Job description
Company Description
Every institution values excellence. What matters most is why.
Griffith was created to be a different type of university. You’ll find we’re about leading research, academic excellence, and the transformative power of education. But what sets us apart is why those things matter and how you’ll achieve them.
Why? Griffith brings together exceptional minds like yours from across the globe and from all walks of life. Here, we do incredible work, questioning and challenging, always in the pursuit of excellence. We will challenge you to be curious, creative and courageous as we strive to achieve our vision to transform lives and add to human knowledge and understanding in a way that creates a future that benefits all.
Job Description
Supporting the University’s four Academic Groups, 20+ research institutes and centres, and considering the needs of Griffith’s more than 45,000 students across five campuses, the Advancement portfolio seek to maximise Griffith’s philanthropic and alumni engagement potential.
The Advancement team fosters a culture that actively seeks to engage the University’s 300,000 alumni worldwide; gather philanthropic support from philanthropists, charitable trusts and foundations, alumni, staff, students and corporations; and advance the University in its communities.
Providing a coordinated approach to developing engagement and fundraising initiatives, and working collaboratively across the University, the Advancement team proactively initiate, grow and steward strong stakeholder relationships with alumni, donors and others who support Griffith University’s research and education endeavours.
In 2023, we publicly launched Griffith’s first comprehensive campaign, The Campaign to Create a Brighter Future for All. It was a ground-breaking year, with Griffith becoming only the 7th Australian university and the second non-Go8 university to launch a campaign – and the first to strive for both philanthropic and alumni engagement targets.
Last year was a record-breaking year, not only because we celebrated Griffith’s 50 years of teaching, but also because our goal of engaging with 100,000 of our alumni community was achieved – and exceeded. With the philanthropic target on the cusp of also being surpassed, we are now considering the next ambitious stage of the Brighter Futures Campaign.
Fully supported by the Vice Chancellor and the University’s Executive Leadership, as we prepare to move into the next phase of Campaign we are excited to bring into the Advancement portfolio an exceptional individual and leader with an outstanding record in stakeholder engagement to assume the role of Director, Alumni Engagement.
Reporting to the Vice President (Advancement), the Director, Alumni Engagement is a key member of the Advancement leadership team and an active participant in strategic decision making. Responsible for advancing the University’s alumni engagement strategy and objectives, the Director, Alumni Engagement will be a visionary and ambitious leader with extensive experience in enhancing and growing engagement with both alumni and donor communities in the Australian higher education sector.
About you
We invite you to apply if you are a dynamic and innovative leader with an impressive track record in alumni and stakeholder engagement excellence, and can deliver exceptional outcomes in the following areas:
Strategy and Leadership
- Drive the development and effective implementation of the University’s alumni engagement initiatives and activities, leading an experienced team to develop engagement with Griffith’s 300,000+ alumni, the largest constituency within the Griffith community.
Engagement at Scale
- Building on the significant step change in the participation levels of the Griffith alumni community in recent years, create new ways to engage with our alumni – especially via technology and media – through programs of scale and impact.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Build strong and ongoing relationships and connections with alumni, key external stakeholders and donors, identifying opportunities for purposeful and beneficial engagement.
If you are looking to continue your track record in alumni and stakeholder engagement, if you are looking for rewarding personal career progression, and if you are looking to have greater impact with the hope of creating a future that benefits all, we invite you to apply for the Director, Alumni Engagement role.
Exceptional candidates are strongly encouraged to submit their applications at the earliest opportunity. Applications will be assessed as they are received, with early submissions reviewed as priority in preparation for interviews during February.
Learn more about this opportunity here.
Qualifications
Additional Information
Why Griffith?
As a values-led organisation, at Griffith University, we’ve worked hard to create a dynamic and strong organisational culture. We offer:
- Mix of on campus and work from home options available and a supportive work environment
- Salary packaging options and corporate health discounts
- Generous leave entitlements including paid parental leave and leave loading
- Support with future learning opportunities through our educational staff assistance scheme
- Health Safety and Wellbeing initiatives – on campus Gym facilities
How to apply
Griffith University has partnered with SHK Asia Pacific in the search for this appointment.
For confidential enquiries and to request more information about this position, please contact Siobhan Forbes via email on [email protected], quoting reference 3505932.
All applications must be submitted to SHK Asia Pacific, and must include your CValong with a covering letter addressing the key elements of the role
Applications close on Thursday, 5 February 2026 at 11.59pm AEST.
