Leadership & Service Educational Specialist - (Multiple Positions)

Leadership & Service Educational Specialist - (Hiring Multiple Positions)

Jones Center for Leadership and Service

The Jones Center for Leadership and Service within the Division of Student Life at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville invites applications for the position of Leadership & Service Educational Specialist. This is an exempt, full-time, non-tenure track, staff position.

The Jones Center for Leadership and Service (JCLS) educates and engages all students to lead and serve the global community. This is accomplished through an intersection of educational workshops and courses and immersive programs and services open to any student interested in furthering their leadership skills and serving the community.

The Position: The Leadership & Service Educational Specialist oversees the development and expansion of signature leadership and service initiatives while supporting the overall mission of the Jones Center for Leadership and Service, the Division of Student Life, and the University of Tennessee. This position creates internal and external opportunities that enhance the academic and co-curricular experience of all graduate and undergraduate students. Responsibilities include developing, delivering, assessing, and improving leadership and service education, development, and training, while advancing the Division of Student Life's mission to provide opportunities for students to learn, lead, and serve.

Training & Development:

• Serve as a comprehensive leadership and service educational consultant and subject matter expert
• Conceptualize and implement comprehensive learning and development activities, materials, and programs to support student leader and volunteer development
• Consult with internal and external training providers to design and deliver comprehensive training
• Collaborate with a team of staff to develop, deliver, and provide ongoing curriculum improvements, providing intensive training to student leaders prior to programmatic implementation
• Provide 1-on-1 CliftonStrengths and leadership coaching for student leaders
• Stay current on progressive and cutting-edge leadership development theories and programs, effective training resources, certifications, flexible and varied community engagement, evaluation, audit and monitoring of learning and training activities

Event Planning & Program Development:

• Oversee all aspects of event planning and program evaluation for one or more large-scale JCLS program(s) (ex: CliftonStrengths, Emerging Leaders, Ignite, International Immersions, Leadership Knoxville Scholars, ServeUTK, VOLbreaks, VOLServe, Volunteer Impact Academy), including participant recruitment and registration management
• Collaborate with Student Life Communications to develop and implement communication plans with relevant stakeholders
• Communicate and coordinate with campus partners and off-campus vendors
• Manage venue identification and procurement processes for retreats, programs, etc.
• Oversee program operating budget (including program-specific gift and endowment funds and donor management)
• Oversee event schedule, and partner with Student Life Communications to develop marketing and publication materials
• Serve as primary contact for major programs and signature events
• Manage and maintain risk management protocol and materials for signature programs
• Benchmark, create, and implement programmatic expansion plans and other relevant programs that directly support the leadership and service goals of the office, university, and division's strategic plans
• Engage with and support all department programs

Strategic Planning & Assessment

• Conduct assessment and data analysis for signature programs
• Evaluate effectiveness of programs and makes modifications to training curriculum as appropriate based in assessment
• Implement solutions found from needs analysis and engagement survey
• Track student persistence and retention figures
• Identify trends and suggest improvements to programs, publications, and registration software
• Assist with department strategic planning and implementation of initiatives that directly support the leadership and service goals of the university and division's strategic plans
• Contribute to department assessment to evaluate student learning, student development, and stakeholder perceptions
• Contribute to publications, including website content
• Prepare a robust annual assessment report for departmental namesake donors, Clay and Debbie Jones.

Human Resources & Supervision:

• Oversee graduate teaching assistant selection and supervision
• Responsible for the recruitment, selection, training and supervision of student staff (assistants, specialists, supervisors, and interns), which includes travel to support student leaders at conferences, retreats, and events
• Manage hiring processes for 150+ student staff in coordination with Student Life Finance and Administration to complete all hiring documents, termination requests, bi-weekly/monthly payroll and additional pay requests, maintaining years of service records

Leadership & Outreach:

• Collaborate with various university and community partners to consult on academic and co-curricular leadership and service education and provide community engagement that supports the Division of Student Life's Strategic Plan
• Cultivate relationships and engage with key campus and community stakeholders and programmatic vendors
• Collaborate on fundraising and sponsorship procurement activities to support signature programs
• Serve as steward to current donors
• Serve as a key member of the CliftonStrengths Campus Facilitation Team, the Leadership and Service Advisory Committee, and the Disaster Relief Management Team
• Serve on various university and community committees, commissions, and boards to support leadership development and civic engagement of all students at UTK
• Present programs and serve in an advisory capacity as requested by campus, community, and student constituents
• Travel to and participate in New Vol Roll Call events

The University and Region: UTK is the state’s flagship, land-grant university. We are a Research 1 university, housing 11 colleges and 900+ programs of study. With an enrollment of 30,000 students, our undergraduate and graduate programs are repeatedly ranked among top national programs. The city of Knoxville is a hidden gem with a beautiful and walkable downtown, a diverse music scene, active neighborhoods, unique restaurants, and a robust offering of outdoor and cultural activities. UTK is located within easy driving distance to Asheville, Nashville, Atlanta, and the Great Smoky Mountains; and a day’s drive to Memphis, Chicago and Washington D.C. Knoxville and the surrounding counties have a statistical area population of over 850,000 people. The Knoxville region houses many leading corporations, including Bush Brothers & Company, Discovery Inc., Tennessee Valley Authority, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

What We Require:

Education: This position requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.

Experience: This position requires a minimum of one year of post-undergraduate experience in student life, higher education administration, non-profit management, or related field.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Working knowledge of student development and service-learning theory, and their application to professional practice in higher education
• Strong student advocacy skills of community building
• Ability to work/collaborate with internal/external constituents to foster positive/productive relationships
• Strong interpersonal and listening skills
• Knowledge of diversity and social justice issues
• Ability to show initiative, make sound decisions, work independently, and multi-task
• Skilled at providing quality customer service and interacting effectively with campus community
• Ability to work effectively as team member in a diverse environment

What We Prefer:

Education: This position prefers a master’s degree from an accredited institution.

Experience: Professional experience in the area of leadership and/or service. Experience in the following areas preferred: Curriculum development and classroom/workshop instruction; coordinating, planning, or attending leadership development and/or community engagement/service opportunities; Advising student organizations and groups; Assessment and evaluation.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

Skilled in coordination/oversight of leadership development and service programming; Knowledge of Microsoft Office, Campus Labs, GivePulse, as well as other relevant computer systems; Skilled in classroom instruction and/or student leader training; Ability to manage, supervise, and train student staff.

Application Process: A review of applications will begin on April 24, 2023 and continue until the position is filled. For full consideration, applicants must electronically submit a letter of interest, resume, and the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three references. All materials for the position should be submitted through the University of Tennessee Human Resources application system.