Assistant Director, Email Strategy, Alumni Engagement Advancement

Boston University Advancement

Boston University Advancement is at a pivotal moment, guided by new leadership and a clear strategic framework for growth and impact. Our work centers on three core priorities: securing $500 million in philanthropy annually; deepening relationships with a strategically defined segment of alumni and donors; and strengthening the organizational foundation while launching focused priority areas across the University.

Advancement is evolving into a highly collaborative, matrixed model that integrates new University leadership, regional engagement, and the distinctive strengths of BU’s schools and colleges. With more than 250 advancement professionals, the organization is building the capacity, partnerships, and culture required to deliver sustained philanthropic momentum and institutional impact.

Assistant Director, Email Strategy

The Assistant Director, Email Strategy is responsible for implementing an email marketing engagement strategy for Boston University Advancement. This highly independent role manages the department’s email marketing system and operations, provides best practices using engagement analytics, and designs dynamic email content to support Advancement year-round and in a campaign environment. The Assistant Director is responsible for project managing and deploying the thousands of emails distributed to our 440,000+ alumni worldwide each year. This position works with the Director of Digital Marketing & Engagement and other Advancement staff members as well as campus partners to ensure optimal engagement of our email and online strategies.

Position Responsibilities

Email and Digital Context Strategy (30%)

• Develop and execute strategic goals, concepts, and content for email campaigns and related website components, in collaboration with Advancement and University partners.
• Develop and oversee the content strategy for Alumni Digest, the University’s all-alumni newsletter.
• Identify new opportunities to increase alumni engagement through targeted, relevant, and timely digital communications.
• Partner with colleagues to develop and implement audience segmentation and content strategies informed by alumni data.
• Create and execute constituent journeys tailored to factors such as alumni interests, life stages, and career stages.
• Oversee the design, development, and production of assigned email and digital projects.

Project Management (25%)

• Manage the planning, coordination, and execution of a high volume of email communications distributed to more than 440,000 alumni throughout the year.
• Develop and maintain project timelines, schedules, and workflows to ensure timely and effective execution.
• Coordinate with Advancement departments, University partners, and University External Affairs to gather content, establish priorities, and manage approvals.
• Partner closely with the Communications Coordinator and other colleagues to ensure seamless project execution from concept through deployment.

Email Marketing Strategy & Technical Leadership (15%)

• Lead a weekly email marketing meeting with Advancement colleagues responsible for developing and deploying email communications.
• Establish and maintain email marketing best practices, standards, and workflows across Advancement.
• Monitor campaign performance and use analytics and audience insights to refine strategies and improve engagement.
• Stay current on emerging email marketing trends, technologies, and best practices and share relevant insights with colleagues.
• Provide training, guidance, and technical support to colleagues using the broadcast email system.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and resource for colleagues developing and deploying their own email communications.

Major Initiatives & Event Communications (15%)

• Partner with the Director to develop and execute email strategies supporting major Advancement and alumni initiatives, including Global Days of Service, Alumni Weekend, the Alumni Starter Kit, and other large-scale campaigns.
• Develop integrated communication plans and timelines to support key initiatives and maximize alumni engagement.
• Coordinate with Advancement departments, University partners, and University External Affairs to align messaging, timing, audiences, and execution.
• Provide strategic recommendations for leveraging email communications to support organizational priorities and initiative goals.

Student Employee Management and Development (10%)

• Supervise, train, and mentor a student employee supporting email marketing and communications activities.
• Assign and oversee project work, provide ongoing feedback and coaching, and ensure work meets established quality standards.
• Support the student employee’s professional development by providing opportunities to build skills and gain experience in digital communications and marketing.

Quality Assurance (5%)

• Oversee quality assurance processes for email communications, including proofreading, copyediting, link validation, rendering, and testing.
• Ensure communications are accurate, consistent, accessible, and aligned with University and Advancement brand standards.
• Establish and maintain quality control practices that minimize errors and ensure a consistent experience across email communications.