Director, Veteran & Military Affairs

supporting military-connected students (Veterans, active-duty, National Guard, Reservists, military family members). The director leads a comprehensive portfolio designed to facilitate student transition, academic achievement, leadership development, career readiness, well-being, and successful degree completion while ensuring full compliance with federal and state military education benefit programs. The director serves as the institution's primary advocate for military-connected students and leads the development of a coordinated, student-centered ecosystem that advances access, success, belonging, and post-graduation outcomes. The position oversees the education benefits administration, student success initiatives, strategic partnerships, assessment, compliance, and organizational planning while fostering a military-friendly campus culture. Provides strategic leadership for the Office of Veteran & Military Affairs, establishing long-range goals, priorities, assessment strategies, and initiatives that advance student enrollment, persistence, graduation, career outcomes, and institutional excellence. Develops and implements a comprehensive military-connected student success model that integrates onboarding, transition support, success coaching, resource navigation, student engagement, leadership development, and retention initiatives. Directs all federal and state military education benefits operations, ensuring accurate and timely certification, processing, reporting, reconciliation, documentation, and compliance with applicable regulations and institutional policies. Serves as the institution's primary subject-matter expert and institutional liaison for military education benefits and oversees School Certifying Official (SCO) functions, ensuring adherence to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs requirements, state approving agency standards, audit expectations, and ongoing staff training. Promotes holistic student development by coordinating programs and services that support academic achievement, personal well-being, financial literacy, resilience, leadership capacity, and sense of belonging among military-connected students. Develops and maintains strategic partnerships with academic units, enrollment services, financial aid, disability services, counseling and psychological services, career services, alumni relations, and other university stakeholders to create seamless support pathways for students. Cultivates and sustains partnerships with military installations, government agencies, veteran-serving organizations, nonprofit entities, community organizations, and corporate partners to expand opportunities, resources, and support networks for students. Leads institutional efforts to enhance military cultural competency through training, consultation, and professional development programs for faculty, staff, and administrators that promote understanding of military-connected student experiences and needs. Oversees the collection, analysis, and reporting of student success and operational data; evaluates program effectiveness; identifies equity and achievement gaps; and incorporates feedback from military-connected students to inform evidence-based improvements and continuous program development. Manages departmental personnel, budget, technology systems, policy development, strategic planning processes, grant-funded initiatives, and resource allocation in support of operational excellence and organizational sustainability. Recruits, supervises, develops, and evaluates departmental personnel; establishes performance expectations, promotes cross-training and succession planning, and ensures staff maintain required certifications and professional competencies. Represents the university in local, state, regional, and national veteran and military-connected student success initiatives. Works with university leadership and the FIU Foundation to pursuing external funding, institutional recognition, and strategic affiliations that elevate the institution's reputation as a military-friendly university. Serves as an University card user for departmental transactions. Adheres to University credit card policies and procedures. Performs essential duties in any emergencies such as hurricanes, storms, and/or any other university emergency closing. The employee is expected to be available to report to work as needed during university emergency closing with appropriate notification of a department administrator. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree in a related field and eight (8) years of related work experience or Master's degree in a related field and six (6) years of related work experience. Desired Qualifications Master's degree in counseling, Social Work, Education, Higher Education, or related area. Experience working with the military and strong working knowledge of military training and education. Knowledge of military tuition assistance, Veterans Administration educational benefit programs, and services available on campus in direct support of needs of military-affiliated students and FIU admissions, course registration, and student support processes. Experience counseling and/or advising college students. Job Category Administrative Advertised Salary $90,000-$100,000 Work Schedule Begin time: 8:30 AM End time: 5:00 PM Pre-Employment Requirements Research Expanded Background Check Other Information Ability to travel locally and nationally. Ability to work flexible hours as needed. Ability to work occasional evenings, weekends and at locations outside of the University Ability to Travel to FIU Locations and/or FIU Campuses. Clery Notice In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act , the University Police department at Florida International University provides information on crimes statistics, crime prevention, law enforcement, crime reporting, and other related issues for the past three (3) calendar years. The FIU Annual Security report is available online at: https://police.fiu.edu/download/annual-security-fire-safety-repor t/ . To obtain a paper copy of the report, please visit the FIU Police Department located at 885 SW 109th Avenue, Miami, FL, 33199 (PG5 Market Station). Pay Transparency Florida International University will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information. Reasonable Accommodation Statement Should you need an ADA accommodation to participate in a University event, program, or activity or need to request materials in an accessible format, please contact the Office of Universal Access and Digital Compliance at 305-348-1576 or accommodations@fiu.edu . All requests for ADA accommodation or accessible materials for this event must be submitted to UADC at least seven (7) business days prior to the event or at the earliest possible opportunity.