At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the strategy for engaging parents and alumni through events and communications.
- Company: Brighton College, a leading independent school in the UK.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, complimentary lunch, gym membership, and professional development opportunities.
- Other info: Join a dynamic team with great career growth potential.
- Why this job: Make a real impact by building lifelong relationships within a vibrant school community.
- Qualifications: Experience in fundraising, events, and excellent interpersonal skills required.
Brighton College is seeking to appoint a Deputy Director, Head of Parent and Alumni Engagement on a full-time, permanent basis. Reporting to the Director of Development and Engagement, the main purpose of the role is to lead the school's strategy for building meaningful, lifelong relationships with alumni, current parents, and former parents. This is a newly created and exciting role within the Development and Engagement Office at the United Kingdom's leading co-educational independent school.
The postholder will oversee a dynamic programme of engagement, communications, and events designed to strengthen affinity with the school, enhance community participation, and support the school's wider development and fundraising ambitions. This is a senior leadership role within the sector-leading Development and Engagement team, requiring strategic vision, excellent interpersonal skills, and strong operational management.
The successful candidate will be responsible for delivering a high-quality programme of events and communications, managing key stakeholder relationships, and ensuring the school's heritage is celebrated and effectively utilised.
General Duties and Responsibilities:- Strategy: Developing and delivering a comprehensive alumni and parent engagement strategy aligned with the school's broader strategic objectives. Setting and managing key KPIs for engagement, and producing periodic analysis and reports of activity. Contributing to the overall strategic direction of the Development and Engagement Office.
- Engagement Portfolio: Developing relationships with a portfolio of key alumni and parents, involving them in the College's volunteering and philanthropy programmes. Working with the Head of Development to manage relationships with engaged prospective major donors.
- Alumni Engagement: Leading the alumni relations programme, The Old Brightonians, ensuring consistent and meaningful engagement across all age groups and geographies. Developing initiatives that encourage alumni participation through events, mentoring, networking, careers support, sporting and volunteering opportunities. Working with Brighton College International Schools to integrate overseas school leavers into the Old Brightonian network. Working with the Sixth Form team to plan the growth and accessibility of career networking services for pupils and alumni.
- Parent Engagement: Responsibility for the school's parent event engagement programme, The Brighton College Society (BCS). Overseeing the operational running of the society including membership management, member acquisition and retention, events and communications.
- Development and Engagement Events: Overseeing the planning and delivery of a varied calendar of high-quality alumni, parent, and fundraising events. Representing the school at Old Brightonian and parent events, using them as an opportunity to deepen relationships with alumni and parents.
- Communications: Overseeing a programme of rich content for online and offline platforms which engages the breadth of our alumni and parent community, and communicates the school's ethos and strategic priorities. Strategically developing the use of the school's online networking platform, Brighton College Connect.
- Archives: Overseeing the management, development, and promotion of our historic collection. Supporting the Archivist in embedding the College collection into school life as a source for research, pupil volunteering, and other projects.
- Management: Line-management of the Engagement and Events Manager, Senior Communications Officer, and Archivist in the delivery of the school's engagement programme. Along with the Head of Development, having day-to-day responsibility for the smooth operational running of the Development and Engagement Office.
- Other duties: Deputising for the Director of Development and Engagement. Representing the school at events, dinners, receptions, and other external engagements. Responsibility for the management of the annual programme budget for Alumni and Parent Engagement. Other tasks to be specified that are associated with the varied nature of this role.
- Significant experience within a fundraising/events/communications/membership environment, ideally within the education sector.
- Experience of managing staff and leading multidisciplinary teams.
- Exceptional interpersonal skills and the confidence and ability to build strategic working relationships with stakeholders at all levels.
- Confidence and willingness to speak publicly at events.
- A creative approach to content generation, good eye for design, and experience of writing high-quality copy for online and offline platforms.
- Experience of CRM/database systems and audience segmentation.
- Passion for, and extensive experience of, large event management (100+ people).
- Strong numeracy, analytical, and interpretative skills using IT competently.
- Be self-disciplined and motivated.
- Have excellent time management skills and a demonstrable ability to multitask.
- Have a superb command of the English language (spelling, grammar, and punctuation), with a sharp eye for detail.
- A flexible and supportive team player, who is willing to roll up their sleeves and do whatever is required.
- Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends and undertake some travel.
- Be enthused by developing an understanding of independent schooling and its marketplace.
- Complimentary lunch is provided.
- Free tickets to the College's music, dance, and drama performances.
- Job specific Learning and Development programme available to all employees.
- Life Cover is provided whilst working at Brighton College after successfully passing probation period.
- Contributory pension scheme with matching contributions from the employer up to 9%, which all eligible employees will be automatically enrolled into within three months of commencement of employment.
- Employee benefit and discount platform.
- Wellbeing: Subsidised gym membership for the School of Science and Sport is available, which includes access to yoga and Pilates classes, meditation sessions, and use of the gym and swimming pool.
- Personalised health and wellbeing consultations.
- Generous sickness policy.
- Comprehensive wellbeing package.
- Access to books and magazines from the College Library.
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