Director, Zip Assist at The University of Akron in Akron, OH

Job description

Job Summary: ZipAssist serves as a student advocacy and support office, intentionally designed to aid students in persistence through intervention, education, and resources. The Director provides leadership of the ZipAssist office and has direct oversight of full-time staff and will assist in the management of office responsibilities. The Director will provide support and guidance to students, parents, faculty, staff, and colleagues related to the holistic wellness of students, policies/procedures, ZipAssist programs, and partnerships with campus or community resources. This position will have administrative oversight of the early alert referral program, Help-A-Zip. This position will guide the vision of the unit while also monitoring case management to ensure student progress toward degree completion and student success. This position will focus on leveraging campus relationships to help students navigate financial hardships, mental health concerns, and academic matters. As part of the ZipAssist portfolio, this person will be responsible for oversight of related programming, services, and partnerships – including Cupboard, Parent & Family Relations, Off-Campus Living & Commuter Resources, Help-A-Zip Referral Program, and related specialized programs such as textbook assistance, OhioReach, childcare assistance, financial literacy education, and the Simmons Hall welcome desk. This position will work directly and alongside several colleagues on campus [Dean of Students, Title IX, Counseling, CARE Team, UAPD, Student Conduct, Residence Life and Housing] to provide triage, immediate intervention and ongoing support of students. This position will be responsible for the hiring, training, and ongoing supervision of full-time staff, interns, and student employees. As the leader of the ZipAssist team, this position will manage grant and donor-funded programs, such as emergency financial assistance/aid [SEFA]. They will ensure detailed records related to case management and financial support grants are maintained by the team and in compliance with University policies. Skills needed to be successful in this role include empathy, active listening, public speaking, project management, collaboration, personnel management, critical thinking, decisiveness, consistency, initiative, detail-oriented, and innovation. Essential Functions: Case Management & Ongoing Care: 25% This leader will manage a small case load while also being responsible for Help-A-Zip case management, with direct duties connected to mental health, basic needs, financial hardship, and academic concerns. This position will assign, delegate, and manage student concerns and will lead ZipAssist staff to provide remedies and guidance. Outreach/Programming: 35% Ensure quality and effectiveness in all ZipAssist education, outreach, referral, partnership building, strategic development and student success programming. Monitor activities and mitigate problematic scenarios. Develop innovative programming to maximize the availability of ZipAssist services, and is in partnership with campus and community contacts. Deliver high-impact and relevant materials related to the various aspects of the office and must be a skilled facilitator for trainings and information presentations. Deploy highly reliable assessment tools and data analysis methods to evaluate outcomes and achieve unit goals/objectives. Supervision & Leadership: 40% Lead office, including but not limited to full-time staff supervision, budget, project management, program development, office oversight, and training. Review ZipAssist business processes on a regular basis to guarantee consistency and regulatory compliance. Responsible for hiring, training, and daily supervision of unit professional staff, interns, and student assistants. Responsible for directing and monitoring the work of full-time staff, student employees, interns and/or temporary workers. Create or revise associated unit documentation, when necessary. Suppor