Head of Alumni Engagement and Operations in Kingston upon Thames

Head of Alumni Engagement & Operations

£60,996 (negotiable) | Full-time (37 hours) | Hybrid working | Kingston upon Thames

Charity People is delighted to be partnering with a leading university to recruit their next Head of Alumni Engagement & Operations.

This institution has a 125 years of transforming lives through education, innovation and opportunity. With TEF Gold recognition across the board, and a Town House Strategy that's rewriting what a modern education looks like, we are focused on helping students develop the skills, networks and experiences to thrive throughout their careers. Integral to this ambition is our global community of more than 280,000 alumni, who's futures have been shaped by the university.

As Head of Alumni Engagement & Operation, part of the senior leadership team of their Development, Alumni Relations and Engagement (DARE) team, you will help us build lifelong relationships with their alumni to support future growth and success.

About the role

They have a 3-year strategy in place to develop alumni engagement, increase participation and embed philanthropy more deeply across the University, with full support of senior leadership across the board. This is a fantastic opportunity to join their growing team and work with senior stakeholders across the University, to champion the role alumni can play in student success, employability, mentoring, partnerships and philanthropy, and develop a lifelong alumni offer.

Reporting in to the Director of DARE, you'll lead a broad portfolio including alumni communications, events, volunteering, individual giving, CRM, data insight and operational delivery.

About you

We're looking for someone who understands the power of communities and relationships.

This is a broad leadership role spanning alumni engagement, communications, volunteering, individual giving, CRM, data insight and operational delivery. While experience within alumni relations or advancement in higher education would be valuable, we're equally interested in hearing from candidates from the charity, membership, fundraising, supporter engagement or relationship management sectors. What matters most is your ability to build communities, create meaningful engagement opportunities, use insight to drive decision-making and inspire people to connect with a shared purpose.

You'll be strategic enough to shape the future direction of alumni engagement at the university, whilst remaining hands-on enough to build relationships, spot opportunities and bring colleagues and stakeholders with you.

You’ll bring

• Experience developing and delivering successful alumni engagement, advancement, membership, supporter engagement or relationship-management programmes.
• A track record of building communities, growing participation and creating meaningful engagement opportunities
• Strong leadership skills and experience developing high-performing teams
• Confidence using insight, data and CRM systems to inform strategy and decision-making
• Experience overseeing communications, events, volunteering, supporter engagement or related activities
• An understanding of how long-term relationships can lead to advocacy, mentoring, volunteering, partnerships and giving

Most importantly, you'll believe that alumni engagement is about much more than communications and events. You'll be excited by the opportunity to help graduates become mentors, volunteers, advocates, partners and lifelong supporters of the University.

Benefits include

• Generous annual leave entitlement
• Excellent pension scheme
• Hybrid working (with a minimum of 50% of time spent on campus)
• Access to professional development opportunities
• A supportive and inclusive working environment
• The opportunity to shape a high-profile function at one of London's leading universities

Key Dates

Closing date: 9th September 2026 - we encourage not delaying your application.
Interviews: 28th and 30th September 2026 (in person)

Charity People is a forward thinking, inclusive organisation that actively and deliberately promotes equity, diversity and inclusion. We know organisations thrive when inclusion is at the foreground. We evidence our commitment by matching charity needs with the skills and experience of candidates irrespective of background e.g. age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. We do this because we believe that greater diversity leads to greater results for the charities we work with.