Assistant Director of New Student Experience

Job Description

Job Description

Randolph-Macon College invites applications for a full-time Assistant Director of New Student Experience. This position is responsible for providing operational leadership for the College’s New Student Orientation programs and supporting the implementation of early-year transition initiatives. Working in close partnership with the Director of First- and Second-Year Experience, the Assistant Director helps implement orientation and early transition programming that reflects the College’s philosophy of academic well-being, development, and post-graduate preparation. This role focuses on program coordination, student leader development, and logistical execution that prepares first-year, transfer, and mid-year entering students for successful academic engagement and campus integration.

Responsibilities

Orientation Operations and Program Management (~60–65%)

• Serve as the primary operational coordinator for all new student Orientation programs, including summer, fall, transfer, and mid-year entry experiences.
• Develop and manage the annual Orientation planning calendar, implementation timeline, and operational workflow.
• Coordinate cross-campus collaboration with Academic Affairs, Student Affairs, Enrollment Management, faculty, and campus partners to ensure effective program delivery.
• Recruit, select, train, and supervise Orientation Student Leaders.
• Design and implement a structured training program for Orientation Leaders that emphasizes leadership development, inclusive practices, academic readiness, and awareness of student support resources.
• Manage Orientation logistics, including scheduling, registration processes, event coordination, space reservations, vendor relationships, and family programming.
• Coordinate Orientation communications for students and families in partnership with Admissions, Enrollment Management, and campus offices.
• Ensure Orientation programming reinforces academic expectations, advising engagement, institutional values, learning norms, and help-seeking practices.
• Assist in establishing Orientation learning outcomes and support the collection and analysis of participation and feedback data to guide program improvement.

First-Year Transition and Early Engagement (~20%)

• Support the transition from Orientation to academic engagement through coordination with advising, first-year programming, and academic support initiatives.
• Assist the Director in implementing First-Year Experience programming and initiatives.
• Coordinate targeted transition programming for transfer and mid-year entering students to ensure equitable access to resources and campus engagement opportunities.
• Provide programmatic support for emerging Second-Year Experience initiatives as directed by the Director.
• Maintain and update a centralized Orientation and early transition resource website for students and families.

Student Success Collaboration and Assessment (~15–20%)

• Collaborate with advising, academic support, accessibility services, career development, and Student Affairs offices to ensure clear referral pathways for new students.
• Utilize student success technologies (e.g., Pharos 360, EAB Navigate) to support early engagement and track key transition touchpoints.
• Support data collection and reporting related to Orientation participation, student engagement indicators, and early retention trends.
• Participate in campus committees and working groups focused on enrollment transition, student success, and first-year persistence.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution.
• At least two to three years of professional experience in higher education with involvement in Orientation, First-Year Experience, academic transition, or student engagement programs.
• Experience supervising, mentoring, or training student leaders.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating large-scale programs or events involving multiple campus stakeholders.
• Strong project management, organizational, and communication skills, with the ability to manage complex logistics and multiple priorities.
• Experience using data and assessment to inform program improvements.
• Demonstrated commitment to creating an inclusive and student-centered campus environment.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends during peak Orientation and transition periods.

Preferred qualifications

• Experience leading or co-leading New Student Orientation programs at a small or mid-sized institution.
• Experience working with transfer or mid-year student populations.
• Experience with program assessment and learning outcomes development.
• Familiarity with student success or CRM platforms (e.g., Jenzabar, Pharos 360, EAB Navigate, Slate, or similar systems).

The College

Founded in 1830, Randolph-Macon has about 1800 students and is located in Ashland, VA, a residential community 15 miles north of Richmond and 90 miles south of Washington D.C., thereby having all the benefits for its students, faculty and staff of a dynamic metropolitan area which serves as the state capital. Over 85% of students reside on campus. For more information about the College see

Randolph-Macon College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, marital status, disability, or veteran status in its education or employment programs or activities.

Application

To apply for the position, submit the following documents to in Microsoft Word or PDF format: a current resume, cover letter addressing the position responsibilities and qualifications, and contact information for three professional references to Sharon Jackson, Director of Human Resources. The review and interview process will commence as strong applications are received and the search will remain open until the position is filled.