Assistant Director

Position Announcement

Assistant 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 Assistant 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 Assistant Director will serve as the primary liaison, consultant, and content expert for major programs and signature events associated with service, volunteerism, and outreach, assist 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 and Associate Director with oversight and management of the department as a member of the JCLS Leadership Team
• Primary oversight for ServeUTK, the campus-wide service engagement platform for marketing and tracking the volunteer efforts of all students, faculty, and staff
• Serve as the primary liaison, consultant, and subject matter expert for community engagement, volunteerism, and community partnerships/non-profit organizations for campus partners in Student Success, Academic Departments, Diversity & Engagement, Athletics, the Baker Center, Human Resources, 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 community engagement, volunteerism, and outreach
• Serve as the primary contact for the campus Disaster Relief Management Team's Volunteer Management sub-group
• Consult with internal and external stakeholders to design and implement transformational community engagement experiences
• Serve as a key member of the CliftonStrengths Campus Facilitation Team as well as various university and community committees, commissions, and boards to support the community engagement and outreach 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/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 2 educational specialists and 1 graduate assistant 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
• Manage and maintain risk management protocol and materials for signature programs related to community engagement, volunteerism, and outreach

Strategic Thinking, Assessment, & Evaluation:

• Conduct assessment and data analysis for signature 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 and Associate 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 VOLbreaks Alternative Break Program, MLK Jr. Days of Service, Leadership Knoxville Scholars, International Leadership & Service Immersions
• Primary liaison with Leadership Knoxville donors
• Oversee program budgets related to signature service and outreach 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.