"Director of the Robert Day Scholars Program"

Job Details and Requirements

BASIC FUNCTION: Claremont McKenna College seeks a dynamic, innovative Director to oversee the coordination and programming of CMC’s Robert Day Scholars Program (RDS), which is housed in the Soll Center for Student Opportunity. This academic and co-curricular program was established in 2007 and provides the setting for aspiring leaders from across the five undergraduate Claremont Colleges to focus their undergraduate and graduate studies on economics, accounting, and finance in a liberal arts setting. Curricular options include BA Scholars and BAMA Scholars (an accelerated option for CMC students to complete the Master’s degree in finance concurrently with earning one’s undergraduate degree). There is also a small, stand-alone MA program that allows students at the Claremont Colleges and select partnering institutions to complete a Master’s degree in finance in one year.

BA and BAMA Scholars are selected into this program as sophomores and gain access to extensive co-curricular programming and generous experiential funding to reinforce the program’s rigorous academic requirements. Working in conjunction with faculty and staff advisors and colleagues in Admission, Advancement, and Student Affairs, the Director reports to the Assistant Vice President of Student Opportunities and runs the day-to-day operations for the Robert Day Scholars Program. The Director’s goal, in alignment with the mission of Claremont McKenna College, is to prepare the Robert Day Scholars for leadership roles in a variety of industries, including financial services, consulting, technology, and not-for-profit organizations.

Description of Duties and Responsibilities

Essential Functions:

Enrollment

• Create and execute an enrollment plan for the undergraduate and graduate Robert Day Scholars Program.
• Devise admission standards and selection procedures, with an emphasis on applicants’ leadership, ethics, and judgement.
• Deliver a high-quality applicant pool for each cohort.
• Select outstanding undergraduate and graduate Scholar cohorts annually.
• Create and execute a marketing plan for the undergraduate and graduate Robert Day Scholars Program.
• Create, update, and maintain all marketing materials, including the website, for the program.
• Coordinate marketing efforts with the Office of Admission and the Office of Strategic Communications and Marketing teams.

Financial Aid

• Assist in maintaining budgetary control of all financial aid funds allocated to Robert Day Scholars.
• Act as a liaison between the Scholars Program and all offices of financial aid at the Claremont Colleges.
• Create and oversee the approval process for Scholars seeking to utilize their scholarship awards toward experiential learning, internships, events, and other activities.

Coordination and Programming

• Create and oversee a leadership program that supports the personal and professional development of the Scholars.
• Create, coordinate, and oversee FIN 300 (Seminar in Finance and Accounting Practices) programming for the BAMA and MA Scholars.
• Create, coordinate, and oversee all FIN 301(a) and (b) (Leadership Development in Finance and Accounting) programming for the BAMA and MA Scholars.
• Develop and utilize relationships with relevant constituencies, including faculty, research institutes, staff, parents, and alumni to deliver leadership programming.
• Prepare and monitor the program’s budgets.
• Oversee the coordination, timing, content, and nomination process for the Board of Associates, including biannual meetings and ongoing programming.
• Plan and execute the annual Recognition Dinner for stakeholders, alumni, and Scholars.
• Prepare the annual stewardship report for the donor’s family.

The Robert Day Scholars Program is a dynamic program requiring responsivity to donor and market demands. Accordingly, the Director may be called on by the Assistant Vice President to work on strategic projects related to the Scholars Program.

Required Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree is required; Master’s degree preferred.

Experience: A minimum of 5 years of experience in admission, cohort-building, career services, or some combination along with demonstrated ability to execute a vision and efficiently run student-focused programming is required.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Individual must possess knowledge, skills, and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position, or be able to explain or demonstrate how the essential functions will be performed, with or without reasonable accommodation, using some other combination of knowledge skills and abilities.

• Experience in managing a high performing team.
• Experience in effective program management and event management.
• Experience in stakeholder management.
• Knowledge of coaching post-secondary students in professional career development.
• Experience in building and maintaining external relations.
• Demonstrated effective, accurate, and clear communication with excellent verbal, written, interpersonal, reading, and leadership skills to supervise, facilitate, motivate and inspire a highly diverse group of stakeholders (students, alumni, parents, volunteers, community partners, and stakeholders).
• Ability to interpret academic and administrative policy.
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds, interests, and abilities.
• Ability to oversee multi-layered tasks and manage competing deadlines through strong organizational skills.
• Ability to interface with the larger CMC community and to promote the scholar communities and communicate a vision for the program.
• Knowledge of undergraduate and graduate admission and enrollment cycles and programming.
• Knowledge of best practices regarding experiential learning and internships.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Ability to operate computers with basic Microsoft Office software (such as Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, and PowerPoint) and associated professional software.

Other: The regular hours for this full-time position are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday – Friday. Holiday, weekend and evening work hours may be required. Travel will be required (15-20%). Regular hours may vary due to needs of the College or division.

This is a full-time, 12-month year-round, exempt level, benefits-eligible position.

Salary Range: The anticipated salary range is $95,000 - $100,000 per year. Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.