"Assistant Director of Family Programs"

Job Summary

The Assistant Director of Family Programs is a key leader within the Office of New Student and Family Transitions, playing a central role in Augusta University's student retention initiatives and Strategic Enrollment Management plan. This position provides strategic vision and oversight for all family engagement initiatives, collaborating with campus and community partners as well as developing student leaders who contribute to family engagement. The Assistant Director develops and implements comprehensive, data-driven programs and communication strategies that transform families into active partners, enhance student success, and strengthen long-term retention.

Responsibilities

FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND STUDENT RETENTION: Lead family engagement strategies and programming that support student success and build institutional affinity. Develop and execute family programming for new student orientation sessions to create a sense of community, establish trust, share resources/information, and support student retention. Create and implement on-campus family events, like Family Weekends, that support institutional affinity, student engagement and retention, and community and tradition. Design and facilitate year-round educational programming (both virtual and in person) that enhances family understanding of student development and university resources, focusing on critical transition periods and common student concerns (i.e., webinars, community sessions). Partner with academic and student services to embed family engagement into initiatives, as appropriate, that support student interventions, retention, persistence, and graduation. Develop program assessment strategies to measure ROI and retention impact, using data to facilitate constant improvement. In partnership with Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, develop and advise family associations/organizations that support university initiatives, promote a philanthropic mindset, and allow for advisory. Develop and maintain community partnerships that serve families and promote family engagement at AU and in the local Augusta region. Serve as the primary institutional contact and resource for student families, including during crisis or emergency situations. Develop and maintain protocols for family communication during campus crisis or emergency situations. Maintain comprehensive knowledge of campus resources to facilitate appropriate referrals and ensure seamless family support.

DATA MANAGEMENT AND DIGITAL PLATFORM LEADERSHIP: Lead the strategic management of the Jaguar Family Hub (powered by CampusESP) and other family engagement technology platforms. Develop and execute personalized, segmented, timely, and relevant communications through system platforms, utilizing existing campus communications and partnering with divisional communication staff. Develop and maintain a family track within the Online Welcome, AU's virtual orientation platform (Advantage Design Group). Maintain family-directed social media channels with relevant and engaging content in accordance with university policy. Coordinate with campus partners to develop family-focused content for Jaguar Family Hub, social media, and other platforms that support student retention and family engagement. Monitor engagement analytics (open rates, click-through rates, event attendance, platform usage patterns) and utilize data to optimize family support and increase student retention. Ensure family and student data within system platforms are accurately and securely maintained according to data governance and IT policies. Collaborate with IT and data governance teams to ensure seamless data flow between platforms (as appropriate) and maintain data integrity. Partner with Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (PAE) to integrate family data for coordinated engagement and fundraising initiatives.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND SUPERVISION: Recruit, train, and supervise student and temporary staff to support family engagement initiatives. Student staff may include graduate assistants, student interns, student coordinators, and orientation leaders. In collaboration with the Assistant Director of Orientation and Transition Programs, recruit, hire, train, and supervise family orientation leaders to deliver family programming during orientation sessions. Serve as an instructor for AU's Certificate in Leadership course sequence, facilitating courses with NSFT student staff enrollment, to integrate leadership development with practical application. Develop and deliver ongoing leadership and professional development opportunities for student staff, including mentorship and experiential learning as well as comprehensive training for student staff (intensive training weekends/weeks, overnight retreats, bonding days, etc.)

INNOVATION AND ASSESSMENT: Provide strategic vision for family engagement, developing innovative approaches, multi-year plans, and assessment strategies to align initiatives with institutional goals and SEM objectives. Conduct data analysis and benchmarking to measure engagement impact, drive continuous improvement, and present actionable insights to leadership. Stay abreast of current trends in family programming, maintaining best practices, and anticipating future needs. Lead special projects and cross-functional teams to develop and implement innovative family engagement initiatives that support student success and retention goals. Research, pilot, and apply emerging best practices in family engagement, serving as a subject matter expert and consultant for campus-wide initiatives. Represent the Office of New Student and Family Transitions on institutional committees and task forces, completing special assignments to advance family engagement and retention efforts.

INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMMING: Assist in all Office of New Student and Family Transition initiatives and programming to meet the mission of the department, including onsite facilitation of LEAP Week programming.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Master's degree from an accredited college or university with one year of experience in higher education, student affairs, family programming, marketing, project management, or related field OR Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with two years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, student affairs, family programming, marketing, project management, or related field.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree from an accredited college or university. Experience in family programs. Experience with CampusESP or similar platform. Project management experience or certification. Professional organization membership (AHEPPP, NASPA, ACPA).

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Proficient in Microsoft Office and other computer software/databases.
Knowledge of project management principles and practices.
Experience in digital content creation and social media management.
Experience in budget development and fiscal management.
Understanding of varied backgrounds and perspectives is needed for family engagement.
Experience in database management and data quality assurance processes.
Adherence to FERPA regulations and privacy requirements.
Experience with customer relationship management (CRM) systems and engagement platforms.
Understanding of higher education student development theory and family dynamics.

SKILLS
Detail-oriented with strong prioritization and organizational skills.

ABILITIES
Ability to provide crisis intervention and emergency response protocols.
Ability to provide data analysis, assessment, and program evaluation methodologies.

Shift/Salary/Benefits

Shift: Days; M-F (Work outside of the standard business hours may be required)
Pay Band: B10
Salary: $52,500/annually-$65,600/annually
Salary to be commensurate with qualifications of the selected candidate within the established range (generally minimum-midpoint) of the position
Recruitment Period: Until Filled

Augusta University offers a variety of benefits to full-time benefits-eligible employees and some of our half-time (or more) employees.

Benefits that may be elected could include health insurance, dental insurance, life insurance, Teachers Retirement System (or Optional Retirement Plan), as well as earned vacation time, sick leave, and 13 paid holidays.

Also, our full-time employees who have been employed with us successfully for more than 6 months can be considered for the Tuition Assistance Program. Consider applying with us today!