Assistant Director of Programs

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Description

The Laney Graduate School seeks a dynamic and student-centered Assistant Director, Programs to support graduate student success, recruitment, and engagement initiatives. This role plays a key part in the development, implementation, and assessment of programs that enhance the graduate scholar experience, including the REACH Framework, LGS-SOAR, Learning About Laney, peer mentoring, workshops, and recruitment events. The position collaborates with faculty, students, alumni, and campus partners to advance strategic recruitment goals, foster scholar success, manage impactful programming, and leverage data-driven insights to support continuous program improvement, recruitment activities and program execution. This role combines program management, event planning, communications, outreach, and student support to strengthen and grow the Laney Graduate School community.

Reporting to the Associate Dean of Excellence, Recruitment and Opportunity, this position is primarily campus-based and serves as a key contributor to the Laney Graduate School's mission of attracting, supporting, and developing outstanding graduate scholars.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assists in directing the strategic planning, development, and implementation of programs.
• Represents the organization at meetings, conferences and other events.
• May develop and present speeches or presentations to generate or enhance awareness of program(s).
• Provides technical support by evaluating established processes, conducting training, attending operational meetings and networking with affiliated groups.
• Monitors progress toward achieving established objectives and deadlines.
• Participates in planning, administering and monitoring program related budgets.
• Conducts research, designs new initiatives, and collaborates with others to ensure program(s) remain viable.
• May serve on, hold office in, or chair committees.
• May write publishable articles and papers.
• May supervise staff.
• Oversees or assists in developing operational and statistical reports for management and regulatory agencies.
• Ensures required records and documentation are maintained.
• Performs related responsibilities as required.

ADDITIONAL JOB DETAILS:

• Leads the assessment and continuous improvement of assigned Laney-AERO initiatives.
  
  • Reviews participation, feedback, outcomes, implementation challenges, and emerging scholar needs; documents lessons learned; and recommends improvements for future program cycles.
• Executes events and program activities for Learning about Laney, LGS-SOAR, the Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society, and other assigned initiatives.
  
  • Provides hands-on support by developing agendas and materials; securing presenters and participants; managing communications; preparing event spaces and technology; supporting recruitment and prospective-scholar engagement; coordinating with faculty, academic programs, university offices, external partners, vendors, and volunteers; maintaining program data and records; tracking timelines and approved expenditures; assisting with travel and financial documentation; directing on-site implementation; resolving routine issues; completing follow-up; and representing Laney-AERO at assigned activities.
• Manages the full annual cycle of Learning about Laney.
  
  • Includes applications, participant administration, campus experiences, faculty and academic-program participation, travel, graduate scholar liaisons, prospective-scholar guidance, recruitment follow-up, records, and program assessment.
• Manages the full annual cycle of LGS-SOAR.
  
  • Includes applications, committee review, approved scholar-faculty placements, onboarding, orientation, training, workshops, research activities, scholar support, university partnerships, program records, and evaluation.
• Manages Laney Graduate School's Edward A. Bouchet Graduate Honor Society processes and activities.
  
  • Includes application administration, selection-process support, onboarding, scholar engagement, recognition, reporting, chapter activities, alumni engagement, and recordkeeping.
• Develops and implements communications, marketing, outreach, and digital-engagement activities for assigned initiatives and audiences.
  
  • Includes presentations, program materials, websites, email campaigns, newsletters, social media content, virtual programming, participant resources, templates, and frequently asked questions.
• Implements scholar belonging, engagement, persistence, retention, professional development, and degree-attainment activities.
  • Includes workshops, networking opportunities, recognition activities, community-building programs, and opportunities for scholars to connect with relevant academic and professional communities.
• Provides developmental advising, coaching, program guidance, resource navigation, referrals, and follow-up to prospective and current scholars participating in assigned initiatives.
  
  • Maintains appropriate documentation and escalates sensitive, complex, urgent, or high-risk concerns to the Associate Dean and appropriate university offices.
• Recruits, trains, assigns, supervises, coaches, and evaluates fellows, junior fellows, ambassadors, delegates, graduate scholar liaisons, and other initiative personnel.
  
  • Establishes clear expectations, coordinates the participation of scholars and volunteers, and ensures that scholars serving in support roles remain under appropriate professional staff supervision.
• Makes routine decisions for assigned programs and refers significant concerns to the Associate Dean.
  
  • Works within established goals, procedures, timelines, and available resources; escalates significant exceptions, resource concerns, faculty-related matters, sensitive scholar concerns, and decisions outside the position’s authority; guides assigned special projects; and provides organizational support and coverage as needed.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree in a field related to the program(s) and five years of program related experience, OR equivalent combination of experience, education, and training.

NOTE: Position tasks are generally required to be performed in-person at an Emory University location.  Remote work from home day options may be granted at department discretion. Emory reserves the right to change remote work status with notice to employee.

Additional Details

Emory is an equal opportunity employer, and qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by state or federal law. Emory University does not discriminate in admissions, educational programs, or employment, including recruitment, hiring, promotions, transfers, discipline, terminations, wage and salary administration, benefits, and training. Students, faculty, and staff are assured of participation in university programs and in the use of facilities without such discrimination. Emory University complies with Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veteran's Readjustment Assistance Act, and applicable executive orders, federal and state regulations regarding nondiscrimination, equal opportunity, and affirmative action (for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities). Inquiries regarding this policy should be directed to the Emory University Department of Equity and Civil Rights Compliance, 201 Dowman Drive, Administration Building, Atlanta, GA 30322. Telephone: 404-727-9867 (V) | 404-712-2049 (TDD).

Emory University is committed to ensuring equal access and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to seek a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Department of Accessibility Services at [email protected] or call 404-727-9877 (Voice) | 404-712-2049 (TDD). We kindly ask that requests be made at least seven business days in advance to allow adequate time for coordination.