MBA Program Director of Professional Development and Alumni Relations

The James Madison University MBA Program is seeking a Director of Professional Development and Alumni Relations. The primary purpose of this position is to augment and differentiate the JMU MBA degree by creating professional development activities that help students and alumni build their networks and skills to more readily achieve their career objectives. This position reports to the Director of MBA Programs and is a 12-month Administrative and Professional Faculty position.

About the MBA Program: The JMU MBA program is one of the strongest programs of its kind in the nation. The program started in 1970 and has over 2,200 alumni. Students can choose from concentrations in Information Security, Executive Leadership, or Innovation, and are admitted in cohorts of no more than 30 students. Classes are a mixture of synchronous online and in-person sessions. The program is rated as the 23rd best online MBA program in the nation by Princeton Review and 26th by US News. MBA student outcomes are particularly strong as evidenced by a 21% average salary increase, 75% of students being promoted or changing employers, and 99% of graduating students being willing to recommend JMU MBA to a friend or colleague.

About the College:  The AACSB-accredited College of Business includes nationally ranked undergraduate and graduate programs. The College includes the Center for Entrepreneurship, Center for Professional Selling, Small Business Development Center, Capital Markets Lab, Madison Consulting, and other programs focused on outreach and engagement with the business community. Our very successful alumni hold C-suite positions at major corporations including SAP, Fidelity, Bank of America, IBM, McKinsey & Company, Deloitte, KPMG, and other Fortune 500 companies and readily engage with the College. Five years post-graduation, Virginia residents attending the College had the highest return-on-investment of the 82 business schools included in Poets & Quants 2017 undergraduate business program ranking. The faculty are teacher-scholars who are collaborative and supportive colleagues. The College has approximately 4,100 students in its AACSB programs and is highly regarded across the JMU campus community. 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Create, develop and deliver effective professional development activities for MBA students that help them grow in their careers. 
• Develop and deliver useful networking opportunities for MBA students, alumni, and prospective students in Northern Virginia, Harrisonburg, and Charlottesville.
• Work with businesses to arrange recruiting partnerships and business visits.
• Utilize social media platforms such as LinkedIn to foster student and alumni networking opportunities.
• Work with JMU MBA executive coaches and other resources to identify professional development opportunities.
• Assist the MBA Program Recruiting and Marketing Director to develop recruitment marketing content and to conduct prospective student interviews.
• Assist with strategies to increase diversity in incoming MBA student cohorts.
•  Help plan and deliver MBA orientation and graduation events.
• Develop an MBA alumni fundraising program.
• Collect and analyze data for MBA program assessment and improvement. 
• Lead and/or collaborate on other projects as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• This position requires someone who is a self-starter and is willing to initiate and lead varied projects.
• Prior experience working in event management, marketing, fundraising or related field.
• Ability to travel overnight one to two times per quarter and to work occasional Saturdays.
• A commitment to values that correspond with JMU MBA’s own: optimism and happiness, transformative empowerment, connection and community, inclusive diversity, and intellectual growth and curiosity.  
• Minimum of a master’s degree in a related field.
• Demonstrated outstanding written and oral communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior Director-level work experience.
• Prior experience working in higher education.

Candidates interested in faculty positions at the University must complete the online employment application in the JMU JobLink system. To apply, go to joblink.jmu.edu and reference posting F1774, or go directly to https://joblink.jmu.edu/postings/10827. Review of applications will begin January 10, 2022 and the position will remain open until filled. Pay range: $73,000 - $78,000. Interested parties may contact Dr. Matt Rutherford at rutherma@jmu.edu.

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.