Assistant/Associate Director, National Scholarship Office - Honors College

Virginia Commonwealth University•Richmond, VA

2d•$60,000 - $90,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The National Scholarship Office (NSO) at Virginia Commonwealth University is seeking an Assistant or Associate Director to enhance awareness of nationally-competitive awards, recruit students for these opportunities, and support them during this process. This person will work directly with students and recent alumni throughout all stages of their applications and will provide timely and constructive feedback for the students and alumni who are seeking these awards. Although the NSO is housed within the Honors College at VCU, it is charged with supporting undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni from across the university. In addition to working with applicants and prospective applicants, the Assistant/Associate Director will contribute to broader efforts to cultivate a culture of fellowships across campus. This will require working with campus partners to continuously enhance the visibility of the NSO, organizing targeted recruiting events, and developing pipelines for students to participate in this process. More generally, this position supports the Director in all aspects of operating the NSO. These responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Requirements

Master’s degree or an equivalent combination of training and work experience
Outstanding organizational and communication skills (written and verbal), with exceptional attention to detail;
Well-developed skills in advising candidates and providing feedback on application materials.
Ability to work well under pressure when facing deadlines.
Ability to work independently and as a member of a broader team.
Strong familiarity with office technologies (MS or Google Suite, LMS platforms) and/or social media platforms.
Comfortable working one-on-one with candidates and presenting to small and large groups.
Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from all backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Nice To Haves

Terminal degree in any discipline.
Prior experience advising for nationally competitive scholarships/fellowships.
Experience applying for nationally competitive awards.
Experience studying or living abroad.
Experience learning and using a second language (or multiple languages).

Responsibilities

Advertising nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships across all units of the university;
Meeting with students, faculty, and staff individually and through broader recruiting events;
Maintaining an active presence on campus and at campus events;
Providing timely reports on recruitment efforts;
Recruiting candidates and helping them identify funding opportunities that align with their personal and professional goals/aspirations;
Coordinating timely submission of candidates’ applications and related materials;
Reviewing and offering feedback on candidates’ applications;
Developing communication and time-management strategies, including the use of existing and emerging technologies, that will facilitate the workflow of high volumes of candidates during compressed deadline schedules;
Managing relationships with various external scholarship/fellowship funding agencies;
Building and maintaining strong collaborative relationships with both internal and external parties (campus colleagues, community members, alumni, etc.) who assist with and support all aspects of VCU’s national scholarship programs;
Assisting with the management of faculty committees organized in support of the various scholarships and fellowships; and
Other duties as assigned.