Advancement Events Assistant

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425?acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

The Swarthmore Office of Advancement manages the College's relationship with its alumni, families, and friends to further Swarthmore's commitment to intellectual rigor and creativity, nurturing of student confidence and curiosity, production of new knowledge, and inclusive excellence, among other goals. Advancement works closely with the President, faculty, and senior colleagues to foster positive and productive relationships that not only accelerate the objectives of the College but also represent meaningful and beneficial engagement for the Swarthmore community.

The Office of Advancement manages and maintains alumni, family, and friend records; engages constituents in the life of the College in a variety of ways, contexts, and over time; provides and supports meaningful volunteering opportunities; and partners with the President and Board of Managers to share information about the College and raise critical philanthropic support for the College's priorities and new initiatives. Advancement ensures that alumni and donors are appropriately recognized and informed about the impact of their service and contributions, and manages all gift acceptance and stewardship.

The Opportunity:

The Advancement Events Assistant is a member of an Advancement Events team who engages alumni, parents, and friends with the College through events. This person assists with a wide range of advancement event activities in support of annual and strategic goals.

The Assistant will oversee the event registration process for alumni, family, and donor events; provide exceptional customer service to both external audiences and internal colleagues; coordinate faculty and student travel logistics; and other event responsibilities.

This role involves interaction with alumni, families, donors, College staff, and other constituents. The ideal candidate will have a background in customer service and/or administrative support and will have the ability to balance multiple projects and demands.

Essential Responsibilities:

• Event registration:
  • Utilize the department’s database/CRM software to build on-line registration pages.
  • Utilize the department’s project management software to track the event registration process in collaboration with other departments.
  • Manage events and attendees lists in database/CRM.
  • Track RSVP status and keep registration lists up to date.
  • Share up-to-date registration lists with event managers and relevant colleagues.
  • Create and manage event reports, monitoring data for trends.
• Event Assistance:
  • Print name tags for all advancement events.
  • Collect, pack, and ship event supplies.
  • In collaboration with colleagues throughout the division, organize faculty and student travel needs.
  • Book hotel stays and onsite travel for faculty and students.
    • Share travel briefings.
    • Assist with processing expense reports after the event.
    • Provide on-site staff support as needed. Assist at occasional local evening and weekend events.
  • Book on-campus venues using the College’s event management system (currently Swat Central).
  • Promptly respond to the Advancement events email account and hotline phone number.
• Other:
  • Assist with organizing team meetings and retreats.
  • Schedule internal and cross-campus partner meetings for post-event debriefs and as needed. Draft agendas and take detailed notes during meetings.
  • Keep and organize inventory of giveaways, supplies, and event materials.
  • Ensure all vendor contracts and invoices are submitted, and all purchasing card expenses for the department are reconciled.
  • Manage online event photo albums with the purpose of sharing event photos with attendees.
  • Use computer and related equipment to accurately prepare correspondence, reports, and other documents from written drafts or as directed, in a timely fashion to support the work of the other department professionals.
  • Listens responsibly to constituents’ concerns or complaints and provides appropriate remedies, if possible, in order to resolve problems.
  • Maintains productivity in both quantity and quality of work while sustaining a high level of accuracy. Makes appropriate, timely and effective decisions in order to support the work of the department.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Attends and assists other College Advancement staff at College events as needed.
• Serves voluntarily on ad-hoc or standing College committees, as appropriate and with approval of the supervisor.
• Takes advantage of opportunities for professional development at least once annually.
• Maintain flexibility to new ideas and new technology to take full advantage of software enhancements.
• Reports for scheduled work hours in a dependable and timely fashion.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

What You Bring:

Required Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent with three (3) years of work experience, or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience.
• Strong organizational abilities. Attention to detail and ability to handle multiple and varied tasks independently, while also working collaboratively.
• Strong written communication skills.
• Skill in dealing with people, using tact and diplomacy, and the ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality. Strong customer service skills.
• Ability to use a variety of computer applications, including demonstrated skills in the use of Word processing and spreadsheets, fundraising databases and reporting software, registration software, and Web page design software. Willingness to learn new computer and software skills as needed.
• Willingness to be a team player working with other staff in Advancement and the college as a whole, but with the ability to work independently.
• Ability to work authorized overtime as required to complete projects, meet heavy demand, including, but not limited to, Garnet Weekend and Alumni Weekend.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate or Bachelor's degree.
• Experience working in a college or university setting.
• Experience working with Slate or other CMS platforms.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus, and a collaborative work environment. Join a team of passionate, creative people who work hard and have fun supporting the College students, faculty, and staff.

We want to hear from you if you are excited about this role! For full consideration, submit applications with an uploaded resume by January 2, 2026. Applications received after this date may be reviewed on a rolling basis until the job has been filled.

The market range for this position is $24.00-$28.00 per hour, which represents the College’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range at the time of posting. The salary offered is determined based on factors including, but not limited to, experience and education of the final selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information.

PA Criminal Clearance Required

Swarthmore College requires a PA Criminal background check for all staff positions prior to the start of employment.

Preview our Benefits Flyer. We offer benefit plans starting at zero cost! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

2026 Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook

Retirement Plans

Tuition Grant Program

Tuition Reimbursement Program

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

Swarthmore College is committed to creating a culture of respect and inclusion so that every member of our community feels a sense of belonging. We actively seek and welcome candidates with diverse perspectives and experiences, exceptional qualifications, and a demonstrable commitment to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate based on any identity or characteristic protected by law or College Policy.