Director Of Student Engagement

Located in Boston's historic Fenway area, Simmons has a strong tradition of empowering women and challenging traditional gender roles. Simmons University was one of the first higher education institutions to prepare women to become leaders and has evolved to become a university offering a women's undergraduate program and graduate programs open to all.
You're joining our community at an especially exciting time as one of our strategic goals is to become the most inclusive campus in New England. You'll find that people who work here are truly committed to our mission of preparing students to become champions of social justice and leaders in their professions and their communities. This commitment and pride make for a dynamic workplace. Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individual's community experience.
As a university committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices-at all levels, for all positions-ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.
Job Summary:
The Director of Student Engagement creates diverse, equitable, supportive, and inclusive Student Engagement experiences. The Director will oversee the Jennifer Eckert Center for Leadership and Engagement and Residence Life and will be responsible for ensuring a robust student experience that promotes vibrant and engaging co-curricular and extracurricular experiences, individual development, well-being, and a strong sense of belonging. The ultimate goal of this position is to create an environment of belonging and connection to Simmons beyond the classroom. The Director of Student Engagement is a full-time, twelve-month, professional, live-on position that reports directly to the Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students (AVP/DOS).
Leadership and Management:

• Provide strategic and operational oversight of the Office of Residence Life (ORL) and the Jennifer Eckert Center for Leadership and Engagement (JECLE), including establishing goals and metrics and coordinating annual reporting and assessment;
• Directly supervise 1 Assistant Director in Residence Life (Residential Engagement) and 2 Assistant Directors in Leadership and Engagement (Student Organizations and First Year Programs). Indirectly supervise 2 Area Coordinators, 30 Resident Advisors, 1-2 Graduate Assistants, and various student leaders and employees;
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and campus partners (Facilities, Public Safety, Conferences and Events, Dining, etc) to create a campus environment that promotes inclusion, health and wellness, safety, creativity, and contributes to student development, persistence, and success;
• In partnership with Facilities, identify residential facility needs and furniture replacement plan;
• Manage the ORL and JECLE operating and programming budgets
• Serve as advisor to Class Councils, including coordination of class specific activities such as Winter Wonderland and Senior Week;
• Oversee the communications and publications from the ORL and the JECLE to students and the community.

General Responsibilities:

• Serve as lead Campus Groups administrator;
• Serve as conduct officer for cases as assigned by the AVP/DOS;
• Serve in Administrator on-call rotation;
• Serve as a member of CARE Team;
• Serve as a member of the Dean of Students' leadership team, as well as other divisional and campus-wide committees;
• Deliver presentations regarding Student Engagement and residential life to prospective students, families, and University departments.
• 10% of time dedicated to supporting the Institute for Inclusive Leadership and connecting students with leadership programs
• Serve as a collaborative partner on the Simmons Leadership Innovation Hub

Knowledge and Skills:

• Bachelor's degree required, Masters degree in Student Affairs, Counseling, Education or related field preferred;
• Five to seven years of post-Bachelor's degree experience in orientation, student activities/engagement, or residence life. A combination of Student Engagement and residence life experience is ideal;
• A student-centered approach to the work;
• Ability to provide thoughtful responses to student and parent inquiries;
• A commitment to creating an inclusive campus community;
• A high level of integrity, discretion, and collaborative spirit;
• Excellent administrative, written, and oral communication skills;
• Strong organizational and record keeping skills;
• Ability to manage projects, delegate tasks, lead a team, and provide excellent customer service;
• Commitment to equity-minded practice and supporting students from diverse backgrounds.

Work Environment, Conditions & Physical Demands:

• Administrator on-call rotation;
• May be eligible for remote work

Required Application Materials:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Salary Grade
S07
Instructions to Applicants: Please upload all applicable application materials (e.g. resume/cv, cover letter, writing sample, teaching philosophy, etc.) in the Application Materials box on page 2 ("My Experience") of this application. Documents can be uploaded individually or as a combined document (e.g. PDF).
Simmons University is committed to inclusive excellence in all aspects of an individual's community experience. As a university committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, Simmons encourages applications from all under-represented groups. Simmons is committed to creating, developing, promoting, and enhancing inclusive hiring practices-at all levels, for all positions-ensuring diverse talent pools and the delivery of a consistent positive candidate experience. Simmons is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to continuing to develop a more diverse faculty, staff, student body, and curriculum.