Department
Lab School Alumni Relations & Development
About the Department
No less than scholarship, Lab’s mission prioritizes honoring diversity and exhibiting kindness. We are committed to building and supporting a teaching and learning community where young people see aspects of their backgrounds and identities reflected around them, where they feel a deep sense of belonging, and where they discover and use their voices to full effect. Today, 53-59 percent of Lab’s student body are students of color. Families report speaking nearly 40 different languages in their homes. Approximately 60 percent of Lab families are also affiliated with the University of Chicago. Half of our families live in Hyde Park, and the rest come from across Chicago, the suburbs, and northwestern Indiana. Inclusion is a fundamental value at Lab, such that we celebrate every facet of community members’ identities, and even where we disagree, we emphasize respect, civility, and maintaining a spirit of community.
Lab seeks the finest employees to join our vibrant learning community. We employ people with a wide range of skills and training in many different disciplines, who have in common a love of learning and the wish to inspire that same love of learning in young people. We seek candidates for employment who thrive in an educational environment. We provide a great professional home for those committed to collaboration, ongoing personal and professional growth, and cultivating positive relationships. In turn, we strive to ensure that Lab is a joyful, welcoming, and inspiring place to work. Through our connection to the University, faculty, staff, and administrators enjoy benefits and opportunities that would be nearly impossible to match in any other environment.
Job Summary
The successful candidate will be a collaborative team player who is able to work well independently and be able to interact and coordinate with administrators of the schools, faculty, and staff. The primary constituents will be current Lab families and parents, but will also include current students, Lab alumni, and parents of Lab alumni.
The ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial, curious, enthusiastic, and will help build a broad understanding of Lab’s philanthropic value to donors and prospective donors.
Responsibilities
Works under the direction of the director of alumni relations and community engagement, and in collaboration with the director of development to oversee key volunteer groups including the Parents Development Committee (PDC), the Alumni Association Executive Board, and Maroon Key Society, event hosts and community ambassadors, Maroon Key Society, and senior class scholarship chairs.
Serve as the liaison to the Parents Association.
Lead recruitment and engagement of volunteers.
Volunteer constituent communications and reporting.
Support transition of engaged volunteers into donor pipelines.
Collaborate with fundraising staff to align engagement with cultivation strategies.
Track movement from volunteer engagement to philanthropic participation.
Play a key role in supporting Lab's campaign priorities through volunteer engagement, stewardship, constituent activation, and pipeline development.
Develop and execute engagement strategies that identify, cultivate, and advance volunteer leaders and highly engaged constituents toward philanthropic participation and major gift opportunities.
In coordination with the Associate Director of Special Events, provide direction, leadership and volunteer management on parent-focused events including Connections, Dewey Dance, new family events, parent social and educational engagement events.
Collaborate with Lab’s frontline fundraisers to ensure appropriate handoff and interactions with annual and major gift prospects.
Collaborate to create strategic interaction between current Lab families and Lab alumni.
Participate in and is visible in the life of Lab Schools.
Establishes and maintains metrics of success and makes sure those are present in departmental strategic plans, goals setting, and the annual budget.
Identifies, cultivates, and trains volunteers and alumni leaders to help with committees and design programs to engage students and alumni in meaningful ways to advance objectives of the alumni association and broader University.
Performs other related work as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
Education:
Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience:
Certifications:
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Preferred Qualifications
Experience:
Five years or more in schools, non-profit organizations, or businesses with high levels of relationship-building and customer service.
Preferred Competencies
Good time management and ability to collaborate on projects as well as work independently.
Team building and collaboration.
Excellent short and long-range planning skill.
Proficiency with Google work networks, databases and network-based environments.
Commitment to the values of the University of Chicago Lab Schools and champion its commitment to kindness, intellectual rigor, and inclusion via parent engagement.
Proven desire for continuing education to acquire the latest in industry best practices.
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Proven ability to analyze processes and plan improvement initiatives.
Outstanding interpersonal and organizational skills.
Ability to work on own initiative, develop rapport, and work well with others.
Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and accurately under deadlines.
Experience with fundraising databases and reporting tools such as Salesforce.
Ability to travel to campus and/or non-campus locations for Lab Schools business.
Willingness and ability to work evenings and weekends for Lab ARD events and activities.
Working Conditions
Standard office environment (hybrid available)
Application Documents
Resume (required)
Cover Letter (required)
Three Professional References (required)
The University of Chicago uses AI-assisted tools to streamline and augment some recruitment processes; however, AI is not used to make hiring decisions.
When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.
Job Family
Role Impact
Scheduled Weekly Hours
Drug Test Required
Health Screen Required
Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required
Pay Rate Type
FLSA Status
Pay Range
The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.
Benefits Eligible
The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.
Posting Statement
The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.
Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.
All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment. Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.
The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.
Skills Required
- College or university degree
- 2-5 years of relevant work experience
- Resume (application document)
- Cover letter (application document)
- Three professional references (application document)
- Ability to travel to campus and non-campus locations for Lab Schools business
- Willingness and ability to work evenings and weekends for Lab ARD events and activities
- Experience with fundraising databases and reporting tools such as Salesforce
- Proficiency with Google work networks, databases and network-based environments
- Five years or more experience in schools, non-profits, or businesses with relationship-building (preferred)
- Exceptional written and verbal communication and strong interpersonal skills
What We Do
The University of Chicago is an urban research university that has driven new ways of thinking since 1890. Our commitment to rigorous inquiry and intellectual freedom draws pathbreaking scholars to our global campuses, where field-defining ideas are born that challenge and change the world. The University of Chicago has its main campus on Chicago's South Side and seven international campuses and centers throughout the world. Students can choose from 53 majors and 47 minors in the undergraduate College, with four divisions and seven professional schools for graduate study.
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