Associate Director, Orientation and Family Engagement

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Position Details

The Associate Director of Orientation and Family Engagement provides operational leadership for commencement ceremonies and supports the implementation of orientation and family engagement initiatives. This role manages student-facing commencement processes, coordinates logistics and communications, and partners across the university to deliver large-scale, high-impact events. The Associate Director supervises professional and student staff and contributes to assessment and continuous improvement across departmental programs.

The associate director is a 12-month, full-time, exempt position that reports to the Director of Orientation and Family Engagement. As a member of Student Affairs, this position will uphold the values of data-informed practice, sense of belonging, overall well-being, professional staff development, retention and persistence, and Spartan Ready® culture. The work of this position will intentionally align with strategic focus areas to advance the mission and vision of Student Affairs which results in student learning and support for students to grow as global citizens.

This position is designated as an essential employee and may be required to report to work as scheduled when University offices are closed due to severe weather or other conditions.

Responsibilities

Staff Supervision & Student Leadership

• Supervise the Assistant Director of Orientation and Family Engagement.
• Advise the UTampa Diplomats program, providing strategic direction, leadership development, and oversight of student ambassador initiatives.

Commencement

• Oversee student-facing planning, coordination, implementation, and assessment of May and December commencement ceremonies for the university, including registration, ticketing, and guest experience.
• Coordinate commencement planning efforts across university partners through leadership of the Commencement Committee, ensuring alignment of operational needs with institutional priorities.
• Coordinate vendor logistics and relationships for commencement ceremony needs and assist in fiscal management of the commencement budget in collaboration with the Director.
• Provide oversight for commencement communications, support training and coordination of staff, faculty marshals, and student volunteers, and serve as an event lead during ceremonies, assisting in the coordination of event operations and management of safety protocols.
• Assess student, guest, and stakeholder experience following commencement ceremonies and contribute to post-commencement review and updates to processes and policies.
• Contribute to development and review of the ceremonial script and commencement program and collaborate with the Center for Public Speaking to coordinate the student speaker selection process.

Orientation and Family Engagement

• Lead the implementation and oversight of the online orientation program, including system management, campus partner coordination, and content oversight and coordination.
• Provide operational oversight and support for Week of Welcome and UTampa Fall Weekend initiatives in collaboration with departmental staff.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Director of Orientation and Family Engagement.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree.
• 3-5 years of professional experience in higher education, student affairs, event planning or related field.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in the completion of tasks.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously with a commitment to high quality results and timely follow-through
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and problem-solving skills.
• Experience coordinating complex events and developing detailed project timelines.
• Ability to plan and manage projects with both short- and long-term timelines.
• Ability to work occasional evening and weekend hours in support of events.
• Experience working with diverse populations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in higher education, student affairs, or related field.
• Experience supervising professional, graduate, or student staff.
• Experience collaborating across departments and managing campus partnerships.
• Awareness and understanding of the transitional needs of students and their families.

The University of Tampa offers great benefits to include:

• FREE Tuition
• Generous paid leave
• Wellness initiatives
• 100% Employer-Funded Health Reimbursement Account
• 100% Employer-Paid Short & Long Term Disability Insurance
• 100% Employer-Funded Employee Assistance Program
• Discounted On-Campus Dining Meal Plans
• FREE On-Campus Parking
• Access to Campus Amenities
• Fitness Center
• Pet Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• And more!

Work Schedule:

Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Summer - Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Occasional evenings and weekends may be required

Background Check Requirements:

Finalists may be required to submit to a criminal background check.

Submission Guidelines

To receive full consideration for employment with The University of Tampa, please be sure to submit/upload required documents for this position at time of application submission. Required documents should be submitted in the attachment box at the bottom of the "My Experience" page of the application before continuing through the application.

Background Check Requirements

Finalists may be required to submit to a criminal background check. Some positions may also require a motor vehicle report and/or a credit report.

Additional Information

This description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not to determine specific duties and responsibilities for any particular position. Essential functions and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific task assigned to the position.