Coordinator for Student Support and Basic Needs

Job Details

American University is a student-centered research institution located in Washington, DC, with highly-ranked schools and colleges, internationally-renowned faculty, and a reputation for creating meaningful change in the world. Learn more about American University.

Department: Student Engagement

Time Type: Full time

Job Type: Regular

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

Work Modality: Hybrid 01 (On Campus 3-4 Days/Week)

Union: Excluded

Job Description:

Summary:

The Coordinator for Student Support and Basic Needs supports student engagement, retention, and success by coordinating and implementing programs, initiatives, and co-curricular experiences that address students’ basic needs. The role supports key efforts across the AU Market Pantry, the Eagles Helping Eagles Program, and Student Affairs–Dining partnership activities, with a focus on increasing awareness, utilization, and student connection to available resources. The Coordinator oversees the day-to-day operations of AU’s basic needs initiatives and serves as a primary point of contact for students experiencing food insecurity and related challenges. Responsibilities include maintaining a caseload of students; providing short-term, strengths-based support through resource navigation, referrals, and follow-up; and collaborating with campus partners and community-based organizations to help reduce barriers to student persistence and completion.

Additionally, the Coordinator for Student Support and Basic Needs manages the day-to-day operations of The Market, AU’s on-campus food pantry, including supervising student staff, coordinating outreach and educational programming, grant writing, and supporting budget tracking, donor relations, and reporting. Through this work, the role plays a critical function in fostering a more equitable and supportive campus environment where all students can thrive.

Essential Functions:

• The Coordinator oversees the daily operations of The Market Food Pantry, ensuring consistent, high-quality support for students experiencing food insecurity, including ordering, receiving, stocking, and distributing food and personal care items while maintaining inventory accuracy and food safety standards. The role manages Market inventory and access through PantrySoft, producing regular reports and utilizing data analytics to assess usage trends, inform decision-making, and improve service delivery. The Coordinator manages and tracks the Market’s operating budget, supporting the effective use of donor funding to maintain and enhance services. The role also coordinates Basic Needs program operations by supporting the alignment of resources, services, and initiatives that promote student access and retention. Serving as a primary liaison among students, campus partners, faculty, administrators, and community-based organizations, the Coordinator strengthens collaboration and resource integration while cultivating and sustaining partnerships and assisting with identifying funding opportunities, including grants and external support. The Coordinator works closely with Auxiliary Services and AU Dining to coordinate food sourcing, donation logistics, and surplus redistribution, aligning pantry offerings with dining operations, food safety guidelines, and sustainability goals. The role leads outreach and engagement efforts by creating accessible, culturally responsive materials and programming that increase awareness and utilization of Basic Needs resources, and maintains a comprehensive calendar of programs, workshops, and events to ensure coordinated delivery and visibility. Additionally, the Coordinator supervises, trains, and supports 1–6 student employees, providing leadership development and operational guidance, and coordinates and administers the volunteer programs, including coordinating campus-wide donation drives and partnerships with external contributors. The position contributes to the review and improvement of policies, procedures, and service delivery models to enhance effectiveness and student impact, while maintaining and updating operational documents, including the Market Handbook and training materials, to ensure consistency and clarity in program implementation
• The Coordinator manages the day-to-day operations of the Eagles Helping Eagles Program, including administering meal swipes, coordinating with Dining and Auxiliary Services to advance the program, and overseeing communications to ensure students are aware of available resources. The role supports students in accessing longer-term assistance by connecting them to community-based programs in the D.C. area, including providing documentation and recommendations on SNAP applications and participating as a contributing member in Emergency Fund case reviews with the Student Affairs Care Team. The Coordinator maintains a caseload of students experiencing basic needs challenges, offering short-term, strengths-based support through resource navigation, referrals, and follow-up. This includes assisting students with applications for food assistance and other community-based support programs. The role also plans and implements workshops, class presentations, and information sessions focused on food access and basic needs awareness. This includes leading food drives supporting grant applications to enhance resources available to students. The Coordinator manages the reconciliation of donated meal swipes and related resources in partnership with Dining and Auxiliary Services, ensuring accurate tracking, compliance with program parameters, and transparent reporting on utilization and impact. The Coordinator is responsible for expanding the capacity of The Market, AU's food pantry, to ensure it can adequately serve the needs of students facing food insecurity. They also spearhead efforts to produce an annual cookbook, host open houses, and develop frequent programming. This position actively seeks opportunities to engage with the student body, raise awareness about available resources, and foster a supportive campus environment where all students can thrive. The Coordinator documents student interactions and maintains accurate, confidential records in accordance with University policies, while coordinating with campus partners to ensure appropriate referrals and continuity of care. The position also evaluates policies, procedures, and service delivery practices related to Basic Needs initiatives and recommends improvements to enhance effectiveness and student outcomes.
• The Coordinator collaborates closely with AU Dining to develop and implement partnership models that support student organization events and campus engagement initiatives. This includes managing the in-kind funding process, supporting the Student Organization Concessions Volunteer Program, and actively participating in the Dining Advisory Committee. The role leverages multiple communication channels—including email, social media, and campus signage to increase awareness and drive student participation in programs and events developed in partnership with Dining. The Coordinator also oversees the coordination of event logistics between Student Affairs and Dining to ensure programs are well-executed, accessible, and engaging for students. To continuously improve offerings, the role gathers feedback from student organizations and the broader student body through surveys and direct engagement. Additionally, the Coordinator partners with AU Dining and The Market to design and implement collaborative events that raise awareness of dining-supported basic needs initiatives and strengthen campus-wide support for food access programs. The Coordinator serves as a key liaison between Student Affairs, Auxiliary Services, and the dining vendor to align marketing, sponsorship, and in-kind food support with student engagement and basic needs priorities, helping advance auxiliary program goals and student satisfaction benchmarks.
• Coordinate with other Student Affairs and University departments, and external organizations to conceive, develop, and execute initiatives for students. Establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with offices on campus to promote student engagement, success, and retention. Support major division and university-wide programs, including but not limited to, Commencement, Family Weekend, Move-In, New Student Orientation, Family and Supporters Orientation, Student Achievement Awards, Thank Clawed Its Wednesday and Eagles at Night. As a member of the Division of Student Affairs, this position may advise recognized student organizations as needed. Serve as a member of the Student Activism Support Team (SAST), contributing to coordinated response and support efforts during student demonstrations and activism-related events.  This position may serve as a representative on selected Student Affairs and university-wide committees and workgroups at the direction of the Associate Director, Student Engagement.
• Provide comprehensive administrative and special projects support to the Associate Director for Student Engagement, including coordinating calendars, preparing materials for meetings and presentations, and assisting with project tracking and execution across multiple initiatives. Support the planning and implementation of divisional programs and events by managing logistics, timelines, communications, and stakeholder coordination. Assist in data collection, assessment, and reporting efforts to evaluate student engagement outcomes and inform continuous improvement. Contribute to the development of communications, including newsletters, social media content, and marketing materials, to promote programs and initiatives. Support cross-functional projects within the Student Engagement portfolio, ensuring alignment with divisional priorities and strategic goals, while maintaining organized records, documentation, and follow-through on key action items.

