Job Description

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR / ALTERNATIVE BREAKS

Position Number: S-3834

Position Summary:

The Assistant Director of the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center (VC) will work collaboratively with the Director and other professional staff and student members of the Volunteer Center to develop, support, and promote service opportunities to engage students with the mission and values of Central Michigan University. The Assistant Director will serve as the university advisor to the Alternative Breaks (AB) program and provide oversight and direction to the VC and AB graduate and undergraduate student staff. The Assistant Director will direct leadership training of the Alternative Break student advisory board, the student site leaders, and provide oversight of participant development of 700 students. The Assistant Director will also be responsible for providing support to Volunteer Center and AB program assessment. Additionally, the Assistant Director will manage most of the marketing efforts of the office, including, but not limited to: designing and printing promotional materials, promotional items ordering, social media posting for all channels, weekly newsletter creation and distribution and management of the Engage Central volunteer database. The Assistant Director will supervise up to three students to assist with the office’s marketing and social media efforts. The Assistant Director will provide oversight of the AB budget and scholarship development as well as board and site leader retreats, service development with university community partners, and develop recruitment strategies for the program.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• One year professional experience with student organizations and/or campus programming.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, including ability to plan, establish priorities and handle multiple tasks and projects. Demonstrated experience as a team member who is highly motivated, a self-starter, and a dedicated professional.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in student affairs, higher education, leadership, or related field. Three years direct student service and leadership experience.
• Experience working with Alternative Breaks programming.
• Experience in a higher education environment.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Serves as the university advisor to the CMU Alternative Breaks program, including the Alternative Breaks Student Advisory Board.
• Manages Alternative Breaks data and information via social media oversight, Engage Central (Rosters, Online Forms, Events) and website maintenance.
• Provides training sessions to the Alternative Breaks Board, site leaders and participants and assists administrative staff, programs and other CMU departments with volunteer trainings.
• Disseminates and enforces University policies and procedures pertaining to Alternative Breaks service projects, risk management, fundraising, office management, student employment, accounting and payroll, etc.
• Develops, supports, and provides programming and leadership development for Alternative Breaks staff and student leaders.
• Serves as an advisor to Volunteer Center staff and other program leaders.
• Develops promotional materials for Alternative Breaks and Volunteer Center to encourage student involvement in the program, offices and resources.
• Manages all social media channels for the office.
• Develops content for, creates, and disseminates weekly office newsletter.
• Supervises up to five student staff members, two for Alternative Breaks and up to three for marketing and social media efforts.
• Develops and implements evaluation and assessment of the Alternative Break program in conjunction with the Volunteer Center.
• Assists with the management of fiscal resources of the Alternative Breaks program and Volunteer Center.
• Represents the Volunteer Center at university events on campus and in the global community and maintains visibility/approachability on behalf of the department.
• Assists with the planning and coordination of Volunteer Center programs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervision Exercised:

None.

Employee Group: Professional & Administrative -Salary
Staff Pay Level:
Pay Range: $45,000 - $52,000
Division: University Engagement and Student Affairs
Department: Volunteer Center
Position Status: Regular
Position End Date:
Employment Status: Full-Time
FTE: 1.0
Position Type: 12 month
Weekly Work Schedule: Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / weekends and evenings as required.
Location: Mount Pleasant, MI
Posting Ends:
Open Until Filled: Yes

About the Department:

The Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center, Central Michigan University’s connection to volunteer opportunities and student resources. We connect students to hundreds of volunteer opportunities on campus, in the local community, and across the country. We offer a variety of programs, including our nationally ranked Alternative Breaks experiences. Additionally, you can find opportunities to volunteer with non-profits in the Mid-Michigan area via our Engage database.

Message to Applicants:

Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMU’s mission, vision, and leadership standards.

You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.

Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.

This position will remain open until filled. The university reserves the right to close the recruitment process once a sufficient applicant pool has been identified. For best consideration, please submit application materials by March 16, 2026.

To apply, visit https://www.jobs.cmich.edu/postings/44497