Director of TRIO Student Support Services

Biola University • La Mirada, CA

32d • Onsite

About The Position

TRIO Student Support Services (SSS) is a federally funded retention, graduation, and transfer program that aims to support the academic needs of low-income students, first-generation students, and students with a documented disability. The Director of TRIO SSS is responsible for program operations and accountability, including providing vision and leadership for the program and staff, budget management, maintaining compliance with all federal guidelines, development of grant reports and proposals, recruitment of eligible students, and tracking and reporting student progress and performance. Memorandum This position is to be funded by a federal grant. The anticipated duration of this position is five years, subject to external funding. However, the possibility exists that the position may end earlier if funding is not continued. Alignment with Theological Positions The person who fills this position must be someone who personally agrees with Biola's Articles of Faith and Statement of Biblical Principles. As such, this person may not speak against or act in a manner inconsistent with these positions during the course of their employment at Biola. Department Division of Student Success Supervisor This position reports to the Associate Vice President of Student Success. Education and Experience Requirements Master's degree in education, college student affairs, counseling, organizational leadership, or related field required. Minimum five years of leadership experience in higher education, TRIO programs, or related fields. The ideal candidate will show evidence of strong organizational and management skills, with proven ability to work with economically disadvantaged and under-resourced students in a postsecondary setting. Excellent communication and counseling skills and the ability to work collaboratively with faculty and staff are required. Preference will be granted to individuals from the target populations served by the grant. Work Requirements Exempt (01), full-time - 40 hours/week, 12 months per yearThis position requires personal attendance at Biola's campus in La Mirada, California.

Requirements

• Master's degree in education, college student affairs, counseling, organizational leadership, or related field required.
• Minimum five years of leadership experience in higher education, TRIO programs, or related fields.
• Strong organizational and management skills, with proven ability to work with economically disadvantaged and under-resourced students in a postsecondary setting.
• Excellent communication and counseling skills and the ability to work collaboratively with faculty and staff are required.
• Strategic Planning: Experience defining strategic vision for growth and impact, identifying goals and objectives, and creating implementation and assessment plans.
• Staff Management: Ability to motivate and influence staff toward goals. Thinking ahead and anticipating the needs or potential challenges of the team.
• Problem-Solving: Identifying issues and coming up with practical solutions. Being resourceful and adaptable when faced with challenges, embracing change and adjusting smoothly.
• Communication and Cultural Humility: Excellent written and verbal communication skills for interacting with diverse students, faculty, and staff members. Active listening to understand others' needs and respond effectively. Demonstrates cultural competence and humility.
• Assessment, Reporting and Data Management: Ability to effectively gather information from various sources, critically analyze it, interpret the findings, and draw meaningful conclusions. Experience with customer relationship management databases, learning management systems, and data collection.
• Advising and Coaching: Experience with coaching and student development theories and methods.
• Google Workspace: Familiarity with Gmail, Google Calendar, Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides), and Google Meet.
• Time Management and Organization: Prioritizing tasks and managing time effectively to meet deadlines. Juggling multiple responsibilities and details without compromising quality.
• Confidentiality: Able to respect and uphold issues of confidentiality with poise, especially related to personnel, budget, FERPA, and student issues. Handling sensitive information with discretion.

Nice To Haves

• Preference will be granted to individuals from the target populations served by the grant.
• Public Speaking and Teaching: Demonstrated presentation skills with adeptness in speaking before large groups or audiences. Curriculum development and instruction experience is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Leadership and Program Administration: The Director of TRIO SSS is responsible for program operations and accountability, including providing vision and leadership for the program, supervision and evaluation of staff, budget management, development of grant reports and proposals, maintaining compliance with all federal guidelines, adhering to deadlines, recruitment of eligible students, tracking and reporting student progress and performance, working collaboratively with the university community to identify and recruit students in need of program services, and providing direct services to students.
• Assessment and Reporting: In partnership with Student Success and University Analytics, reports and analyzes data to determine the program's successes and challenges in student advising, retention, graduation, and career readiness. Responsible for completing and submitting Annual Program Report to the Department of Education. Communicates program success data to the AVP of Student Success and appropriate university stakeholders. Stays informed of current issues, effective practices, and trends, and continually evaluates data to guide strategic planning and interventions.
• Management and Supervision: Supervises the TRIO Success Advisor and Peer Mentors. The Director provides oversight of program operations and strategies, professional development, and training and support.
• Marketing and Communications: Working collaboratively with University Communications and Marketing and Admissions Marketing departments, assists in the development of a strategic student recruitment plan, including web, print, email, social media, and other channels.
• Technology: Utilizes university technology systems (e.g., Google Workspace, Slate, Banner, Elucian) to track student progress and program engagement.
• Budget Management: Oversees annual program budget, totaling over $272,000, and grant accounting functions such as expense reports, reimbursements, etc.
• All other duties as assigned that the supervisor determines are appropriate.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Industry: Educational Services
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees