Assistant Director of Student Engagement

initiatives that strengthen student belonging, leadership development, retention, and student success while aligning programs with institutional strategic priorities.

The incumbent should be a self-starter and self-motivated with a student-centered focus and experience in student life in a higher education setting. Many of our students are working adult learners who learn and engage in a primarily online space. The selected incumbent must be knowledgeable about student services within higher education and should have familiarity with working with adult students in both face-to-face and online learning environments, with the ability to support students of diverse backgrounds.

The Assistant Director of Student Engagement provides support and operational management for student engagement initiatives. This position is responsible for implementing and evaluating innovative programs that foster community, inclusion, and student success in a predominantly online environment. Working closely with the Executive Director of Student Experience, academic departments, and university partners, the assistant director ensures that students - whether part-time, full-time, or in remote locations - have meaningful opportunities for connection and extracurricular involvement.

The assistant director supports, assists, and advises all student organizations in program planning, policies and procedures, event promotion, conflict management, travel, budgeting, conference attendance, etc. This position will design and implement student organization events (ex: orientations, workshops, institutes, etc.), maintain the student organization database, increase engagement in the virtual student union, SUNY Empire Connects, participate in staff trainings and meetings, and serve on committees and other programs promoting student activities on campus.

Key Responsibilities Include:

Program Development and Management

• Coordinate and support the implementation of the university's student engagement initiatives.
• Coordinate and execute a comprehensive calendar of online and in-person programs, events, and initiatives, aligned with university strategic goals.
• Develop and support programming designed for students.
• Incorporate best practices in student engagement, using data-driven insights to assess student needs and interests.
• Serve as the university's primary resource regarding student engagement practices, consulting with academic and administrative departments to develop collaborative initiatives that strengthen student success and belonging.

Student Organization Support

• Provide training, advising, and administrative oversight for student clubs and organizations, ensuring compliance with university policies and virtual community standards.
• Support student leaders in event planning, budget management, and organizational management.
• Serve as the institutional administrator for SUNY Empire Connects, overseeing platform governance, user adoption strategies, communications standards, training, assessment, and ongoing enhancement of the university's virtual student community.
• Be a central point of contact for all student clubs and organizations.

Community Engagement and Inclusion

• Increase engagement with and usage of the virtual student union, SUNY Empire Connects. Creatively develop ways to enhance usage of the platform and encourage student groups to engage with the space.
• Develop programming that reflects the diversity of the student body and promotes equity, inclusion, and intercultural awareness.
• Collaborate with affinity groups, diversity offices, and student government to create virtual spaces where all students feel represented and supported.
• Partner with external organizations, alumni, and guest speakers to expand opportunities for networking, mentorship, and community involvement.

Assessment and Evaluation

• Coordinate the collection, analysis, and reporting of student engagement data to evaluate program effectiveness, identify trends, and inform strategic decision-making.
• Develop key performance indicators (KPIs) and annual assessment plans for student engagement initiatives.
• Prepare reports, dashboards, and analytics to inform departmental planning and accreditation efforts.
• Use feedback and participation data to continuously improve program quality and accessibility.

Administrative Leadership

• Supervise interns, student staff, and program volunteers, including hiring, training, evaluation, and professional development.
• Stay current with emerging trends in online student affairs, digital community management, and virtual programming innovation.
• Assist with the development and administration of departmental operating budgets and coordinate the monitoring and reconciliation of student activity funding allocations, contracts, and vendor agreements in accordance with university purchasing policies.
• Chair or co-chair university committees related to student engagement and campus life.
• Represent the Office of Student Experience on university committees and SUNY system working groups.

Job Requirements:

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• A minimum of three years of progressively responsible professional experience in student services.
• Demonstrated progression of responsibilities, including experience in program development, event planning, and student organization advising.
• Strong interpersonal and excellent customer service skills and the ability to work effectively with students, the public, the university community, and external stakeholders.
• Evidence of ability to communicate, engage, and develop rapport with individuals of diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and handle multiple tasks.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, and administration from multiple departments.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to empathize with students in need of academic and non-academic support.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Student affairs, Higher Education Administration, Counseling, or related area.
• Experience with adult or non-traditional students.
• Experience working in a geographically distributed environment.
• Experience providing student services or engagement opportunities, both virtually and in person.
• Familiarity with student engagement data analytics and digital assessment tools.
• Bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish.

Special Information

• This position is located at 4 Park Ave, New York, NY.
• Employees may be eligible for a geographic pay differential based on their assigned work location, in accordance with applicable New York State requirements. Any such geographic differential is paid in addition to the employee's base salary, is not included in the posted salary range, and does not constitute part of the employee's basic annual salary.
• Occasional travel to university locations across New York State may be required to fulfill department, division, and university-wide commitments.
• May require occasional evening and/or weekend obligations in accordance with student and university needs.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. VISA sponsorship is not available for this position.
• SUNY Empire provides employees with robust remote and flexible work options to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff in a dispersed work environment.

Additional Information:

Rank/Salary: Senior Staff Assistant, SL3 / $70,000-$74,000, dependent upon experience and qualifications.

We are pleased to offer our employees an excellent benefit package which includes NYS health insurance, free dental and vision, competitive retirement options, and generous vacation, sick and holiday accruals; and a strong emphasis on work-life balance. We also offer professional-development activities for professionals and support staff.

SUNY Empire is an AA/EEO/ADA employer. The University actively seeks applications from women, veterans, individuals with a disability, members of underrepresented groups or anyone that would enrich the diversity of the University. SUNY Empire is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction. Employees, students, applicants, or other members of the university community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.

SUNY Empire provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, veterans, or wounded warriors where appropriate. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (518) 587-2100.

In accordance with the Title II Crime Awareness and Security Act, a copy of our crime statistics is available upon request by calling (518) 587-2100. It can also be viewed online at our Safety and Security website.

To apply, visit http://esc.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=204372

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