Assistant Director of Student Engagement

Assistant Director of Student Engagement

Empire State University currently seeks applicants for a full-time Assistant Director of Student Engagement. Reporting to the Executive Director of University Student Services, the assistant director is responsible for online and onsite co-curricular activities to support the academic growth of our students and the sense of belonging at the university. The assistant director will focus on building student community across the university in virtual and in-person spaces through supporting clubs and organizations, weekly student engagement events and programs, and annual student events, with a passion for consistent process improvement to keep engagement exciting and relevant.

The incumbent should be a self-starter and self-motivated with a student-centered focus and experience in student life in a higher education setting. Many of our students are working adult learners who learn and engage in a primarily online space. The selected incumbent must be knowledgeable about student services within higher education and should have familiarity with working with adult students in both face-to-face and online learning environments, with the ability to support students of diverse backgrounds.

The Assistant Director of Student Engagement provides support and operational management for student engagement initiatives. This position is responsible for implementing and evaluating innovative programs that foster community, inclusion, and student success in a predominantly online environment. Working closely with the Executive Director of University Student Services, academic departments, and university partners, the assistant director ensures that students — whether part-time, full-time, or in remote locations — have meaningful opportunities for connection and extracurricular involvement.

The assistant director supports, assists, and advises all student organizations in program planning, policies and procedures, event promotion, conflict management, travel, budgeting, conference attendance, etc. This position will design and implement student organization events (ex: orientations, workshops, institutes, etc.), maintain the student organization database, increase engagement in the virtual student union, CONNECTS, participate in staff trainings and meetings, and serve on committees and other programs promoting student activities on campus.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Development and Management

• Support, coordinate, and execute a comprehensive calendar of online and in-person programs, events, and initiatives that enhance student life and promote belonging within a virtual learning community.
• Develop and support programming designed for students.
• Incorporate best practices in student engagement, using data-driven insights to assess student needs and interests.
• Partner with academic affairs, advising, career services, and other university partners to integrate co-curricular learning outcomes and career readiness themes into student programming.

Student Organization Support

• Provide training, advising, and administrative oversight for student clubs and organizations, ensuring compliance with university policies and virtual community standards.
• Support student leaders in event planning, budget management, and organizational management.
• Manage online collaboration tools and digital platforms, such as SUNY Empire Connects, used by student and academic groups for communication, event promotion, and project management.
• Be a central point of contact for all student clubs and organizations.

Community Engagement and Inclusion

• Increase engagement with and usage of the virtual student union, SUNY Empire Connects. Creatively develop ways to enhance usage of the platform and encourage student groups to engage with the space.
• Develop programming that reflects the diversity of the student body and promotes equity, inclusion, and intercultural awareness.
• Collaborate with affinity groups, diversity offices, and student government to create virtual spaces where all students feel represented and supported.
• Partner with external organizations, alumni, and guest speakers to expand opportunities for networking, mentorship, and community involvement.

Assessment and Evaluation

• Implement assessment tools to measure program impact on student engagement, retention, and satisfaction.
• Prepare reports, dashboards, and analytics to inform departmental planning and accreditation efforts.
• Use feedback and participation data to continuously improve program quality and accessibility.

Administrative Leadership

• Supervise interns, student staff, and program volunteers.
• Manage program budgets, contracts, and vendor relationships for virtual event platforms and engagement technologies.
• Stay current with emerging trends in online student affairs, digital community management, and virtual programming innovation.

Job Requirements:

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• A minimum of three years of experience in student services.
• Demonstrated progression of responsibilities, including experience in program development, event planning, and student organization advising.
• Strong interpersonal and excellent customer service skills and the ability to work effectively with students, the public, the university community, and external stakeholders.
• Evidence of ability to communicate, engage, and develop rapport with individuals of diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and handle multiple tasks.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, and administration from multiple departments.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to empathize with students in need of academic and non-academic support.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in Student affairs, Higher Education Administration, Counseling, or related area.
• Experience with adult or non-traditional students.
• Experience working in a geographically distributed environment.
• Experience providing student services or engagement opportunities, both virtually and in person.
• Familiarity with student engagement data analytics and digital assessment tools.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish.

Special Information:

• This position is located at 4 Park Ave, New York, NY.
• Occasional travel to university locations across New York State may be required to fulfill department, division, and university-wide commitments.
• May require occasional evening and/or weekend obligations in accordance with student and university needs.
• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. VISA sponsorship is not available for this position.
• SUNY Empire provides employees with robust remote and flexible work options to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff in a dispersed work environment.

Additional Information:

Rank/Salary: Senior Staff Assistant, SL3 / $65,000-$70,000, dependent on experience and qualifications.

We are pleased to offer our employees an excellent benefit package which includes NYS health insurance, free dental and vision, competitive retirement options, and generous vacation, sick and holiday accruals; and a strong emphasis on work-life balance. We also offer professional-development activities for professionals and support staff.