Alumni Relations Officer
The Edinburgh Academy
Edinburgh, City of
- New
- Salary:
- Circa £27K - £30K, depending on experience
- Job type:
- Full Time, Permanent
- Apply by:
- 18 November 2024
Job overview
The Role
The school prides itself on its warm and welcoming community, inclusive of all staff. Our teaching staff work alongside the operational teams to ensure the smooth running of the school. We value the contribution of all team members.
Through involvement in the co-curricular programme all those who work with us can bring their passions to work. Developing our talent is important to us. Access to training and professional development is available and encouraged.
Our reward package includes:
- Enrolment into generous DC pension (11% employer contribution)
- Access to onsite gym
- Employee Assistance Programme
- Employee Benefits Programme including discounts to a number of major retailers, holiday, electric car and cycle to work schemes, as well as health and well-being option
- A three course lunch is provided during term time
The Role
This is an exciting opportunity for the right candidate to work as part of our Development and Alumni Relations team.
Reporting to the Development and Alumni Relations Manager, the key elements of this role are to:
- Maintain contact with former pupils and other members of the EA community* through appropriate communications and events
- Facilitate career support and networking within the EA community
- Raise philanthropic income to benefit the school and its pupils.
The role involves the planning and managing of a series of engagement events for former pupils and other external stakeholder groups, which may at time involve working occasional weekends and evenings.
As the key point of contact with former pupils (also known as Accies), you will be responsible for updating and maintaining our database (Access/ThankQ) to ensure contact details for our Accie community and other key stakeholders are accurate.
Our ideal candidate will thrive in a busy environment and will be used to balancing competing demands and delivering results under pressure. You will be working collaboratively with the Development and Alumni Relations Manager, as well as other stakeholders internally and externally. You will have outstanding interpersonal, communication and organisational skills, alongside a positive, can-do attitude.
* Our EA Community is comprised of former and current pupils, former and current staff, former and current Court Directors, former and current parents, other family members etc.
Due to internal promotion the role is available from December 1st, 2024.
Main Responsibilities
Main areas of responsibility may include:
- Leading the effective delivery of Development & Alumni Relations Office communications (paper and electronic), working closely with in-house colleagues and third-party suppliers as required, including:
- “The Academical” magazine
- Development/Fundraising materials
- Newsletters and E-Newsletters
- Social media
- Invitations, publicity, etc
- Website.
- Taking frontline responsibility for the practical organisation, administration/logistics and running of events held by the Development & Alumni Relations Office, working closely with colleagues within the department and the wider school community, including:
- Reunions
- Networking and social events
- Founders’ & Benefactors’ Day
- Cultivation events
- Stewardship events
- Fundraising events
- Recognition events.
- Leading the effective maintenance and development of the database of former pupils and other contacts (Access/ThankQ), inputting data, and running reports as required.
- Acting as the main point of contact for Accies (former pupils) and other contacts, including:
- Careers/Mentoring Programme
- Liaise with Honorary Archivist regarding queries/events and requests for information
- National & International EA Ambassadors Programme
- Visits by Accies
- Liaison with, and support for, the Edinburgh Academical Club Council.
- Fundraising activities.
- Giving. Act as a point of contact for fundraising enquiries and be required to advise potential donors of a range of giving methods as well as being able to provide information about key projects
- Fundraising. Work with Development and Alumni Relations Manager to develop and implement sustainable fundraising initiatives and communication channels
- Analysis of appeals. Keeping accurate records of communications with the EA Community to enable accurate reporting on appeals / event attendance against agreed KPIs, on a regular basis
- Reporting. Provide updates, assimilate complex information and present findings which clearly articulate key points, and give recommendations using a range of graphical formats
- Gift Administration. Assisting with the general gift administration, updating Access/ TQ database and providing philanthropic reports as required.
The Ideal Candidate
Essential
- Educated to degree level or equivalent
- High standard of oral and written communications skills
- Excellent time management
- Flexible, adaptable and proactive approach to work
- Team player with strong work ethic
- IT literate, with high level of expertise in Microsoft Word, Excel, email, databases and other packages (querying/ exporting and analysing data)
- Ability to work under pressure in a busy office environment while maintaining a calm and friendly manner
- Methodical and careful working practices with meticulous attention to detail including accurate data entry skills
- Ability to handle confidential material with tact and discretion
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills and high standards of personal work presentation required to deal effectively with people at all levels.
Desirable
- Experience of working in a relevant environment (education, communications, marketing, charitable sector, fundraising, events management)
- Experience of working with relational databases
- Understanding of the ethos and issues facing independent schools
- Driving licence
- Experience of social media communication and creative design in a professional or equivalent voluntary environment
- Working knowledge of GDPR and PECR.
