Director of Volunteer Leadership Strategy

Job Title

Director of Volunteer Leadership Strategy

Job Description Summary

Haverford College invites applications for our full-time (37.5 hours per week), exempt, benefits-eligible Director of Volunteer Leadership Strategy opportunity.

Job Description

Total Compensation

• Salary: Salary range begins at $80,000
• Benefits: The College offers a comprehensive benefits program that includes possible work-from-home opportunities, automatic 10% retirement contribution to your retirement account upon eligibility (no match required), a 50% tuition benefit for dependent children upon eligibility, 14 paid holidays (including the week before New Year’s Day), affordable medical plans, Health Savings Account contribution of $700 for individuals and$1400 for families (no match required, available to employees enrolled in the High Deductible Health Plan), and a beautiful arboretum campus with walking trail and easy public transportation access. Please visit the Benefits page (https://www.haverford.edu/human-resources/benefits) for more information.
• Work Location: This position will be eligible for a hybrid work schedule, pursuant to the College’s Work Location Policy.

About Institutional Advancement and Engagement

The next decade will be a time of significant transformation and growth as Haverford approaches the 200th anniversary of its founding in 1833. This is an exciting time to join Haverford’s Institutional Advancement and Engagement (IA&E) team – a team whose work helps to strengthen the unique learning experience at the core of the College’s mission. With a people-first, data-driven approach to philanthropy, the IA&E team builds and stewards relationships with the College’s deep constituency base. Under new leadership and with a focus on the future, the IA&E team is expanding its impact by leading a comprehensive, multi-faceted campaign aligned with Haverford’s strategic plan, Haverford 2030. As the campaign ramps up, the team is looking for enthusiastic and dedicated philanthropy professionals who want to innovate and usher Haverford College into a new era.

Built upon a Quaker foundation of hands-on, values-based learning, Haverford fosters a transformative, inclusive community of inquisitive students, exceptional faculty, and dedicated staff who are wholly invested in the institution. Haverford instills in its students self-directed leadership and active engagement within the College and beyond, leading to an alumni constituency, including parents, families, friends, and more, who believe deeply in the College’s mission and are committed to Haverford’s long-term success and sustainability in an ever-changing landscape.

About the Position
The Director of Volunteer Leadership Strategy will lead Haverford’s strategy for identifying, developing, and engaging alumni and family leaders at an exciting and important moment for the College. As Haverford advances its comprehensive Campaign, the Director will have the opportunity to shape a high-impact leadership engagement program that strengthens the pipeline of current and future volunteer leaders and advances the College’s engagement and philanthropic priorities.

Primary Responsibilities

• Oversee the strategy and implementation for the recruitment and pipeline development for leadership volunteers, partnering closely with the Institutional Advancement and Engagement (IA&E) leadership team, front-line relationship managers, and the Office of the President
• Working collaboratively across IA&E, build and manage the pipeline for existing leadership volunteer groups including the Board of Managers, the Corporation, the Alumni Association Executive Committee (AAEC), the Parent and Family Leadership Council (PFLC), and more while also guiding a new stream of potential volunteers for roles specifically tied to Haverford’s campaign
  • Partner with the Office of the President and the VPIA&E to support the Nominations and Governance Committee of the Board of Managers, overseeing and triaging critical processes including research and identification, recruitment, onboarding, assessment, stewardship, and succession planning for this and other key leadership groups
  • Serve as the liaison to AAEC leadership, including planning regular yearly on-campus meetings for the Committee and facilitating the work of the Nominations Committee in partnership with the VP of the AAEC
  • Manage the comprehensive pipeline and program for Alumni Awards, including providing guidance to the Alumni Awards Committee and overseeing the annual Alumni Weekend Awards ceremony
  • Support the Entrepreneurship Advisory Board in alignment with the overarching strategy for campaign fundraising for entrepreneurship.
  • Manage the recently established West Coast Regional Council, and spearhead the launch and management of subsequent Regional Councils throughout the course of the Campaign and beyond; including liaising with campus partners such as Admission and the Center for Career and Professional Development. 
• Continuously analyze and synthesize data, to make informed and nuanced recommendations for identification, recruitment, and cultivation steps for leadership volunteers. Present findings and suggest strategies that align with the results of a detailed and multi-layered assessment
  • Continue to build and sustain the leadership volunteer pipeline diversification initiative, leveraging vehicles which may include the AAEC, Regional Councils and Affinity Groups, while making data-informed recommendations to influence cultivation steps
• Set and execute a strategic communication plan and strategy for volunteer engagement facilitating opportunities for colleagues to engage in individual outreach as well as write and edit communications directly
• Manage a stewardship portfolio of leadership volunteers and track their progress through the volunteer lifecycle
• Serve as a visionary member of the Alumni and Constituent Engagement (ACE) senior team in planning how to drive engagement and philanthropy and achieve annual and Campaign goals in both sectors
  • Collaborate with and support the Alumni and Family Engagement and Special Events teams as they execute in-person and virtual programming and initiatives
  • Remain current on best practices in alumni relations, fundraising and volunteer management though peer institution connections and professional development opportunities, active higher education collaboration and benchmarking assessments
• Other responsibilities and special projects as needed

Line of Report: The Director Volunteer Leadership reports to the AVP for Alumni and Constituent Engagement. This position has no direct reports, but does assign work to and is supported by a Coordinator of Institutional Advancement. The Director may manage student interns and volunteers.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant experience
• Five (5) years of experience in volunteer management, alumni relations, prospect research and/or a related field

Professional Competencies

• Demonstrated ability to direct the strategy and implementation of a program
• Staff and/or volunteer management experience including demonstrated knowledge of recruitment, training, and evaluation of volunteers and/or staff
• Knowledge of fundraising practices and programs
• Commitment to building an inclusive internal and external community
• Effective communication skills including the ability to build rapport quickly and with a varied constituent base
• Technological proficiency, including familiarity with research tools, spreadsheets, and databases

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a higher education setting
• Experience engaging with boards, executive leadership, and other governance stakeholders
• Familiarity with fundraising/CRM platforms such as Raiser’s Edge

We are aware that some people are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet qualifications as described in the job advertisement. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and recognize that a successful candidate may come from a less traditional career trajectory, and have skills and abilities gained outside a classroom context, or an equivalent skill set. We encourage you to apply and share how you meet the position’s qualifications.

Special Requirements

• Ability to work some nights and weekends, and to travel intermittently, as needed to meet the expectations of the position
• Possession of a valid U.S. Drivers’ License and ability to pass a Motor Vehicle Record check

To Apply: Interested applicants are invited to submit an application through Haverford College’s Workday career website (no other form of application is accepted). A complete application includes 1) a resume and 2) a cover letter summarizing your interest and how your experiences and skills meet the requirements of the position. Please email recruiting@haverford.edu with questions about submitting your materials.

The application deadline is October 8, 2026. Application review will begin after the deadline has passed. Should the search committee be interested in pursuing your candidacy, you will hear from them directly. Finalists will be asked to provide three professional references.

Haverford College strives to maintain an equitable, accessible, and welcoming environment where staff, faculty and students of all backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experience can work, learn, and thrive. Haverford College is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin or ancestry, age, marital status, disability, veteran status, or any other identity or characteristic protected by law. Haverford College recognizes that we live and work on Lenape land.