Associate Director

The Associate Director of Student Leadership, Family Programming, and Assessment is responsible for developing, implementing, facilitating, and assessing student leadership and character development initiatives, as well as supporting parent and family programs led by the Division of Student Affairs and Student Engagement and Leadership. Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Student Leadership, this position plays a vital role in providing strategic direction for student leadership initiatives in alignment with Council for Advancement of Standards (CAS), designing and implementing assessment methods to evaluate student learning and development, mentoring student leaders, advising student affinity groups, and supporting ongoing partnerships with faculty and staff in various functional areas across campus.

To achieve our mission as a liberal arts college, we continually strive to foster a welcoming campus community, which recognizes the value of all persons. The Division of Student Affairs is committed to contributing to an educational environment that is rich with a wide range of intellectual perspectives and backgrounds.

Essential Functions:

• Manages the Leadership Education and Development (LEAD) Program; a comprehensive program anchored by a strong foundation of student leadership development theory and practice. This includes content refinement, coordination, development, and facilitation of training of student leaders, and advisement to a five-to-seven-person student leadership team, and twenty+ team of student facilitators.

• Manages the Women’s Leadership Program: a collection of signature events including the Orientation Week Brunch, Fall Symposium, and Winter Symposium. This includes content refinement, coordination, development, and facilitation of training of student leaders, and advisement to a five-to-seven-person leadership team.

• Develops and implements assessment plans aligned with CAS Standards, including measurable learning outcomes and program evaluation metrics for all student leadership initiatives and trainings.

• Works collaboratively with the Assistant Dean of Student Leadership on parent and family programming and communication efforts, including, but not limited to, parent and family orientation, parent and family weekend events, monthly communications, the W&L General Parent and Family Course, informational webinars, mailings, etc.

• Works collaboratively with the Assistant Dean of Student Leadership to support the coordination, planning, and execution of the annual Leadership Excellence Awards ceremony. This includes, but is not limited to, increasing awareness of the nomination process among undergraduate students, faculty, and staff in partnership with a 10+ student committee, collaboration and coordination with 15+ campus partners who present awards, managing the collection and distribution of nominations, and overseeing the receipt and organization of award recipient information.

• Works collaboratively with the Assistant Dean of Student Leadership to oversee the planning, design, and assessment of comprehensive character education and development programs. Initiatives will include, but are not limited to, student retreats, reflective dinners, workshop series, and more.

• Develops and implements programs that support the transition and success of first-generation college students and under-resourced students. 

• Advises and supports student affinity groups, assisting with leadership development, program planning, and budget management.

• Actively engages and collaborates with initiatives, trainings, and educational opportunities hosted by the Division of Student Affairs.

• Develops and manages a comprehensive plan to design and deliver trainings for student organizations/student leaders.

• Serves as a member of the AIM Scholars Summer Program leadership team.

• Manages budgets and ensures responsible resource allocation.

• Additional related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, or related field.

• 3-5 years of professional experience in student leadership, student engagement, or related area.

• Must be able to work occasional weekend and evening hours.

• Demonstrated experience with program assessment and familiarity with CAS Standards.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as a collaborative team member.

• Strong advising, facilitation, interpersonal, communication, and program development skills.

Application Instructions

Review of applications will begin August 10, 2026 and continue until the position is filled. Required materials include:

• Cover letter

• Resume

• Names and contact information for three professional references

Application instructions for internal and external candidates can be found at https://www.wlu.edu/employment-opportunities/jobs-at-w-l.

Campus Safety and Welfare Responsibilities:

Physical Requirements:

• Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with whole hand or arm as in handling.

• Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.

• Repetitive motions: Making substantial movements (motions) of the wrists, hands, and/or fingers.

Working Conditions: The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Types of Work: Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.

Position Type:

Exempt, Full Time, Benefit Eligible

Compensation:

The expected annual salary for this posting is between $68,000 - $79,000. Offers are based on factors such as qualifications, relevant experience, skills, internal equity, and market and organizational considerations.

Washington and Lee University also offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package designed to support the well-being of employees and their families. To learn more about working at W&L, benefits, and life in the Shenandoah Valley, visit jobs.wlu.edu.

Washington and Lee is an Equal Opportunity Employer seeking candidates committed to high standards of scholarship, performance, professionalism, and to a welcoming campus community. Job description requirements are representative, but not all‐inclusive of the knowledge, skill, and abilities needed to successfully perform this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.