
- Connect individually with a minimum of 15-20 alumni per month in order to build strong relationships and identify opportunities and connections (resources, individuals, etc.) to deepen or expand their leadership
- Engage in deep, thoughtful, and sometimes challenging conversations with a wide array of alumni to listen to their perspective, ask for their input, and steward and influence them as champions of our organization and/or our broader work
- Develop and manage the work of our alumni board, The Collective (our alumni of color organization) and other alumni affinity groups that support and influence the work of the region and our regional vision to impact systems and policies that impact children throughout our state
- Work closely with other members of the regional team to develop plans for network-wide and targeted engagements that build community and spark action
Manage Critical Alumni Databases, Events, and Campaigns (30%)
- Support and drive the management and completion of our annual alumni survey, with a strong eye toward improving participation and overall outcomes
- Create and manage a strategy for corps and alumni community building and celebration (i.e. an annual calendar of social events)
- Set vision for and manage our annual Alumni Induction, which celebrates our 2nd year corps members transitioning into alumnihood
- Develop and manage a strategy to significantly increase our annual alumni giving campaign and identify other ways for alumni to support Teach For America
- Consistently track and update data in our database to ensure accuracy of information and maintain a clear snapshot of our alumni community
Ongoing Regional Responsibilities (10%)
- Participate in and support various regional efforts, including some nights and weekends, to support corps member and alumni development
- Support efforts that impact corps members and alumni across the continuum including but not limited to corps member selection, various alumni campaigns, ongoing AmeriCorps data collection and tracking, etc.
- Serve as an “all hands on deck” team member willing to support the region in various ways as needs and opportunities arise, which embodies the spirit of the TFA-Detroit regional team
- 1-3 years of marketing, communications or public relations experience
- 1-3 years of working in a community building, leadership development, or membership oriented role preferred
Skills
- Deep commitment to Teach For America-Detroit and the larger education improvement efforts happening throughout the community
- Exceptional communicator: can write and speak clearly and compellingly about our organization, mission, and goals
- Entrepreneurial spirit, willing to test hypotheses and learn quickly
- Excellent relationship building skills and track record of mobilizing peers to achieve results through social media, press and word of mouth marketing campaigns
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects and work effectively in a fast-paced environment
- Photoshop, Illustrator, and/or other desktop publishing software skills preferred
Work Demands
- Availability some weekends and evenings