Coordinator for Student Support and Basic Needs

American University•Washington, DC

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Coordinator for Student Support and Basic Needs supports student engagement, retention, and success by coordinating and implementing programs, initiatives, and co-curricular experiences that address students’ basic needs. The role supports key efforts across the AU Market Pantry, the Eagles Helping Eagles Program, and Student Affairs–Dining partnership activities, with a focus on increasing awareness, utilization, and student connection to available resources. The Coordinator oversees the day-to-day operations of AU’s basic needs initiatives and serves as a primary point of contact for students experiencing food insecurity and related challenges. Responsibilities include maintaining a caseload of students; providing short-term, strengths-based support through resource navigation, referrals, and follow-up; and collaborating with campus partners and community-based organizations to help reduce barriers to student persistence and completion. Additionally, the Coordinator for Student Support and Basic Needs manages the day-to-day operations of The Market, AU’s on-campus food pantry, including supervising student staff, coordinating outreach and educational programming, grant writing, and supporting budget tracking, donor relations, and reporting. Through this work, the role plays a critical function in fostering a more equitable and supportive campus environment where all students can thrive.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
1 - 3 years of relevant experience.
Proven ability to plan and implement programs with quantifiable results is required.
A desire to work with a diverse population of students and assist with their growth and development is required.
The ability to work in a team setting as well as independently when autonomy is needed.
Commitment to welcome, value, and affirm individuals of all identities and experiences and ensure they are understood, appreciated, and fully included in the University community.
Ability to exercise discretion, tact and diplomacy while interacting with students, faculty, university staff, management, internship employers, and other stakeholders on confidential and/or sensitive matters.
Ability to express oneself clearly and concisely, using language with precision; constructing logical arguments; accurate note taking, editing, and summarizing; and writing reports or correspondence free of spelling and grammatical errors.
Ability to engage in active and empathetic listening and communicate with a service minded orientation.
Ability to serve as bridge to services, intervene and/or advocate on students’ behalf with offices across campus to support needs, drive engagement and empower students to achieve their goals.
Skill using email, word processing, spreadsheet/ data analysis and presentation development software applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint while preparing briefings, reports, and presentations.

Nice To Haves

2 - 4 years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

Oversees the daily operations of The Market Food Pantry, ensuring consistent, high-quality support for students experiencing food insecurity, including ordering, receiving, stocking, and distributing food and personal care items while maintaining inventory accuracy and food safety standards.
Manages Market inventory and access through PantrySoft, producing regular reports and utilizing data analytics to assess usage trends, inform decision-making, and improve service delivery.
Manages and tracks the Market’s operating budget, supporting the effective use of donor funding to maintain and enhance services.
Coordinates Basic Needs program operations by supporting the alignment of resources, services, and initiatives that promote student access and retention.
Serves as a primary liaison among students, campus partners, faculty, administrators, and community-based organizations, strengthening collaboration and resource integration while cultivating and sustaining partnerships and assisting with identifying funding opportunities, including grants and external support.
Works closely with Auxiliary Services and AU Dining to coordinate food sourcing, donation logistics, and surplus redistribution, aligning pantry offerings with dining operations, food safety guidelines, and sustainability goals.
Leads outreach and engagement efforts by creating accessible, culturally responsive materials and programming that increase awareness and utilization of Basic Needs resources, and maintains a comprehensive calendar of programs, workshops, and events to ensure coordinated delivery and visibility.
Supervises, trains, and supports 1–6 student employees, providing leadership development and operational guidance.
Coordinates and administers the volunteer programs, including coordinating campus-wide donation drives and partnerships with external contributors.
Contributes to the review and improvement of policies, procedures, and service delivery models to enhance effectiveness and student impact, while maintaining and updating operational documents, including the Market Handbook and training materials, to ensure consistency and clarity in program implementation.
Manages the day-to-day operations of the Eagles Helping Eagles Program, including administering meal swipes, coordinating with Dining and Auxiliary Services to advance the program, and overseeing communications to ensure students are aware of available resources.
Supports students in accessing longer-term assistance by connecting them to community-based programs in the D.C. area, including providing documentation and recommendations on SNAP applications and participating as a contributing member in Emergency Fund case reviews with the Student Affairs Care Team.
Maintains a caseload of students experiencing basic needs challenges, offering short-term, strengths-based support through resource navigation, referrals, and follow-up.
Assists students with applications for food assistance and other community-based support programs.
Plans and implements workshops, class presentations, and information sessions focused on food access and basic needs awareness.
Leads food drives supporting grant applications to enhance resources available to students.
Manages the reconciliation of donated meal swipes and related resources in partnership with Dining and Auxiliary Services, ensuring accurate tracking, compliance with program parameters, and transparent reporting on utilization and impact.
Expands the capacity of The Market, AU's food pantry, to ensure it can adequately serve the needs of students facing food insecurity.
Spearheads efforts to produce an annual cookbook, host open houses, and develop frequent programming.
Actively seeks opportunities to engage with the student body, raise awareness about available resources, and foster a supportive campus environment where all students can thrive.
Documents student interactions and maintains accurate, confidential records in accordance with University policies, while coordinating with campus partners to ensure appropriate referrals and continuity of care.
Evaluates policies, procedures, and service delivery practices related to Basic Needs initiatives and recommends improvements to enhance effectiveness and student outcomes.
Collaborates closely with AU Dining to develop and implement partnership models that support student organization events and campus engagement initiatives.
Manages the in-kind funding process, supporting the Student Organization Concessions Volunteer Program, and actively participating in the Dining Advisory Committee.
Leverages multiple communication channels—including email, social media, and campus signage to increase awareness and drive student participation in programs and events developed in partnership with Dining.
Oversees the coordination of event logistics between Student Affairs and Dining to ensure programs are well-executed, accessible, and engaging for students.
Gathers feedback from student organizations and the broader student body through surveys and direct engagement to continuously improve offerings.
Partners with AU Dining and The Market to design and implement collaborative events that raise awareness of dining-supported basic needs initiatives and strengthen campus-wide support for food access programs.
Serves as a key liaison between Student Affairs, Auxiliary Services, and the dining vendor to align marketing, sponsorship, and in-kind food support with student engagement and basic needs priorities, helping advance auxiliary program goals and student satisfaction benchmarks.
Coordinates with other Student Affairs and University departments, and external organizations to conceive, develop, and execute initiatives for students.
Establishes and maintains collaborative working relationships with offices on campus to promote student engagement, success, and retention.
Supports major division and university-wide programs, including but not limited to, Commencement, Family Weekend, Move-In, New Student Orientation, Family and Supporters Orientation, Student Achievement Awards, Thank Clawed Its Wednesday and Eagles at Night.
May advise recognized student organizations as needed.
Serves as a member of the Student Activism Support Team (SAST), contributing to coordinated response and support efforts during student demonstrations and activism-related events.
May serve as a representative on selected Student Affairs and university-wide committees and workgroups at the direction of the Associate Director, Student Engagement.
Provides comprehensive administrative and special projects support to the Associate Director for Student Engagement, including coordinating calendars, preparing materials for meetings and presentations, and assisting with project tracking and execution across multiple initiatives.
Supports the planning and implementation of divisional programs and events by managing logistics, timelines, communications, and stakeholder coordination.
Assists in data collection, assessment, and reporting efforts to evaluate student engagement outcomes and inform continuous improvement.
Contributes to the development of communications, including newsletters, social media content, and marketing materials, to promote programs and initiatives.
Supports cross-functional projects within the Student Engagement portfolio, ensuring alignment with divisional priorities and strategic goals, while maintaining organized records, documentation, and follow-through on key action items.