About the school/organisation
The Edinburgh Academy is a fully co-educational school. The School consists of a Senior School, Junior School and a Nursery Department. The School is a member of HMC. The Edinburgh Academy moved to full co-education across the whole school in 2008. The Junior and Senior Schools are on separate sites, both of which have spacious grounds and sports facilities including extensive playing fields, an all-weather sports area, and a large Sports Hall and Centre.
About The Edinburgh Academy
The Edinburgh Academy
Introduction
The Edinburgh Academy is an academically selective, independent, co-educational day school for pupils aged 5-18 years with a reputation for being caring and friendly. It aims to provide co-educational excellence with a first-class all-round education to those of intellectual promise and academic potential, regardless of background, race or creed. The Edinburgh Academy aims to be forward-looking and progressive but also greatly values its long held traditions.
Although the School is not academically exclusive, the ability range of pupils is well above the national average. Great emphasis is placed on the pursuit of co-curricular interests alongside academic studies for all our pupils. The School has a strong reputation for individual attention and excellence in its pastoral care and co-curricular provision.
The School is oversubscribed at all entry points and this creates a competitive pressure on admissions places at the School.
School Background
The Edinburgh Academy is a fully co-educational school. The School consists of a Senior School containing approximately 590 pupils and a Junior School containing approximately 390 pupils, and we have a Nursery department of around 100 pupils. The School is a member of HMC. The Edinburgh Academy moved to full co-education across the whole school in 2008. Previously girls were only admitted in the Sixth Form (S5 and S6).
The Junior and Senior Schools are on separate sites, both of which have spacious grounds and sports facilities including extensive playing fields, an all-weather sports area, and a large Sports Hall and Centre.
The School’s Place in Edinburgh
The School was founded in 1824 and has been regarded as a leading educational establishment within the City of Edinburgh and across Scotland ever since. Original Directors included the leading literary names of their age such as Sir Walter Scott. Robert Louis Stevenson and James Clerk Maxwell were also pupils at the School. More recent Former Pupils (Academicals or ‘Accies’) include: Nicky Campbell - radio and TV broadcaster; Guy Berryman - bass guitarist with Coldplay; Will Whitehorn – past President of Virgin Galactic - Space Tourism Company; Mike Blair - Scottish rugby; Dragon’s Den star, James Ingham.
The Senior School occupies a site in Henderson Row, less than a mile from Princes Street and at the northern limits of the Georgian ‘New Town’, of which it was designed to be a part. The buildings include an iconic school hall and the James Clerk Maxwell Science Centre, which was completed in November 2006. The playing fields are about half a mile from the main buildings – Raeburn Place (8 ½ acres) (shared with the Academicals - Former Pupils), New Field in Inverleith Place (20 acres) and a further five acres at the Junior School and Nursery, also at Inverleith, with a 400 metre grass running track.
An investment programme in facilities of over £15m has in the last 5 years seen a new Junior School library and classroom block, 2 floodlight all weather pitches, a Performing Arts Centre at Senior School and new sports pavilions. A bespoke climbing wall facility was officially opened in 2015. The School has further ambitious plans beyond this current phase of development, which will see a wholescale redevelopment on our Senior School site over the coming decade.
The Edinburgh Academy is a highly regarded school within the local community, across Edinburgh and beyond. Staff and pupils take great pride in this reputation, and the commitment from all is evident in the continuing success and progress of the School.
The Edinburgh Academy is committed to sharing its facilities with the local community and has established a series of projects that provides the use of its estates and premises for the public good.
Further details about the School and its resources can be found on the School website - www.edinburghacademy.org.uk
Classes and Assembly
7ths (S6) and 6ths (S5) classes are organised by tutor groups studying either Highers, Advanced Highers or GCE A-level. Across the Senior School no teaching group consists of more than 24 pupils and many are substantially smaller.
A School Assembly is held at 8.50am each morning, and is attended by the whole school. School Services for the whole school are held on several occasions during the session.
Exam Results
The Edinburgh Academy uses both English and Scottish examination boards. Nearly all subjects now present SQA National 5 and Advanced Higher examinations. Each year, a significant number of our 7ths (S6) have conditional places at very competitively sought universities on the basis of their Advanced Higher/A-level and Higher results.
Yearly academic results can be found on the School website.
Games and Activities
At the Edinburgh Academy, sport offers opportunities at all levels. The PE curriculum is varied, encompassing a wide variety of team games and individual sports. The School runs teams in a large number of major and minor sports and encourages pupils to represent the School at one or more sports at any age group.
In Music, there are about 20 performing groups including orchestras, choirs, wind bands, a big band and several chamber groups.
In Drama, there are usually three or four main productions each year. There is a fully active LAMDA qualification schedule in acting, reading for performance, mime, public speaking and Musical Theatre in place. This occurs at break time and lunchtimes. In addition, the Drama and Music department liaise to produce an annual musical, with potential to increase this.
All pupils currently join the CCF or The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in 4ths (S3).
All members of staff are expected to play a full part in supporting the co-curricular life of the School.
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