Summary/Objective
The Manager, Academic Engagement is responsible for designing and implementing key engagement and leadership development opportunities to drive retention and recruitment efforts within the student membership space. Through a commitment to excellence, The Manager, Academic Engagement will build brand loyalty in support of long-term growth initiatives. This role requires strong leadership skills to effectively communicate across a robust and diverse student body ensuring all member experiences including networking and educational opportunities deliver value throughout all stages of the business relationship.
Essential Responsibilities
• In partnership with Senior Director, Membership Strategy, Transformation, and Growth, serves as the staff resource to the IFT Student Association (IFTSA) Board of Directors and leads development of student member experiences driving engagement, retention and recruitment
• Executes all activities for IFTSA, ensuring strategic goal alignment, membership engagement and effective volunteer leadership development
• Serves as the IFT Staff Liaison on IFTSA task forces and committees
• Executes strategies to serve student chapter/club growth and development including bi-monthly virtual workshops
• Analyzes member research to influence student initiatives
• Advances membership engagement strategy by developing, designing and implementing networking and educational opportunities for IFTSA and student members
• In partnership with the Senior Director, Membership Strategy, Transformation, and Growth, prepares and manages budgets; forecast financial performance
• Builds pipeline of student leadership through identification, recruitment, engagement and training of volunteers
• Manages submission, review, reporting, and documentation logistics of the IFTSA competitions, awards, and leadership programs via the RhythmQ submission portal
• Provides logistical support for all assigned volunteer groups as well as 8 student competitions, awards and closing ceremony at the annual event
• Represents IFT professionally at IFT annual event and other organization or industry events when needed
• Develops and sustains productive working relationships with IFT members and staff with the ability to collaborate across teams and departments as needed
• Manages the application process and dissemination of student competitions, student and new professional programs and travel grants
• Serves as web content and online community owner for all student sites
• Manages student volunteer lists in organizational database, makes updates as needed
• Serves as staff lead and support for RhythmQ submission portal and technology of student and faculty programs
• Manages submission, review, reporting, and documentation logistics of the IFT-HERB program approval process via the RhythmQ submission portal
• Supports Senior Director, Membership Strategy, Transformation, and Growth in efforts to attract, retain, and celebrate the creative and innovative minds of future food scientists through IFT Fund Motivate initiatives, including Pathful opportunities
• Through effective management, cultivates an environment that allows for a strong and productive employee and student experience
• Builds brand loyalty through high responsiveness to customer and member needs throughout all stages of the business relationship
• Ensures compliance with industry and legal regulations and best practices, and adherence to company processes and procedures
Travel Required
• Occasional domestic travel is expected including the ability to attend occasional evening, weekend, and overnight meetings
Required Education and Experience
• Bachelor's degree in business, management, communications, education, or equivalent
• 5+ years of experience or demonstrated competency in a similar position requiring progressive administrative responsibilities and program management
Preferred Experience
• Project management software experience
• Experience with volunteer or program management
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suites
Other Duties
This position, and all others at IFT, may be modified at any time. To ensure operational efficiency and meet the changing needs of our customers and our Business, other duties may be assigned as needed.
Physical Requirements
While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is required to sit and stand for sustained periods of time, frequently talk, hear, use hands and fingers to feel, handle, and operate objects or controls, and occasionally stand, bend, stretch, stoop, kneel and crouch. The employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures, transcribing, and viewing a computer terminal.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: $78,000 to 90,000 Per Year (commensurate with experience and qualifications)
Benefits: IFT offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to reward and energize our employees, so they can live a balanced life and maintain their well-being. We offer medical, dental, and vision plans at affordable rates. Life and Long Term Disability insurance is completely free to all employees. Most benefits begin the first of the month following employee's start date. To learn more about IFT and our excellent benefits, please visit our careers page here: https://www.ift.org/about-ift/work-at-ift
