Director, Zip Assist

The University of Akron•Akron, OH

About The Position

ZipAssist is a student advocacy and support office that helps students persist through intervention, education, and resources. The Director leads the ZipAssist office, oversees full-time staff, manages office responsibilities, and provides guidance to students, parents, faculty, staff, and colleagues on student wellness, policies and procedures, office programs, and campus and community resources. The Director guides the unit’s vision and monitors case management to support students’ progress toward degree completion and success, with particular attention to financial hardships, mental health concerns, and academic matters. The position oversees ZipAssist services, programs, and partnerships, including the Cupboard, Parent & Family Relations, Off-Campus Living & Commuter Resources, the Help-A-Zip referral program, textbook assistance, OhioReach, childcare assistance, financial literacy education, and the Simmons Hall welcome desk. The Director collaborates with campus colleagues, including the Dean of Students, Title IX, Counseling, CARE Team, UAPD, Student Conduct, and Residence Life and Housing, to provide triage, immediate intervention, and ongoing student support. The role also oversees grant- and donor-funded programs such as emergency financial assistance/aid (SEFA), and ensures case-management and grant records are maintained in compliance with University policies. The Director manages a small caseload and oversees Help-A-Zip case management; leads outreach, education, referral, partnership-building, and student-success programming; and supervises professional staff, interns, and student employees. The role includes budget and project management, program development, assessment and data analysis, process and documentation review, training, and ensuring consistency and regulatory compliance. The position requires a relevant master’s degree and at least five years of progressively responsible post-graduate experience in a relevant student services, higher education, social work, or case/client/service management environment. Salary is $70,000–$75,000 annually, commensurate with experience. The University expects all work performed by its employees to be performed in Ohio.

Requirements

Relevant master’s degree in higher education, education, organization leadership, communication, social work, or another relevant field.
At least 5 years of progressively responsible post-graduate experience in college or university student services, higher education, social work, or another relevant education or case/client/service management environment.
Exceptional customer service skills.
Strong communication and management skills.
Relational database capabilities.
Ability to maintain compliance with university, federal, and state rules and regulations.
Project or program management experience.
Prior supervisory or leadership experience.
Proven work experience as a team leader or supervisor.
Excellent interpersonal, communication, crisis response, and conflict management skills.
Ability to encourage creativity, new program development, and risk-taking, and to create an inspiring team environment with an open communication culture.

Nice To Haves

Success in a higher education student support services role, such as advocacy, basic needs, financial aid, academic advising, or mentorship programs.
Mental Health First Aid certification or another relevant mental health certification.
Experience in personnel resource management, training, or professional coaching.

Responsibilities

Lead the ZipAssist office and guide the unit’s vision, programs, services, and partnerships.
Provide guidance to students, parents, faculty, staff, and colleagues regarding student wellness, policies and procedures, ZipAssist programs, and campus or community resources.
Manage a small caseload and oversee Help-A-Zip case management for mental health, basic needs, financial hardship, and academic concerns.
Assign, delegate, and manage student concerns, and lead staff in providing remedies and guidance.
Oversee ZipAssist programming and services, including the Cupboard, Parent & Family Relations, Off-Campus Living & Commuter Resources, Help-A-Zip, textbook assistance, OhioReach, childcare assistance, financial literacy education, and the Simmons Hall welcome desk.
Build campus and community partnerships and collaborate with campus colleagues to provide triage, immediate intervention, and ongoing student support.
Develop and deliver outreach, education, training, information presentations, and relevant materials; facilitate programming and maximize service availability.
Assess programming using assessment tools and data analysis to evaluate outcomes and meet unit goals and objectives.
Hire, train, and supervise full-time staff, interns, student employees, and, as applicable, temporary workers; direct and monitor their work.
Manage the office, including its budget, projects, program development, operations, and training.
Manage grant- and donor-funded programs, including emergency financial assistance/aid (SEFA), and ensure accurate case-management and financial-support records in compliance with University policies.
Review business processes regularly to ensure consistency and regulatory compliance; create or revise unit documentation as needed.
Support students, faculty, administrators, and staff in navigating campus processes.
Maintain understanding of campus policies and applicable laws, including FERPA, Clery, Title IX, and Colin’s Law.
Respond to inquiries and appeals professionally, judiciously, and prudently; recommend policy or rule updates when they may interfere with student well-being or academic progress and completion.
Perform other assigned duties.