"Assistant Director for Transition Initiatives"

Assistant Director for Transition Initiatives

Benefits of Working at UNCW:
Want to become a soaring UNCW Seahawk and work at one of the best universities on the East Coast? Want to put your toes in the sand after a day of work? The University of North Carolina Wilmington offers a wonderfully vibrant university community along with a beautiful location just miles from the beach.Employees of UNCW are provided a comprehensive benefits package as well as other programs, resources, policies, and practices that help to support a work/life balance. Our programs have been designed to provide a variety of choices to best fit your needs and the needs of your family. Full time employees are eligible for dental, vision and health insurance plans. Health insurance benefit plans eligibility begins on the first of the month following date of hire. Retirement plan contributions begin on the eligibility date following election and include employer contributions for either a defined contribution or a defined benefit plan. Optional disability plans are also available.Full time employees are also eligible for the tuition waiver program which covers the cost of tuition and fees for up to three (3) undergraduate or graduate courses per academic year at UNCW or any other university within the UNC System. In addition, UNCW covers the cost of tuition and fees for one UNCW course each summer session.As a full time employee, UNCW also offers a free membership to the Campus Recreation Center, free vaccine and booster shots offered on campus, meditation and yoga sessions, voluntary supplemental insurance coverages, pretax flexible spending accounts, 12 paid holidays, 24 hours of paid community service leave time, paid vacation and sick leave accrual and family medical leave after 12 months of continuous service.We also offer an abundance of training and development programs through our Dare to Learn Academy, and the employee assistance program, many of which are offered free of charge.

Recruitment Range: Determined based on qualifications and/or experience.
Vacancy Number: E1482
Location of Workplace: Main UNCW Campus
Home Department: Center for Academic Advising - 30120
Division: Academic Affairs - 30 Division

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:
Student Engagement, Enrollment, and Retention (SEER) is a functional area of the Division of Academic Affairs. SEER supports students throughout their academic career, from recruitment to graduation, to advance student success at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). SEER includes multiple enrollment and student service areas including Admissions, Military Affairs, Registrar, Scholarships and Financial Aid, Student Athlete Support Services, Student Success Data and Research, Transfer Partnerships, Retention and Student Success, the Office of the Assistant Provost for Academic Advising, and the Center for Academic Advising (CAA).

The Center for Academic Advising supports all incoming freshman, undeclared transfer students, Isaac Bear Early College High School students enrolled at UNCW, and non-degree seeking undergraduate students until they become eligible to declare a major. The Center for Academic Advising is also responsible for the development and implementation of co-curricular programs that support a student's successful transition to college and enhance retention. Students are advised by a team of professional advisors. The Center for Academic Advising is actively engaged in helping students take responsibility for their academic success by encouraging exploration of academic disciplines, utilizing the campus resources available to support their development, developing an understanding of academic requirements and standards and promoting career exploration. The Center for Academic Advising staff works collaboratively and proactively with staff and faculty throughout the university to enhance the effectiveness of student intervention strategies that increase student learning and success.

Brief Summary of Work for this Position:
The Assistant Director of Transition (ADT) in the Center for Academic Advising (CAA) is part of a collaborative team promoting student success through transitional support programs and advising efforts supporting holistic student development. Reporting to the Director in the Center for Academic Advising, the Assistant Director of Transition will be responsible for planning and implementing the Center for Academic Advising's role in the advising and registration process for new CAA students, both freshman and transfer students. Responsible for creating and implementing training in various modalities for various stakeholders, including students and campus offices involved with these processes. This includes identifying student learning outcomes and the needs of campus stakeholder participants. The ADT will also stay up to date on best practices through assessment and research to ensure that training reflects any changes and needs of the university. This work involves effective communication, collaboration and coordination with internal and external stakeholders, including Transition Programs, Admissions, the Office of the Assistant Provost for Academic Advising (OAPAA), OAPAA Business Office, and CAA team members. The ADT will support the advising services delivered in the Center for Academic Advising by coordinating spring and summer orientation sessions, managing the Pre-Orientation Course Registration process, managing advising practices for First-Year Spring Admits, coordinating Group Advising efforts, and serving on assigned task forces or committees, and providing direct advising services as needed to support the mission of the Center for Academic Advising.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

• Master's degree and 5 or more years of related work experience in a university/college stetting, with at least 3 years of increasing responsibility within higher education related to academic advising experience and/or orientation programming.
• Experience in planning, executing, and/or leading others through complex processes involving data, large groups of students, and families.
• Experience with and passion for working with and advising students from varied backgrounds in both face-to-face and distance education (e.g. online) environments.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, organizational skills and demonstrated commitment to high quality customer service.
• Experience with and/or ability to utilize and/or learn various advising and software applications, learning platforms, such as, Microsoft Office Suite, Starfish, DegreePlans, Zoom and technology-based advising delivery systems.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills & Experience:

• Experience supervising, managing and evaluating of employees within an evolving and complex organization.
• Demonstrated experience effectively working in a complex and evolving matrix organization.
• Experience working with early career students (first-time freshman and transfer students).
• Experience with planning and coordinating student support services and programs such as orientation and group advising; working positively and effectively as a contributing member of a team.
• Possess a proven track record for effective advising, coaching and communication skills with a diverse student population.
• Program development, implementation and evaluation experience with strong attention to detail.

FTE: 1.0 FTE (40 hours per week)
Months Per Year: 12 Months
Type of Position: Permanent
Job Posting Date: 01/30/2026
Posting Close Date: 3/1/2026
Number of Openings: Single Incumbent

To apply, visit https://jobs.uncw.edu/postings/38473