Assistant/Associate Director, Odyssey Scholars Program

Elon University • Elon, NC

23h • Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director of the Odyssey Scholars Program plays a critical leadership role in advancing the operational, relational, and developmental core of one of Elon University’s most prestigious equity-based scholarship initiatives. Odyssey Scholars are academically exceptional, purpose-driven, and civically engaged students from underrepresented or low-income backgrounds, many of whom are first in their families to attend college. This role is central to fostering the day-to-day and long-term success of scholars by developing systems that support belonging, academic achievement, post-graduate preparedness, and community impact. Reporting directly to the Faculty Director (with a dotted line to the Executive Director of the Center for Access and Success), the Associate Director leads implementation of a four-year developmental curriculum, may supervise student leaders, staff, and/or a graduate apprentice, and stewards partnerships, budgets, and communication strategies that amplify student voices and outcomes. Ideal candidates will bring strengths in equity-minded leadership, student development, relationship-building, program design, and measurable outcomes.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, educational leadership, or a related field.
• Minimum of 2 years of professional experience in student success, scholarship programs, college access initiatives, or equity-based student support (graduate assistantship experience may be considered where appropriate).
• Demonstrated experience supporting college students through advising, mentoring, programming, case management, or student development work.
• Experience contributing to the implementation of student support initiatives, co-curricular programming, or retention-focused efforts.
• Strong organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills.
• Minimum of 4 years of progressively responsible professional experience in student success, scholarship programs, college access and success initiatives, or equity-based student support.
• Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and assessing high-impact student support initiatives for underrepresented student populations.
• Experience managing complex programs, coordinating cross-campus partnerships, and supporting strategic planning or program operations.
• Experience supporting, coordinating, or supervising student leaders, staff, and/or graduate students.
• Strong organizational, communication, project management, and relationship-building skills.
• Deep understanding of equity, access, and inclusive excellence in higher education.
• Strong interpersonal, coaching, and relationship-building skills with students and colleagues.
• Visionary yet detail-oriented, with strong organizational and project management skills.
• Excellent communication (written, verbal, digital) and storytelling abilities.
• Commitment to a team culture centered on care, integrity, innovation, and purpose.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working with first-generation, low-income, and/or underrepresented student populations.
• Experience supporting scholarship cohorts, selective student populations, or transition/retention initiatives.
• Familiarity with student information systems, case management tools, or assessment practices.
• Experience planning workshops, retreats, leadership development initiatives, or co-curricular programs.
• Experience with program assessment, student tracking systems, and data-informed decision-making.
• Experience developing and sustaining campus and external partnerships that advance student success and post-graduate outcomes.
• Experience with budget stewardship, resource management, grant support, or scholarship program operations.
• Experience providing oversight of peer mentor, student leader, or leadership development models.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to strategic communication, alumni engagement, and long-term program development.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary architect and driver of the day-to-day student experience for Odyssey Scholars, ensuring each scholar is seen, supported, and challenged to reach their full potential.
• Build deep, mentoring relationships with scholars through regular one-on-one meetings focused on academic progress, wellness, leadership, and identity development.
• Serve as a primary point of contact for scholar concerns, proactively identifying barriers and providing responsive referrals to university resources.
• Lead proactive outreach and support for scholars experiencing challenges related to academics, family issues, transitions, or belonging.
• Use tools such as success planning documents, e-portfolios, or digital journals to help students reflect on their growth and goals across the college experience.
• Monitor scholar academic progress and GPA trends while maintaining a broader view of student development, engagement, well-being, and milestone completion.
• Develop intentional scholar tracking systems that extend beyond grades to capture participation, leadership, career readiness, and progress toward post-graduate goals.
• Provide responsive support for crisis situations and high-need student concerns, coordinating with campus partners to ensure timely intervention and wraparound care.
• Design, implement, and assess culturally affirming, high-impact initiatives that build community and promote belonging (e.g., retreats, check-ins, engaged learning).
• Develop systems to track participation and engagement across academic, co-curricular, and wellness domains.
• Partner with Residence Life, Counseling Services, Academic Advising, SPDC, CREDE etc. and faculty to embed wraparound support services into the Odyssey experience.
• Ensure continuity of support through critical academic and social transitions: pre-matriculation, first-year adjustment, study abroad, leadership roles, and senior year planning.
