Assistant Director of Writing Support for Law and Divinity

Overview

This position supports the written and oral communication skills of students in Yale Law School and Yale Divinity School and contributes to the mission of the Graduate Writing Lab, which supports graduate writers throughout the University.

As part of Yale’s Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning, the Graduate Writing Lab (GWL) responds to the needs of graduate students, professional school students, and postdoctoral scholars by developing and delivering a broad range of programs and services that support writing, research, and oral and visual communication. Reporting to and collaborating with the GWL director, the Assistant Director of Writing Support for Law and Divinity will administer workshops, consultations, and peer-review groups that address the writing needs of students in Yale Law School (YLS) and Yale Divinity School (YDS). They will create workshops and materials that help YLS students learn disciplinary research and writing skills and the conventions of legal writing genres like memos and briefs. Support for YDS students will focus primarily on general graduate writing skills and genres (e.g. course papers and theses), and may include genres specific to divinity writing. In addition, the Assistant Director of Writing Support for Law and Divinity will collaborate with partners in YLS and YDS, implement robust methods to assess program impacts, and contribute to hiring, training, and mentoring graduate student Fellows.

This is mainly an in-person position and cannot be worked remotely. All Poorvu Center staff are expected to work on campus a minimum of four days per week, with the option of one remote work day per week.

The salary range for this role is $70,000 - $78,500

Our Culture:

The Poorvu Center culture is characterized by teamwork and respect. Together we are stronger than any one of us alone, and each individual brings valuable skills and experiences to advance our collective mission. We welcome individuals from all backgrounds and want everyone to feel that they belong in our organization and in our institution. We also recognize that these values require a long-term commitment to implement inclusive practices in our daily work.

Required Skills and Abilities:

1. Superior understanding of the field of graduate communication, including excellent writing skills, and thorough knowledge of graduate writing pedagogy.
2. Exceptional collaboration skills, including the capacity to build relationships of trust with writers from a variety of backgrounds, openness to share and respond to others within a team, and the ability to represent the GWL with warmth and professionalism inside and outside of Yale.
3. Demonstrated organizational abilities with a strong attention to detail and the ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines in a team-centered, time-constrained environment.
4. Motivation for innovation and leadership, including attentiveness to the shifting needs of graduate writers, the creativity to develop novel approaches that address those needs, and the facility to initiate and grow collaborations that draw on the expertise of campus partners.
5. Willingness to reflect on personal teaching practices, and a deep commitment to exploring a range of approaches to supporting graduate writers.
6. Track record of a commitment to respecting diversity while advancing equity and inclusion, whether through lived experience, organizational involvement, or personal philosophy.

Preferred Education and Experience

J.D. or other degree in law, or Ph.D. in rhetoric and composition or a related field. 3 years’ experience with legal writing or editing, or 3 years’ experience supporting graduate students with writing. Experience working with students across a range of backgrounds and writing genres. Experience promoting diversity and inclusive teaching. Recent graduate students and candidates who are finishing their degree are encouraged to apply.

Principal Responsibilities

1. Manages and leads research on various federal rules and regulations as well as University policies and procedures to resolve problems and determine the best course of action for the functional area. 2. Recommends course of action to higher authority for the handling and disposition of problems related to the functional area. 3. Counsel’s faculty, students and staff on issues related to administrative operations of the University function and areas of concern for the function. 4. Manages statistical and analytical information regarding office activities and areas of operational and administrative concern for the function. 5. Leads in long-range planning for the office activities of a specific functional area. 6. Interprets and administers various University and federal policies and regulations. 7. Disseminates accurate and up-to-date information regarding areas of concern. 8. Formulates and establishes policies regarding area’s function. 9. Manages a staff of exempt and non-exempt employees. 10. May perform other duties as assigned.

Required Education and Experience

Minimum requirement of Bachelor’s Degree in related field and three years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and related experience.