Senior Alumni Relations Manager

Ballard Spahr, a national law firm with 15 U.S. locations is seeking a Senior Alumni Relations Manager to join our Business Development and Marketing team. The primary responsibility is to create, plan and drive the Firm’s alumni relations strategy and programming in consultation with the Chief Marketing Officer, Firm and legal department leadership and the business development and attorney career advancement teams. The Senior Alumni Relations Manager will recommend, oversee and implement best practices for alumni programming and contact management strategy, including oversight of the alumni website and social media channels while building and reinforcing deeper relationships with our alumni. This position is also responsible for managing timelines, budgets, reporting on program effectiveness, and process improvement initiatives. The Senior Manager will interact with alumni, clients, attorneys, directors of practice management, administrative departments, and legal administrative assistants to manage and complete projects. This is a hybrid position and offers a work schedule of 3 days a week in the Philadelphia, Minneapolis or Washington DC office.

The Senior Alumni Relations Manager will:

• Develop and execute strategy for engaging Firm alumni, including planning events, creating content, and communicating with alumni
• Design and direct an internal infrastructure to support alumni strategy, including new processes, tools, data governance, and measurements
• Build and maintain relationships with the Firm's alumni network through outreach to alumni, developing mentorship programs, and facilitating networking opportunities
• Manage all communication channels with alumni, including email campaigns, social media, and other platforms
• Track and analyze the effectiveness of the alumni program, including metrics such as engagement rates, event attendance, and feedback from alumni
• Working with the firmwide events team, plan and coordinate events for alumni, including reunions, networking events, continuing legal education, and professional development seminars
• Work closely with other teams within the Firm, such as marketing, business development, attorney career advancement, and HR, to ensure that the alumni program is aligned with the overall Firm strategy Manage the budget for the alumni program, including expenses related to events, communications, and other program activities

The incumbent must be entrepreneurial and committed to excellence in client service, with strength in communications, program design, alumni community development, and project and process management. Must have the ability to work independently and maintain a focus on priorities while meeting strict deadlines. A collaborative, consultative, inclusive working style is paramount. The ability to create and maintain deep relationships and to quickly grasp the subtler elements of the Firm’s culture are essential. Our Senior Manager must have excellent oral and written communication skills with the ability to listen, clarify, and share information easily; a superior client service attitude and excellent interpersonal skills and be detail oriented and organized in both work and office materials. The ability to persuade and influence a range of people, including partners as well as handle multiple projects and deadlines combined with a strong work ethic and a team player attitude are essential. Strong computer proficiency a must, with particular knowledge of CRM systems a plus.

Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; 10+ years of prior experience designing, managing, and implementing an alumni relations program. Prior alumni relations experience in a professional services environment is strongly preferred. Ability to resolve complex issues taking a proactive approach to analyze the problem and generate solutions. Proven track record of successfully working in an environment that requires buy-in and engagement of senior management or partners and working with multi-location teams, e.g., multi-office initiatives and leveraging centralized resources.

Ballard Spahr is committed to increasing diversity in the legal profession and to supporting the communities where we live and work. People from all backgrounds are valued and integrated into every part of the firm. Diverse candidates including women, people of color and members of the LGBTQAI+ community, veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.