Director of Student Programs- Roane State Foundation

Tennessee Board of Regents•Town of Woodbury, NY

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Student Programs at Roane State Foundation leads the administration of Foundation programs that benefit Roane State students, under the supervision of and in conjunction with the Executive Director. Programs include scholarships, the pay-it-forward program, and similar grant-funded student aid. The role is also responsible for donor stewardship and requires collaboration with internal College and external community partners. The position is based in Harriman, Tennessee, and travel to other Roane State Community College campuses may be required. The Director manages Foundation scholarship and student aid programs, including agreements, budgets, award processes, eligibility, donor intent, communications, and database administration. The position also develops and implements donor stewardship plans and supports fundraising and Foundation operations. The Director supervises the Student Aid Specialist and any Federal work-study students assigned to scholarship tasks.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in accounting, business, communications, management, administration, or a related field.
Five years of demonstrated administrative and/or project management experience.
Ability and willingness to learn professional fundraising and donor relations, including working toward related professional or software certifications or completing related coursework.
Ability to prioritize and multitask efficiently in a fast-paced environment.
Strong attention to detail, focus, and accuracy for financial functions, database tasks, and record keeping.
Excellent written and oral customer service and communication skills.
Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with discretion and in accordance with College and Foundation policies and agreements.
Ability to relate well to internal and external constituents and represent the College and Foundation professionally.
Willingness to work as part of a team to support students and communities.
Strong knowledge of general office tasks and Microsoft Office Suite.

Nice To Haves

Coursework or training in nonprofit fundraising and/or nonprofit management.
Knowledge of fundraising principles or experience working in a public or nonprofit organization.
Flexibility to work longer hours during peak awards season.

Responsibilities

Implement, coordinate, direct, and maintain Foundation scholarship and student aid programs.
Prepare new scholarship agreements and maintain and monitor existing agreements.
Manage scholarship and student aid budgets for endowed and non-endowed funds, including cumulative total awards exceeding $500,000.
Determine annual endowed scholarship amounts based on available investment income and the Board’s spending policy.
Approve student requests for emergency assistance, licensure fee assistance, pay-it-forward assistance, and finish-line assistance.
Administer the Blackbaud Awards Management database in conjunction with the College’s IT department, including programming applications, verifying student data imports, archiving prior-year information, and completing ongoing training as the system changes.
Oversee Early College and Middle College scholarship applications and awards through the College’s Parent Portal, and ensure the award rubric is current and functioning correctly each year.
Oversee dual enrollment scholarship awards involving high school representatives and/or College staff.
Coordinate scholarship guidelines with the scholarship committee and Foundation board.
Evaluate students’ continued scholarship eligibility and work with the Foundation board on student and donor petitions for special conditions or policy appeals.
Ensure donor intent is met and seek donor consent when funds need to be repurposed.
Present information to current and prospective students, parents, and the public to promote the College and Foundation scholarships and student aid.
Serve as a liaison between Foundation staff and College Site Directors, faculty, and staff regarding Foundation programs and scholarships.
Collaborate with College and Foundation staff to design and produce print and digital advertising for scholarship and student aid programs.
Attend local high school award ceremonies and coordinate Foundation Board members and donors presenting merit-based scholarships.
Coordinate with College and Foundation grants management staff to ensure student aid grant distributions are accurate and timely.
Develop and implement a donor stewardship plan to deepen relationships with existing donors, communicate program progress, promote gratitude, and share meaningful information about the use and impact of gifts.
Conduct in-person and virtual meetings with new and current donors.
Prepare annual endowment reports, impact reports, and other stewardship communications.
Work with the Foundation Executive Director and Director of Advancement Operations to initiate contact and communications with prospective donors, including individuals, corporations, local businesses, community organizations, and other foundations.
Research current and prospective scholarship and student aid program donors.
Develop a process to encourage donors to increase their giving, grow endowments, or make estate or other planned gifts.
Supervise the Student Aid Specialist and Federal work-study students assigned to scholarship tasks in the Foundation office during each academic year.
Support Foundation fundraising activities and functions, including donor/student reception events.
Keep the Foundation team informed of critical issues through ongoing communication.
Promote high performance and continuous improvement, learning, and quality to attract and maintain donor and community support.
Participate proactively in professional development and stay informed about innovative strategies.
Serve as a liaison to Foundation constituencies when the Executive Director or other designated staff is unable to do so.
Support and facilitate internal and external collaboration and positive public relations to ensure smooth operations.
Perform other job-related tasks as directed.