Director of Mentoring & Distance Scholar Development - Graduate School - UTK
About The Position
The Director of Mentoring and Distance Scholar Outreach leads the UT Mentoring Initiative (UTMI), the Graduate School’s mentor training and development program, and extends Graduate School professional development and wellbeing programming to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who are not physically present on the Knoxville campus, including online and statewide learners. The Director leads the design and delivery of UTMI content in partnership with Faculty Fellows and ensures mentoring content serves scholars pursuing careers within and beyond the professoriate. The role represents the Graduate School on cross-campus initiatives and supports delivery of Next Level Grad programming for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars under the leadership of the Associate Dean of Scholar Development and Wellbeing and in coordination with the broader Graduate School team. The position reports to the Associate Dean of Scholar Development and Wellbeing. The Director creates and delivers evidence-based mentor-training content, oversees Faculty Fellows, develops partnerships across campus and statewide sites, and assesses programming outcomes using data, reports, and dashboards. The role also supports Graduate School signature events and other duties as assigned. The position is onsite in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Requirements
- Master’s degree required.
- Significant experience in graduate/postdoctoral professional development, mentoring, or faculty development in a higher education setting.
- Knowledge of evidence-based mentoring practices and mentor-training design and facilitation, such as CIMER curricula.
- Ability to design and deliver high-quality training content and lead and collaborate with faculty partners who are not direct reports.
- Knowledge of career paths and professional development needs for scholars pursuing careers within and beyond the professoriate.
- Ability to design and deliver programming for distributed and online audiences.
- Ability to build and sustain partnerships across campus and statewide sites.
- Ability to analyze tracking and impact data and translate findings into initiative and delivery improvements.
- Strong oral, written, and public-facing communication skills.
- Ability to represent the Graduate School effectively on university committees and cross-campus initiatives.
- Ability to manage multiple concurrent initiatives independently while keeping the supervisor informed of progress and potentially controversial matters.
- Legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without requiring now or in the future sponsorship for employment-based visa status.
Nice To Haves
- Doctoral degree preferred.
- Experience facilitating CIMER or similar evidence-based mentor training.
- Experience developing professional development content applicable to careers beyond the professoriate.
- Experience developing or delivering online/distance graduate or postdoctoral programming.
- Experience working with faculty in a developmental or coaching capacity.
- Experience with mentoring facilitation, designing distance/online scholar programming, and managing student- and/or faculty-facing initiatives.
Responsibilities
- Create, lead, and deliver UTMI’s evidence-based mentor-training curriculum in partnership with Faculty Fellows, developing holistic content that prepares scholars for careers within and beyond the professoriate.
- Maintain and evolve UTMI’s tiered recognition system and serve as the university’s primary spokesperson for mentoring excellence at UT.
- Extend UTMI and Next Level Grad programming to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars studying online or located outside Knoxville, adapting content for virtual and asynchronous delivery and building partnerships with UT System sites.
- Recruit and develop a cohort of Faculty Fellows who deliver mentor training, coordinating facilitator training and service.
- Partner with Faculty Fellows on delivery, assessment, and refinement of training sessions to keep UTMI programming current and effective.
- Build and sustain partnerships with faculty, staff, and units in Knoxville and beyond to advance a stronger mentoring culture and support distance and statewide scholars.
- Assess UTMI and distance/statewide programming outcomes; create reports and dashboards from original data to refine content and delivery and track engagement and impacts.
- Partner with the Associate Dean and broader Graduate School team as needed to deliver Next Level Grad professional development and wellbeing programming, aligning mentoring content and events with the work of the Scholar Development and Wellbeing Coordinator and Scholar Governance & Advocacy Coordinator.
- Support Graduate School signature events, including Grad Fair, Appreciation Weeks, and 3MT, alongside other Graduate School staff.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and development and training opportunities.
- The university describes employee support in terms of work-life balance, compensation, and professional advancement.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
