Associate Director - Jones Center for Leadership and Service

Associate Director

Jones Center for Leadership and Service

The Jones Center for Leadership and Service within the Division of Student Life at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville invites applications for the position of Associate Director. This is an exempt, full-time, non-tenure track, staff position.

The Jones Center for Leadership and Service (JCLS) educates and engages all students to lead and serve the global community. This is accomplished through an intersection of educational workshops and courses and immersive programs and services open to any student interested in furthering their leadership skills and serving the community.

The Position: The Associate Director will serve as the primary liaison, consultant, and content expert for major programs and signature events associated with academic and co-curricular leadership education, assists with oversight and management of the department, and support the development and implementation of internal and external opportunities that enhance the academic and co-curricular experience of all graduate and undergraduate students while supporting the overall mission of the Jones Center for Leadership and Service, the Division of Student Life, and the University of Tennessee. Responsible for supervising professional staff, graduate assistants, and student staff as well as programmatic and curriculum development, risk management, budget, and outreach.

Leadership, Service, & Outreach:

• Assist the Director with oversight and management of the department and function as the senior leader in management in the Director’s absence
• Serve as a primary liaison, consultant, and subject matter expert for academic and co-curricular leadership education for campus partners in Enrollment Management, Student Success, Academic Departments, Diversity & Engagement, Athletics, and Student Life
• Develop and implement strategies to expand community outreach and volunteer efforts
• Guide planning efforts and risk management assessment for major programs and signature events associated with leadership and outreach.
• Manage all aspects of the W. Timothy Rogers Student Leadership Travel Fund application process
• Serve as the primary department liaison with Student Life Communications and guide the development of communication plans to reach incoming students
• Consult with internal and external stakeholders to design and implement a campus-wide leadership framework
• Serve as a key member of the CliftonStrengths Campus Facilitation Team and the Disaster Relief Management Team as well as various university and community committees, commissions, and boards to support the leadership education and development efforts of the university

Training & Development:

• Serve as a comprehensive leadership and service educational consultant and subject matter expert with internal and external training providers to design and deliver comprehensive leadership and service education (ex: workshops, and other training and development opportunities)
• Conceptualize and implement comprehensive learning and development activities, materials, and programs to support student leader and volunteer development
• Collaborate with faculty and staff in development, delivery, and ongoing curriculum improvement to provide intensive training to student leaders
• Provide 1-on-1 CliftonStrengths and leadership coaching for student leaders
• Stay current on progressive and cutting-edge community engagement theories and programs, effective training resources, certifications, flexible and varied community engagement, evaluation, audit and monitoring of learning/training activity

Human Resources & Supervision:

• Provide direct supervision, performance evaluation, and feedback for 4 educational specialists in the JCLS
• Indirectly supervise additional graduate assistants, practicum students, and 150+ student staff, which includes travel to support student leaders at conferences, retreats, and events
• Guide the development and implementation of a robust leadership training program for department and division student assistants focused on developing career-ready competencies utilizing CliftonStrengths
• Manage and maintain risk management protocol and materials for signature programs related to leadership and outreach

Strategic Thinking, Assessment, & Evaluation:

• Represent department on the Student Life Assessment Champions committee
• Responsible for the department's assessment protocol and data analysis processes for signature leadership and service initiatives
• Evaluate effectiveness of programs and make modifications to training and courses as appropriate based on assessment
• Track student persistence and retention figures
• Identify trends and suggest improvements to programs, publications, and service engagement software
• Assist with department strategic planning and implementation of initiatives that directly support the leadership and service goals of the university and division's strategic plans
• Contribute to department assessment to evaluate student learning, student development, and stakeholder perceptions
• Assist with preparing department publications, annual assessment reports, and special reports for departmental namesake donors, Clay and Debbie Jones

Finance & Budget:

• Assist the Director in the oversight of department expense, revenue, endowment, and gift accounts, assuring full compliance with university fiscal policies and procedures
• Direct oversight of endowment and gift funds supporting Ignite, Volunteer Impact Academy, Emerging Leaders, and the W. Timothy Rogers Student Leadership endowment
• Administer program budgets related to signature leadership initiatives
• Assist with developing and presenting the annual funding request proposal
• Make recommendations and assist in planning of annual fund initiatives, outreach, and donor recognition events

The University and Region: UTK is the state’s flagship, land-grant university. We are a Research 1 university, housing 11 colleges and 900+ programs of study. With an enrollment of 30,000 students, our undergraduate and graduate programs are repeatedly ranked among top national programs. The city of Knoxville is a hidden gem with a beautiful and walkable downtown, a diverse music scene, active neighborhoods, unique restaurants, and a robust offering of outdoor and cultural activities. UTK is located within easy driving distance to Asheville, Nashville, Atlanta, and the Great Smoky Mountains; and a day’s drive to Memphis, Chicago and Washington D.C. Knoxville and the surrounding counties have a statistical area population of over 850,000 people. The Knoxville region houses many leading corporations, including Bush Brothers & Company, Discovery Inc., Tennessee Valley Authority, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

What We Require:

Education: This position requires a master’s degree from an accredited institution.

Experience: This position requires a minimum of three years of relevant, progressively responsible experience in student life, higher education administration, non-profit management, or related field. Two years as a graduate assistant is equivalent to one year of professional experience.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Demonstrated knowledge and application of student development, leadership, and service-learning theory
• Strong student advocacy skills of community building
• Ability to work and collaborate with internal and external constituents to foster positive and productive relationships and build strong rapport to further enhance the departmental vision and mission
• Strong interpersonal and listening skills, including leading presentations
• Excellent oral and written communication
• Strong work ethic, organization, and initiative
• Experience with event and retreat planning
• Ability to show initiative and make sound decisions
• Ability to incorporate principles of diversity and/or social justice into decision-making processes

What We Prefer:

Experience:

• Professional experience in the area of leadership and/or service
• Experience working with development, donor management, fundraising, and stewardship initiatives
• Advising student organizations and groups
• Supervising, coaching, and evaluating student and/or staff members
• Budget/fiscal management
• Assessment and evaluation
• Direct coordination and oversight of leadership development and/or community engagement programming
• Curriculum development and classroom instruction

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Considerable knowledge and skill in program planning and student affairs at the college level
• Knowledge of leadership development and/or service programming
• Specialized knowledge of working with academic units and campus partners
• Skills related to working with development, fundraising, and stewardship initiatives
• Skilled in curriculum development and classroom instruction

Application Process: A review of applications will begin on April 17, 2023 and continue until the position is filled. For full consideration, applicants must electronically submit a letter of interest, resume, and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references. All materials for the position should be submitted through the University of Tennessee Human Resources application system.