"Assistant Director-Second Year & Transfer Engagement"

ASSISTANT DIRECTOR-SECOND YEAR & TRANSFER ENGAGEMENT

The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Position Summary:

The Assistant Director for Second Year Experience provides leadership, coordination, and programmatic oversight for institution-wide initiatives supporting the holistic development, engagement, and success of second-year students at UAB. This role is responsible for designing and implementing mentoring programs, signature experiences, and targeted engagement strategies that foster belonging, leadership development, and persistence during the second year. Working collaboratively across the University, the Assistant Director advances UAB's student engagement model by co-creating impactful learning experiences, developing engaged student leaders, minimizing barriers to involvement, and fostering a caring community. The position utilizes data-informed practices to assess outcomes and continuously enhance the second-year student experience.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Second Year Experience Strategy Programming provides leadership for the design, implementation, and assessment of a comprehensive Second Year Experience (SYE) framework aligned with divisional and institutional student success goals.
2. Develops and coordinates programmatic events, workshops, and engagement opportunities tailored to the academic, social, and developmental needs of second-year students, including third-semester freshmen.
3. Ensures SYE initiatives intentionally promote belonging, identity development, wellness, and connection to campus resources.
4. Mentoring Program Development Oversight
5. Leads the coordination of mentoring programs for second-year students, including peer, faculty/staff, and alumni mentoring pathways as appropriate.
6. Collaborates with campus partners to expand access to mentoring and align SYE mentoring initiatives with broader departmental and divisional mentoring frameworks.
7. Oversees mentor recruitment, training, matching, support, and assessment processes to ensure high-quality, equitable mentoring experiences.
8. Student Engagement Leadership Development Integrates leadership development principles into SYE programming, supporting students' growth in self-awareness, purpose, and civic responsibility.
9. Creates intentional pathways connecting second-year students to leadership opportunities, service experiences, student organizations, and campus traditions.
10. Supports co-curricular learning outcomes through reflection, skill-building, and engagement mapping practices.
11. Collaboration Campus Partnerships Collaborates with student affairs and academic units to deliver coordinated SYE initiatives.
12. Serves as a key liaison for second-year student engagement efforts, ensuring alignment and reducing duplication across departments. Contributes to campus-wide planning efforts related to student transitions, retention, and persistence. Assessment, Data, Continuous Improvement.
13. Develops assessment strategies to measure participation, learning outcomes, sense of belonging, and impact of SYE programs and mentoring initiatives. Utilizes data from engagement platforms and institutional metrics to inform program improvements and strategic decision-making.
14. Prepares reports, dashboards, and presentations to communicate outcomes and inform leadership.
15. Operations Administrative Support Assists with budget planning and resource management for SYE initiatives and mentoring programs.
16. Supports operational processes related to events, technology platforms, communications, and student participation tracking.
17. Works flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends, to support programs and events.
18. Performs other duties as assigned.

Salary Pay Range:

$47,665 - $52,000

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

Master's degree in Counseling, Higher Education Administration or a closely related field and two (2) years of related experience is required. Work experience may NOT substitute for education requirement.

Preferences:

• Strong understanding of student development theory, engagement practices, and mentoring models.
• Ability to design developmentally appropriate programs that support student belonging and success.
• Demonstrated skill in collaboration, relationship-building, and cross-functional work.
• Experience using assessment and data to inform practice and demonstrate impact.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and organizational skills.