Alumni Recruitment and Relations Manager

Job Description

SUMMARY

Arizona State University seeks qualified candidates to serve as the Communications Director on a USAID project supporting the next-generation expression of the Regional Leadership Centers (RLC) component of the Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI), the United States’ premier investment in young African leaders. As the on-continent component of the YALI program, in 2015 USAID launched four YALI RLCs at higher education institutions in Ghana, Kenya, Senegal, and South Africa. The RLCs have provided access to leadership and functional training to 22,000 young leaders aged 18–35 from 49 sub-Saharan countries in three tracks: business and entrepreneurship, public management, and civic leadership. YALI 2030 will build on the RLC foundation to create an expanded pan-African youth development model that will harmonize training curriculum, serve underrepresented/underserved youth, build alumni network capacity and professional development opportunities, and develop new program-related partnerships with the private sector and other stakeholders and donors. ASU has hosted YALI Mandela Washington Fellows annually since 2014, led public management cohorts at the East Africa Regional Leadership Center, collaborates with the Mastercard Foundation on an eLearning Initiative with African universities, implemented higher education projects for USAID with multiple universities on the continent, and maintains an African hub and a network of alumni through ASU-Thunderbird School of Global Management.

Position location: We are looking for candidates based in Accra, Ghana, Dakar, Senegal, Pretoria South Africa or Nairobi, Kenya.

This is a full-time position that will require travel across the continent.

Main Purpose of the job

We are seeking to recruit a mature and result-oriented Alumni Recruitment and Relations Manager for the Young African Leadership Initiative Legacy and Localization Project (YALI L&L).

The holder of this position will report to the Alumni Director, and will be responsible for Alumni recruitment and admission strategy, engagement strategy, relationship management, mentorship coordination.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Yali Regional center to develop an inclusive harmonized recruitment strategy while bearing in mind regional and country dynamics, distinctions, and priorities.
• Oversee country focused alumni strengthening initiatives across the 4 YALI Regional Leadership Centers (RLC) and 49 Chapters per the YALI L&L alumni engagement and development strategy.
• Work closely with the Alumni Digital Engagement Manager and YALI RLCs to develop a youth- friendly Alumni recruitment platform.
• Work closely with regional center recruitment managers and alumni chapter leaders in recruitment efforts in hard-to-reach areas and address other country specific challenges such as gender, LGBTQ+ to ensure inclusivity.
• Support Alumni chapter strategic alumni initiatives, relationship development, and business development opportunities.
• Support Alumni relationship managers in the region to organize and coordinate alumni functions such as fund raising, recognition and awards, reunions, other special events and services.
• Work with other technical leads to develop a portfolio of prospective funders, partners and stakeholders to support the implementation of alumni initiatives.
• Maintain the integrity of the alumni database ensuring that it is always updated.
• Oversee and ensure effective communication, vetting and disbursement of the Transformation Fund to qualifying alumni.
• Support the Alumni Director in the coordination of all regional alumni events, working closely with the YALI Africa Alumni working group and other USG initiatives in the region.

Key competencies

• Excellent analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Business Technology Acumen
• Demonstrated leadership, management skills and strategic planning skills.
• Strong judgement and decision-making skills.
• Excellent verbal communication skills and report writing skills.
• Good research capacity, data analysis and information management skills; and
• Ability to work in a team.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferably in public relations, communications, or other related discipline.
• Minimum of 8 year’s demonstrable experience in youth development, relationship management and business development.
• Excellent communication skills both oral and in written English. French also strongly desirable.
• Demonstrable event planning and organizational skills and ability to meet tight deadlines.
• In-depth understanding of historical and emerging trends in youth development.
• Flexibility and initiative, as well as the ability to work independently, combined with the skills for thriving in a team environment to achieve institutional goals.
• High professional and ethical standards for handling confidential information.
• Willingness to travel and support regional centers and country chapter initiatives.

How to Apply

Interested qualified candidates are invited to submit their application and Curriculum Vitae indicating full contact details of three professional referees to YALI@asu.edu by 24th October, 2023.

Applicants must include the POSITION TITLE in the subject line of their email. Please do not attach copies of certificates.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.

YALI L&L is an equal opportunity employer.

About the Organization

Our mission at Arizona State University is no less than revolutionizing the model for public higher education. We call it the New American University, and we began our transformation in 2002, led by President Michael Crow. Six years later, Newsweek hailed ASU as “one of the most radical redesigns in higher learning since the modern research university took shape.” U.S. News and World Report named ASU the most innovative university, ahead of Stanford at #2 and MIT at #3. The ASU model has relevance for developing countries seeking to meet escalated expressions of challenges that we face in the United States. In 2015, ASU established ASU International Development to support cross-university pursuit of development projects. ASU ID provides a single point of contact for donors and partners seeking to access the university’s myriad resources. Since 2015, ASU has successfully implemented projects for USAID, the State Department, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Inter-American Development Bank, and private sector donors including foundations such as MasterCard and Gates. Countries of work include Brazil, Barbados, Haiti, India, Pakistan, West Bank, El Salvador, Vietnam, Indonesia, Peru, Mexico, Kenya, Nepal, Jamaica, Aruba and the Pacific Islands. ASU provides strong back-office support to its partners as one of the few university research enterprises to be ISO 9001-compliant.

ASU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status.