Director of Mentoring & Distance Scholar Development - Graduate School - UTK

University of Tennessee•Knoxville, TN

12d•Onsite

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 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 designs and delivers UTMI content in partnership with Faculty Fellows and ensures that mentoring content supports scholars pursuing careers within and beyond the professoriate. The position also represents the Graduate School on cross-campus initiatives and supports delivery of Next Level Grad programming under the leadership of the Associate Dean of Scholar Development and Wellbeing, coordinating with the broader Graduate School team. The position reports to the Associate Dean of Scholar Development and Wellbeing. The Director leads evidence-based mentor training curriculum development and delivery, maintains UTMI’s tiered recognition system, and serves as the university’s primary spokesperson for mentoring excellence. The role recruits and develops Faculty Fellows, coordinates their facilitator training and service, and partners with them to deliver, assess, and refine training sessions. The Director extends UTMI and Next Level Grad programming to online and statewide scholars through virtual and asynchronous delivery and partnerships with UT System sites. The position also builds partnerships across campus and statewide, assesses program outcomes using data and reports, and supports Graduate School programming and signature events as needed.

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 while leading and collaborating with faculty partners who are not direct reports.
Knowledge of career paths and professional development needs of 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 improvements to initiatives and delivery.
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, keep the supervisor informed of progress, and communicate potentially controversial matters.
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States full-time without needing employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future.

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, preparing 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 online graduate students and postdoctoral scholars and those 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, and coordinate their facilitator training and service.
Partner with Faculty Fellows on the 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 impact.
Partner with the Associate Dean and 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.