• Support the intentional design of the scholar experience by class year, ensuring programming, developmental milestones, and interventions are strategically aligned to each stage of the four-year Odyssey journey.
• Oversee and help shape workshops, co-curricular programming, and signature experiences that reinforce belonging, academic excellence, leadership, and post-graduate preparedness.
• May supervise student leaders, professional staff, and/or graduate apprentice(s), providing coaching and accountability for student-centered program delivery as appropriate.
• Provide leadership in hiring, onboarding, training, and support of seasonal staff or student-facing roles (e.g., summer mentors, retreat leaders, peer mentors) as needed.
• Foster strong coordination across the Odyssey team to ensure aligned communication, shared accountability, and effective scholar support.
• Partner with the Faculty Director to translate the Odyssey academic vision into an actionable, sequenced, and outcomes-driven four-year co-curricular curriculum.
• Lead the planning and delivery of workshops, milestone programming, and seminars focused on leadership, purpose development, and post-graduate readiness etc.
• Support the integration of high-impact practices such as study abroad, internships, mentored research, and civic engagement etc. into each scholar’s trajectory.
• Develop scholar-facing tools and communications that clarify expectations and guide participation across each stage of the Odyssey journey.
• Strategically design and refine the four-year developmental model by class year to ensure scholars experience a coherent, scaffolded progression from transition to graduation and beyond.
• Provide intentional oversight and strategic design of the Peer Mentor model, including selection, training, role clarity, developmental outcomes, and integration into the broader scholar experience.
• Expand and coordinate career exposure opportunities, graduate school exploration, and post-graduation readiness efforts in partnership with campus and external stakeholders to strengthen long-term scholar outcomes.
• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with academic departments, student life units, global education, and the Student Professional Development Center to embed Odyssey priorities in campus systems.
• Collaborate with the Faculty Director and Advancement to develop relationships with alumni, donors, and external partners to expand opportunities and resources.
• Serve as a key liaison to national and regional partners (e.g., AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, scholarship foundations) to facilitate postgraduate options and recognition.
• Convene advisory groups or task forces as needed to ensure stakeholder alignment and innovation.
• Represent the Odyssey Scholars Program and the Center for Access and Success on institutional committees, working groups, and cross-campus initiatives as appropriate.
• Build and sustain partnerships that increase scholar access to internships, research, career exploration, alumni networks, and post-graduate pathways.
• Occasionally co-lead Odyssey’s strategic storytelling efforts to celebrate scholar voices and program impact through newsletters, annual reports, videos, and social media campaigns.
• Partner with University Communications and Advancement to amplify program recognition and support stewardship efforts.
• Design and deliver family communications and engagement opportunities (e.g., family webinars, in-person events) to build relationships and clarify program support structures.
• Oversee alumni engagement tracking and design opportunities for alumni to mentor, advise, and inspire current scholars.
• Help shape and execute a proactive communication strategy that ensures scholars, families, alumni, and campus partners receive timely, clear, and mission-aligned messaging.
• Cultivate intentional alumni engagement opportunities that connect former scholars to mentoring, networking, storytelling, philanthropy, and post-graduate support efforts.
• Contribute to a data-informed culture by maintaining accurate student records, tracking program participation, and analyzing trends across cohorts.
• Co-lead annual assessment and reporting efforts in collaboration with the Faculty Director and Center leadership.
• Benchmark against national best practices in access and success programming to ensure continuous innovation and relevance.
• Attend and/or present at professional forums and conferences regionally and nationally as appropriate.
• Develop and strengthen assessment practices that can scale across cohorts, with attention to student engagement, developmental outcomes, persistence, graduation, and post-graduate success.
• Use data to inform strategic decision-making, identify patterns of scholar need, and continuously refine program design, interventions, and long-term impact measures.

Benefits

• 28 annual days off, including holidays and vacation.
• Immediate tuition remission for undergraduate courses
• Tuition remission for approved graduate-level courses after 12 months of employment.
• Retirement plan with an 8 percent contribution from the university.
• Immediate eligibility for health, dental and vision insurance, along with free acute care and lab services at our onsite Health & Wellness Clinic.
• Free use of campus fitness facilities.
• Free admission to musical and theater performances, guest speakers, religious and ethnic observances, recitals, art exhibitions, entertainment and our Division I Phoenix athletics.
• Eligibility for tuition remission at Elon for spouses, qualifying domestic partners and dependents begins at two years of service.
• After two years of employment, eligibility begins for participation in the Tuition Exchange, a national scholarship exchange program that enables dependents to enroll in nationally recognized partner colleges and universities.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees