Assistant Director of Fellowships - Division of Student Success - UTK

University of Tennessee•Knoxville, TN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Undergraduate Research & Fellowships (URF) provides centralized undergraduate research programming and support for students pursuing nationally competitive fellowships. The Assistant Director of Fellowships works with the Assistant Director of Research, Associate Director, Director, and campus partners to identify, advise, mentor, and develop candidates for nationally and internationally competitive awards. The role requires a commitment to working effectively with high-achieving students and faculty across academic fields and backgrounds, along with strong writing, rhetoric, and composition skills. The Assistant Director leads the Fulbright U.S. Student Grant application process, including strategy, timelines, reviews, advising, and application development. The role also manages a portfolio of other awards, develops applicant recruitment pipelines and campus relationships, teaches a one-credit spring course focused primarily on Fulbright applications, and designs writing workshops and other student supports. The Assistant Director supervises a URF Coach, supports office-wide programming and grant processes, and contributes to assessment, reporting, and applicant data management.

Requirements

Master’s degree.
Two to three years of professional experience supporting the academic pursuits and intellectual development of college or high school students; relevant teaching or advising experience may include fellowships, study abroad, honors, undergraduate research, writing support, TRiO programs, or academic or career services.
Graduate assistantships in a relevant area and postgraduate experience working, studying, teaching, or conducting research abroad may count toward relevant professional experience.
Experience teaching writing in one-on-one and/or group or workshop settings.
Superior written communication skills.
Experience with public speaking and/or teaching.
Sound judgment, discretion, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
Ability to work well and remain composed under pressure during high-volume periods.
Legal authorization to work in the United States full time without current or future need for employment-based visa sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

Doctoral degree.
Experience advising applicants for nationally competitive fellowships.
Knowledge of experiential learning in higher education, such as international education, undergraduate research, service-learning, and internships.
Ability to take direction, initiate action, develop ideas, and work collaboratively as a team member.
Experience creating, updating, and maintaining resources, documents, or virtual courses supporting student writing and/or development.
Ability to effectively challenge and support talented students across disciplines and career interests, and develop rapport with them.
Experience using Microsoft Office suite.
Experience using Canvas.

Responsibilities

Lead the Fulbright U.S. Student Grant application process, including strategy, timelines, and internal review.
Advise Fulbright applicants from recruitment through submission, including grant and country selection, individual and cohort reviews, and development of written application components.
Build relationships with faculty and staff recommenders to support timely recommendations and language evaluations, and address applicant roadblocks.
Teach a one-credit spring course focused primarily on successful Fulbright U.S. Student Grant applications.
Manage a portfolio of competitive awards from recruitment through submission, potentially including CLS, Goldwater, Knight-Hennessy, Schwarzman, and Marshall awards.
Identify successful applicant characteristics, develop recruitment strategies, build faculty and student-group relationships, advise candidates, and lead application submissions for portfolio awards.
Lead student review panels and provide objective feedback to the Associate Director and Director regarding candidate progress and nomination decisions.
Develop and manage Canvas sites to establish consistent advising standards across the office.
Research and advance strategies for managing large application cohorts.
Design, lead, and evaluate writing workshops, writing retreats, and other student-facing support.
Develop and maintain relationships with faculty, departments, and student-support offices to recruit and retain fellowship candidates, including outreach to underrepresented colleges or departments.
Promote awards and applicant development opportunities at campus events, classes, department meetings, and other venues.
Work with campus partners to develop and maintain a pipeline of future applicants.
Supervise, mentor, develop, and conduct annual reviews for one URF Coach; may supervise a part-time seasonal employee during high-volume periods.
Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Research and the second URF Coach, and provide office-wide support during peak seasons.
Lead or participate in written candidate evaluations, nomination letters, mock interviews, and major campus events, including Discovery Day and EUReCA.
Support URF-sponsored grant processes each term by reviewing and scoring applications.
Contribute to mid-year and annual reports and help determine data collection, evaluation metrics, and reporting strategies.
Manage data collection and maintenance for several hundred fellowship applicants annually.
Encourage and support undergraduate completion of the Vol Edge.
Promote a positive office and divisional culture.