Assistant Director, ZipAssist

The University of Akron•Akron, OH

53d

About The Position

ZipAssist serves as a multifaceted student advocacy and support office committed to empowering and retaining students through intervention, education, and resources. This Assistant Director position will be joining three other Assistant Directors to share responsibility for program management, which will be specific to their role focus [i.e., financial hardship, basic needs, holistic wellness, retention-focused efforts, etc.]. This position will serve as a primary case manager for Help-A-Zip referrals, offering in-person and virtual conversations with students in distress or seeking resources. The ideal person in this role is able to manage multiple tasks, has experience in case management, and demonstrates leadership in program oversight with strong critical thinking, initiative and organizational skills. The person in this role will develop and present informational sessions, as well as educational and social events, associated with ZipAssist services, programs, and initiatives. As a member of the ZipAssist team, this position may administer emergency financial assistance/aid and will be expected to maintain detailed records related to case management. This position will share the responsibility of managing community partnerships and office operations, such as holistic wellness education, mentorship programs, and/or specialized population outreach/programming (i.e., first-generation students, parenting students, students with experience in kinship/foster care]. As such, this person will collaborate with campus departments and external partners to coordinate initiatives and align resources. The person in this role will assess the effectiveness of programs and interventions through data analysis and student feedback. This position will liaise with others across campus and in the community who are focused on advocacy and related work, such as financial emergencies, basic needs, homelessness, under-resourced students, and other barriers that prohibit successful persistence. Other responsibilities for this position include managing a caseload and linking Zips with resources like academic advising, progress toward degree completion, enrollment, registration, financial literacy, student emergency financial assistance, food insecurity, off-campus living, parent/family relations, and physical or mental health/wellness. The ideal candidate will possess strong leadership skills, a passion for student development/affairs, knowledge related to student advocacy and support, and familiarity with retention/persistence interventions. This position will liaise with others across campus and in the community who are focused on eliminating student barriers, such as the Academic Advising, Student Financial Aid, Counseling & Testing Center, Office of Accessibility, Health Services, School of Social Work, the Dean of Students office, other student support units, and several local agencies. This position will report to the Sr. Director of ZipAssist.

Requirements

Requires a relevant bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college.
Requires a minimum of two years of full-time experience in education, preferred experience in college/university student services or student affairs.
Exceptional customer service skills required.
Ability to maintain compliance with University, federal and state rules and regulations required.
Strong interpersonal skills and a passion for student advocacy.
Proven experience collaborating effectively with diverse stakeholders is required.
Prior supervisory or formal mentorship experience is required.

Nice To Haves

Master's in higher education or a related field is preferred.
Certification or advanced training related to mental health, government benefits, basic needs and/or financial wellness is expected/preferred.
Prefer some background working in the mental health field or financial wellness industry.
Experience with basic needs support and case management is preferred.
Relational CRM/database experience is preferred.
Budget management experience is preferred.
Prior supervisory or mentorship experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

Help-A-Zip case management with responsibilities connected to emergency hardship and complex financial wellness concerns.
Provide ongoing guidance/mentoring for students related to emergency aid and financial management – and address additional student barriers which may emerge through conversation and case management, such as academic or personal concerns.
Engage in ZipAssist business processes on a regular basis to guarantee consistency and regulatory compliance.
Respond to inquiries and appeals professionally, judiciously and prudently.
Execute other assigned duties.
Responsible for functional area programming and related program management, including planning of events and activities specific to the position focus [i.e. parent/family relations, off-campus living/commuter affairs, holistic wellness, financial wellness].
Manage partnerships and relationships which aid in supporting the student experience and retention-focused initiatives.
Develop innovative programming to maximize the availability of ZipAssist’s services, including but not limited to regular communication, orientation events, outreach programs, educational presentations, and high-impact/relevant marketing materials, webinar series, social media postings.
Explore and evaluate alternative technologies in support of related education and outreach and will be responsible for regular assessment and reporting.
Oversight mentorship programs and will be responsible for the management of at least core function of the ZipAssist unit [i.e. parent/family relations, off-campus living/commuter affairs, holistic wellness, financial wellness].