Associate Director, Peer Navigator Network

Compensation Range:

Position Summary

The Associate Director serves in a leadership role for the NU Peer Navigator Network, a federally funded Postsecondary Student Success Grant project. The Associate Director is predominantly responsible for hiring, training, staffing, and coaching an extensive network of peer mentors across the institution with minimal supervision and the ability to prioritize, organize, and complete tasks effectively and in a timely manner to advance the goals of the grant project. The position also collaborates and communicates with faculty and staff on matters related to peer mentors. The Associate Director also contributes to the strategic planning process of the NU Peer Navigator Network and the subsequent implementation, research, and evaluation of services and programs. The Associate Director also provides support and direction in the development of peer mentor training programs, virtual community solutions, and institution-wide student employment strategies.

Essential Functions:

• Creation of and directing program components/services in consultation with the Project Director.
• Collaborates and communicates with faculty, enrollment management, and other student-facing departments on matters related to peer mentors.
• Assists in the strategic planning process of NU Peer Navigator Network and subsequent implementation, research, and evaluation of services and programs.
• Collaborates on relevant meetings and committees to enhance institution-wide student employment opportunities.
• Leads and/or contribute to either ad hoc or ongoing university projects outside the scope of their day-to-day activities.
• Assists in developing the Orientation Peer Navigator Model, which will consist of creating a student job description, cohort management process, collaborating with enrollment management, and developing student employee protocols.
• Follow up and make referrals to campus resources as needed.
• Advises the university on Federal Work Study and VA Work Study availability as well as other funding opportunities for student employees
• Supports special projects and serves on University committees as assigned by the Project Director.
• Welcomes constituents with a positive attitude and sensitivity and help maintain a welcoming and inclusive environment; refers individuals and/or questions to appropriate resources when needed.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• Direct supervisor for 10-20 part-time Peer Navigators who are grant-funded through the Post-Secondary Student Success Grant.
• Supervises staff, ensuring they follow appropriate program operations, protocols, policies, and procedures.
• Hire, train, staff, and coach peer mentors.
• Consult with HR as needed on employee relations issues.
• Leads in recruiting and selecting staff to support grant project goals/objectives.
• Participate in the annual performance review, working with grant’s External Evaluators and Office of Sponsored Programs and Research.
• Develop when/where appropriate and work in concert with the Project Director and Co-PIs on a targeted research agenda to support the grant’s outcomes and dissemination of outcomes.

Requirements:

Education & Experience:

• A Master’s degree in an associated field, such as but not limited to education, psychology, social work, or social sciences, is required.
• Minimum three (3) years of progressive responsibility and experience in higher education student affairs, student clubs/organizations, advising, and/or student support services required.
• Minimum one (1) year experience in peer-to-peer support, student employment, peer mentoring, admissions, enrollment management, or a related higher education program required.
• Must be a self-starter with initiative and the ability to stay on top of work with minimum supervision and anticipate the organization's needs; must be able to work independently, taking initiative on multiple projects and maintaining deadlines.
• Interest/ability to work with a diverse student body and staff.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with a diverse population, including developing and using empathetic listening skills, communicating with clarity, and maintaining an attitude that conveys respect, assistance, honesty, and resourcefulness.
• Background Check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.
• Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.

Competencies/Technical/Functional Skills:

• Proficiency in data entry and completion of online reporting forms related to local, state, federal, or private grants
• Ability to participate as an active team member of the team and organization and work toward a common goal. Contributes fully to team effort and plays an integral part in the smooth running of teams without necessarily taking the lead.
• Accepts personal accountability, proactively seeks resolution for personal limitations head- on; and supports honesty and respect towards others, the company and oneself.
• Actively seeks to influence, build effective relationships, and gain alignment with peers, functional partners, and/or external partners to accomplish business objectives.
• Develop new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourage new ideas and innovations; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes. Ability to generate and/or recognize imaginative or creative solutions that generate successful outcomes.
• Working knowledge, principles, and practices of office management/systems within a higher education environment preferred. Demonstrates an understanding of underlying organizational issues.
• Ability to drive towards achieving measurable and challenging goals to support organizational success. Demonstrates the ability to focus on achieving results consistent with the organization’s objectives. As a leader, develops goals based on the organization’s vision, mission, strategic goals, and objectives.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with a wide range of individuals of constituencies in a diverse community.
• Work independently and foster a cooperative spirit within a large and/or small team of diverse cultures while working in a fast-paced environment with multiple deadlines and frequently changing priorities.
• Intermediate use of computers and Microsoft Office Suite Applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. Experience using Student Information System (SIS) such as SOAR/Peoplesoft systems.

Travel: Travel required as necessary; less than 15 days annually.

Candidate receiving offers will be offered a salary/pay rate commensurate with experience that vary based on a candidate’s qualifications, skills, and competencies. Absent exceptional circumstances, candidates will be offered a salary within this range for this position. The minimum salary will be offered based on the minimum exemption threshold based on state of residency. Base pay is one component of National University’s total rewards package, as we are dedicated to supporting the needs of the “whole you” with our holistic approach to employee benefits by offering comprehensive well-being benefits for you and your family. For full details about our benefit plan offerings, please visit benefits.nu.edu. For Part-time benefits, please click here.

National University is committed to maintaining a high-quality, diverse workforce representative of the populations we serve. National University employs more than 5,000 faculty and staff and serves over 41,000 students. We are united in our mission to meet the global education demands of the 21st Century and are dedicated to creating a supportive academic and work environment that allows students, faculty and staff to develop their interests and talents while experiencing a sense of community and a commitment to diversity. With programs available both online and at our many campus locations, National University is a leader in creating innovative solutions to education and meeting the needs of our diverse student population, including adult learners and working professionals.

National University offers an opportunity to work in an innovative environment that supports diversity.

National University (NU) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant per applicable federal, state and local laws. At NU, a diverse mix of highly talented, innovative and creative people cometogether to make the impact of a lifetime for each of our student learners. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, education, and admission at National University. We are focused on equality and believe deeply in diversity of race, color, ancestry, age, family care status, veteran status, marital status, creed, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, and other legally protected group status.