Director, First-Year Student Success

Yavapai College•Prescott, AZ

6d•Onsite

About The Position

This is a grant-funded position, and its continuation is subject to funding. The Director, First-Year Student Success - Title III Grant coordinates the day-to-day implementation and administration of approved Title III activities designed to support first-year student engagement, retention, persistence, completion, and access to educational opportunities. Working under established grant objectives, budgets, institutional procedures, and the direction of designated College leadership, the Director develops operational work plans, coordinates activities across participating departments, monitors progress and expenditures, maintains required documentation, and supports grant reporting and evaluation. The position serves as an operational liaison among Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Institutional Research, Finance, and other internal and external partners. The Director may supervise assigned grant-funded staff and provides operational guidance, training, and accountability for approved program activities. Overall institutional strategy, final fiscal authority, grant amendments, and executive-level federal relations remain with designated College leadership.

Requirements

Master's degree in Higher Education, Education, Public Administration, Business Administration, Student Affairs, Counseling, Organizational Leadership, or a related field, or combination of bachelor’s degree and minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible leadership in higher education, student affairs, academic affairs, grant administration, or related field.
Minimum of three years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, student services, academic affairs, grant-supported programs, program administration, or a related area.
Experience coordinating programs or projects involving multiple stakeholders.
Experience monitoring budgets, maintaining records, preparing reports, or supporting compliance activities.
Demonstrated supervisory, team leadership, or project leadership experience.
Knowledge of student success, retention, persistence, completion, and engagement practices.
Working knowledge of grant administration, program documentation, or regulatory compliance requirements.
Strong project coordination, organizational, and time-management skills.
Ability to develop and maintain work plans, schedules, tracking tools, and accurate records.
Ability to analyze operational problems, identify root causes, and implement or recommend practical solutions.
Ability to interpret and apply established policies, procedures, grant requirements, and approved plans.
Strong written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to collaborate effectively across departments and with external partners.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and the ability to learn institutional, reporting, and grant-management systems.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a changing environment.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment.

Nice To Haves

Experience supporting a federally funded grant or educational program.
Experience working in a community college or higher education environment.
Experience with program assessment, institutional effectiveness, or student success initiatives.
Experience supervising staff or coordinating the work of project teams.
Familiarity with federal grant reporting, financial documentation, and audit preparation.

Responsibilities

Coordinate implementation of approved Title III objectives, activities, timelines, and deliverables.
Develop and maintain annual operational work plans, project schedules, task lists, and implementation documentation within the approved grant plan.
Coordinate grant activities across participating departments and follow up on assigned responsibilities and deadlines.
Identify operational barriers, recommend practical solutions, and escalate significant program, compliance, or resource concerns to designated leadership.
Facilitate routine project meetings, prepare agendas and materials, document decisions, and track action items.
Support consistent implementation of approved first-year student success programs and services.
Maintain current working knowledge of applicable Title III requirements, approved grant objectives, institutional procedures, and documentation standards.
Monitor program activities for consistency with the approved grant plan and established procedures.
Maintain accurate and complete records of activities, expenditures, participation, assessments, and outcomes.
Assist with preparation of required performance reports, supporting documentation, budget information, and responses to routine information requests.
Coordinate with the designated grant administrator or institutional official regarding federal reporting, grant modifications, compliance concerns, and communications with program officers or external reviewers.
Provide technical assistance to project participants regarding established grant procedures and documentation expectations.
Monitor expenditures and budget activity against approved categories, timelines, and project objectives.
Prepare expenditure summaries, projections, reconciliations, and supporting documentation for review by designated leadership and Finance.
Initiate and track grant-related purchases, contracts, equipment requests, travel, and personnel transactions in accordance with College procedures and delegated authority.
Coordinate with Finance and Business Services to resolve routine fiscal questions and documentation issues.
Identify potential budget variances and recommend operational adjustments for leadership review and approval.
Maintain organized fiscal records to support reporting, audit, and closeout activities.
Coordinate collection of quantitative and qualitative data related to project participation, services, milestones, and outcomes.
Maintain project tracking tools, performance records, and routine status reports.
Collaborate with Institutional Research, external evaluators, and project staff to support approved assessment and evaluation activities.
Analyze program information, identify trends or implementation concerns, and recommend operational improvements.
Prepare summaries, presentations, and reports for College leadership, project teams, and grant stakeholders.
Use assessment findings to improve workflows, service delivery, documentation, and participant support within the approved program framework.
Coordinate approved programs and activities intended to improve first-year student engagement, retention, persistence, and completion.
Work with faculty, staff, and student support areas to promote access to grant-supported services and resources.
Support outreach, training, workshops, events, and communications associated with first-year student success initiatives.
Gather feedback from participants and campus partners and recommend practical program improvements.
Maintain awareness of student success practices and share applicable resources with project participants.
Supervise, train, schedule, coach, and evaluate assigned grant-funded staff within established personnel policies and delegated authority.
Assign and monitor day-to-day work, establish operational expectations, and promote accountability for service quality, documentation, and deadlines.
Coordinate onboarding and role-specific training for project staff and participants.
Address routine performance or workflow concerns and elevate significant personnel matters through established supervisory channels.
Promote a collaborative, service-oriented, and student-centered work environment.
Serve as the operational point of contact for routine Title III questions from internal departments and project partners.
Develop and maintain effective working relationships with faculty, staff, students, community organizations, vendors, and other stakeholders.
Participate on committees, task forces, and project work groups as assigned.
Represent the Title III program at meetings, training sessions, conferences, and outreach events as assigned.
Prepare routine communications and informational materials that promote awareness of approved Title III activities.
Perform other related duties as assigned in support of Title III activities, first-year student success, and College operations.