The Scholars & Fellows Programs (SFP) team is seeking a creative, team-oriented Assistant Director, Scholars & Fellows Program with excellent interpersonal skills to provide support for scholar development and nationally competitive fellowships advising within a complex office focused on academic and intellectual engagement for Johns Hopkins students. The Assistant Director will contribute to the SFP mission of empowering students by conducting outreach to and advising students in the cohort-based programs and fellowship programs (e.g., Fulbright, UK Scholarships, Truman, Goldwater, et al.) The ideal candidate will have a strong background in understanding the lived experiences of first-generation and low-income (FLI) college students.

The Assistant Director serves as Program Director for the Kessler Scholars. This role is expected to be a visible presence within the SFP team and highly visible among Kessler Scholars, demonstrating an investment in knowing students directly, inviting them into conversation about their experiences, strengths, and aspirations. Directing the Kessler program also entails ensuring Scholars’ continued engagement with the Kessler community on campus and via the national Kessler Collaborative throughout their undergraduate experience.

The core work of SFP is to provide students with opportunities for self-reflection and to develop a strong understanding of their strengths, the multiple pathways and opportunities to realize their ambitious goals, and the value of a liberal arts education. Within the SFP team, advising focuses on students’ intellectual wayfinding and, in the context of fellowships advising, intense and iterative feedback meant to push applicants to high levels of reflection and expressive competence. All students in the Kessler Scholars Program are also part of the advising/coaching program at JHU, which provides scholars with a steady resource throughout the undergraduate experience - that is, proactive academic planning and year-round proactive holistic guidance.

The establishment of the SFP team and its interconnection to the advising/coaching program belong to broad, ambitious initiatives to support highly talented and motivated FLI students at Johns Hopkins University.

The Assistant Director reports to the Senior Director for Scholars & Fellows Programs within the Center for Student Success (CSS).

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Kessler Scholars Program (80%)

Program leadership

• As Program Director of the Kessler Scholars Program, develop the overall program design in consultation with the SFP Sr. Director, CSS central leadership, faculty partners, and Kessler Collaborative leadership.
• Collaborate with SFP Sr. Director and Admissions in recruiting and yielding potential Kessler Scholars; design and implement early outreach to and onboarding for incoming students.
• With support of the SFP team and in coordination with the FLI Network and Kessler Collaborative, develop, implement, and assess signature events each year for the Kessler Scholars.
• In consultation with the SFP Sr. Director and Kessler Collaborative, develop, implement, and advise on policies related to the Kessler Scholars program.
• Attend and contribute to Kessler Collaborative meetings, programs, and annual convenings.
• Serve as a prominent voice on issues related to scholar development in a range of forums (social media, conferences, academic journals, etc.).

Advising & supervising

• Develop with each scholar an ongoing discussion about their scholar experience and their academic, personal, and professional aspirations. Ensure that each scholar is able to participate fully in at least three high-impact experiences in their time at Hopkins (e.g., internship, research, study abroad).
• Advise the Kessler Scholars student advisory board.
• Develop peer and alumni mentorship programs.
• Hire, train and provide guidance for Graduate Assistants and undergraduate interns in implementing Kessler programming and events.

Program administration

• In consultation with the SFP Sr. Director, develop a budget for Kessler programming and signature experiences that aligns fiscal resources with program objectives.
• Provide updates and reports about the Kessler Scholars program to SFP, CSS central leadership, and the Kessler Collaborative as needed.
• Maintain social media accounts, newsletters, Hopkins Groups pages, and OneHop mentoring groups and pathways relevant to the cohort.
• For internal and external audiences, collaborate on the development and implementation of assessment strategies to collect, manage, and report data related to the program.

Collaborative partnerships

• Establish strong relationships with CSS colleagues, campus partners across the institution (Student Affairs, Integrative Learning and Life Design, and Admissions), administrators within the Homewood-based schools (Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, Whiting School of Engineering), and Kessler Collaborative staff and partner institutions.
• Develop working connections with faculty across academic disciplines to the benefit of all programs within the portfolio.
• Collaborate with the SFP team in defining and administering existing high-impact experience pathways, including the CSS Summer Grant.
• Working with colleagues in SFP and across campus, design innovative ways to scale the scholar development experience across the broader undergraduate population, with special attention to students within the FLI Network.
• Other duties as assigned.

Fellowships Advising (20%)

• Advise fellowship applicants in all application processes.
• With colleagues in SFP and across campus, help design and implement recruitment and engagement opportunities that increase awareness of and participation in the fellowship process, with special attention geared toward first and second-year students and underserved students.
• Conduct information sessions, host drop-in hours, and lead skills workshops (personal statement, CV, etc.) for JHU students and alumni.
• Administer or co-administer some of the application processes for national fellowships at JHU.
• Participate in, and coordinate where needed, selection committees and mock interviews as part of the fellowship application processes at JHU.