Fellowships Adviser - Term

Vanderbilt University•Nashville, TN

About The Position

The Fellowships and Scholarships Advisor provides personalized support and guidance to Vanderbilt students and alumni pursuing prestigious external fellowships awards. This position will develop innovative recruitment strategies to encourage a diverse candidate pool; undertake campus outreach; develop and lead programs and workshops; advise and support students; and cultivate creation of award pipelines in collaboration with campus stakeholders, including faculty, staff, academic programs, departments and alumni. This role will specifically support the 2026 Postgraduate Proposal Development Program and Fulbright. Vanderbilt’s Fellowships Team administers institutional nomination processes for the Beinecke, Boren, Churchill, DAAD, Freeman-ASIA, Fulbright, Gaither, Gates-Cambridge, Gilman, Goldwater, Luce, McCall MacBain, Marshall, Rhodes, Truman, Udall and Yenching programs. The Fellowships and Scholarships Advisor will oversee nomination processes for several fellowships in alignment with their interests and experience, including the Fulbright US Student Program. A core unit of the Career Advancement and Engagement (CAE) division, the Vanderbilt Career Center serves undergraduate students and alumni (0-2 years) post-graduation. The Career Center’s Fellowships Team supports eligible Vanderbilt students and alumni in developing a competitive portfolio for prestigious fellowships that support research, teaching, language study, postgraduate study, research, teaching and other high impact activities. The Fellowships Team consists of two full-time staff and two graduate student workers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree and at least three (3) years of experience in higher education student support services required.
Knowledge of prestigious fellowships—particularly the Fulbright US Student Program— is required.
Proven record of advising and mentoring applicants, including evidence of intercultural communication abilities, is required.
Excellent verbal and written communication, strong interpersonal, intercultural, presentation, editing and English grammar skills are required.
Ability to work a flexible schedule that meets the needs and availability of fellowship applicants, including some evenings and occasional weekends, especially around major award deadlines, is required.
Strong initiative and time management, with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously working independently and as part of a team is necessary.
Excellent analytical skills are required.

Nice To Haves

Experience in a fellowships office, writing center, career center, counseling center, or related role with administrative responsibilities is strongly preferred.
Master’s degree in counseling, higher education, international studies, or related field, and at least 1 year of experience as described above is preferred.
Experience overseeing applicant cohorts (e.g., Fulbright, Truman, Goldwater, Gilman, Boren) in preparing and refining competitive award applications is preferred.
Experience supporting Posse, McNair, TRIO and related populations is preferred.
International education experience (i.e., studying, interning or working overseas; supporting international programs, study abroad or international award programs) is strongly preferred.
Strong knowledge of aspects of professional development skills central to fellowships, including resume-writing, interviewing and supporting applicants in parallel career planning is strongly preferred.
Knowledge of social media outreach promotion, communication and presentation skills related to fellowships and international awards is preferred.
Demonstrated success in program and/or project management for at least one year is preferred.

Responsibilities

Raise awareness of fellowship opportunities, including application requirements, processes, and deadlines.
Develop innovative recruitment strategies to identify candidates and build pipelines for specific awards.
Design and deliver programs and presentations for faculty, departments and student organizations.
Provide 1:1 coaching services and virtual office hours to support potential applicants, including discussion of relevant award opportunities and review of personal statements, statements of grant purpose, essays, resumes/CVs and related materials.
Manage Vanderbilt’s institutional nomination processes, including submission of application materials according to foundation guidelines in collaboration with Fellowships Team.
Establish advising committees, write and/or procure institutional endorsement letters from university administrators.
Provide feedback to letter of recommendation writers as needed.
Oversee internal applicant tracking and facilitate communication via social media and drafting articles for publication about award recipients.
Cultivate relationships with campus stakeholders, including faculty, staff, departments, colleges and schools to ensure cross-campus participation in the recruitment and mentoring of candidates; identify selection committee members; providing nomination and endorsement materials.
Develop and maintain relationships with external funding agencies and foundations, ensuring appropriate campus preparation and selection procedures.