Supervisory Responsibility:

This position supervises students and graduate assistants.

Competencies:

• Evaluating and Implementing Ideas.
• Championing Customer Needs.
• Developing Plans.
• Making Accurate Judgments and Decisions.
• Building and Supporting Teams.
• Managing Talent.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Full-time.
• Exempt
• 35 hours per week.
• This position requires an in-person presence four days per week within the Mary Graydon Student Center.
• The schedule may include evening and weekend hours depending on operational needs, student staffing schedules, and campus events.
• Continuation of the program/position is contingent upon external funding.

Salary Range:

• $50,000 - $53,000 annually.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree.
• 1 - 3 years of relevant experience.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• 2 - 4 years of relevant experience.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• Proven ability to plan and implement programs with quantifiable results is required.
• A desire to work with a diverse population of students and assist with their growth and development is required.
• The ability to work in a team setting as well as independently when autonomy is needed.
• Inclusive Excellence: A commitment to welcome, value, and affirm individuals of all identities and experiences and ensure they are understood, appreciated, and fully included in the University community.
• Discretion, Tact and Diplomacy: Ability to exercise discretion, tact and diplomacy while interacting with students, faculty, university staff, management, internship employers, and other stakeholders on confidential and/or sensitive matters.
• Advanced Communication: Ability to express oneself clearly and concisely, using language with precision; constructing logical arguments; accurate note taking, editing, and summarizing; and writing reports or correspondence free of spelling and grammatical errors. Ability to engage in active and empathetic listening and communicate with a service minded orientation.
• Student Services Skills: Ability to serve as bridge to services, intervene and/or advocate on students’ behalf with offices across campus to support needs, drive engagement and empower students to achieve their goals.
• Standard Office Software: Skill using email, word processing, spreadsheet/ data analysis and presentation development software applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint while preparing briefings, reports, and presentations.

Other Duties:

Please note that this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits

AU offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn about American University's unique benefit options.

Other Details

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.
• Employees in staff positions at American University must deliver their services to the university from either the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or perform work on-site at the university.
• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.
• American University is an E-Verify employer.