How to Apply
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.
Job Summary
Department Summary:
Spectrum Center is a campus resource center dedicated to serving and supporting the University of Michigan community, with a focus on gender and sexuality. In September of 1971, the University of Michigan established funding for 2 quarter-time positions to staff the Human Sexuality Office. This achievement was monumental, in that it was the first gender and sexuality center at an institution of higher education. Today, Spectrum Center has eight professional staff who work alongside part-time graduate and undergraduate student staff and volunteers to carry out the mission of the center. Through education, research, and community building, the center works to enhance campus experiences, increase belonging, and help students thrive.
Position Summary:
The associate director provides strategic, organizational, and administrative leadership to Spectrum Center. Major areas of responsibility include: leadership of programs/services/initiatives, supervision of staff, and assessment of our impact. Examples include, but are not limited to, supervision of three full-time staff, coordination and collaboration among unit efforts, goal-driven stewardship of resources, oversight of programming area budgets (approximately. $110,000 annually), programmatic innovation, and the implementation of multifaceted assessment strategies. The associate director will develop and maintain strong partnerships within and outside of the institution, representing Spectrum Center at appropriate events/meetings on and off campus, overseeing internal funding models that foster student success and campus engagement, and assisting in development/fundraising. The associate director works alongside the director to create and sustain synergy between Spectrum Center's priorities, goals, and actions and institutional and divisional strategic plans.
Responsibilities*
Leadership and operations (30%)
- Identify and implement policies, practices, and procedures that allow the center to manage internal operations with transparency, consistency, and clarity, including ensuring available resources best support the success of all students.
- Manage the administrative functions of the unit required to be in compliance with Student Life and university standard operations. This includes but is not limited to, approving expenses, verifying payroll, and other authorized approvals.
- Resolve issues of risk management and other university compliance issues as it relates policies and procedures in the unit.
- Assist in the preparation of the overall departmental budget of approximately $700K annually, working with the office coordinator to develop and monitor processes for staff to track all unit expenses.
- Lead and/or participate in internal Spectrum Center teams and divisional and institutional working groups.
- Lead internal professional development for the unit.
- Support students experiencing hardship and crisis, liaise with relevant on- and off-campus partners to meet student needs, and provide coaching and support to staff who are supporting students.
- Collaborate with the director to oversee the center's consultation efforts with academic and administrative partners across the institution on policies, practices, and programs related to gender and sexuality.
- In collaboration with the director, steward Spectrum Center's strategic plan.
- Assist in the preparation of annual and periodic reports as needed to demonstrate the center's work and impact.
- Support the communications specialist to increase visibility, awareness, and education about the center's programs, services, and initiatives through strategic marketing, reports, and communication efforts.
Strategic programming, services, and initiatives (25%)
- Lead the programmatic efforts of the center, including maintaining the center's co-curricular learning model.
- Provide strategic direction for the events and partnerships, educational engagement, and support services and wellness program areas, as well as budget oversight of programming budget (approximately $110,000 annually).
- Provide direction to the center's core work to facilitate affirming community connections, bridge to resources, ensure pathways for engagement and advocacy, and build institutional capacity.
- Align short-term and long-term program planning with unit, divisional, and institutional strategic planning efforts, guiding a robust set of programs, services, and initiatives reflective of the center's mission, vision, and values.
- Ensure that programs, services, and initiatives embody unit and divisional values and student educational outcomes.
- Provide input and leadership for services, programs, or actions related to student life at the university and local community.
- Lead Spectrum Center student scholarship processes.
- Lead internal fundraising efforts for large-scale programs, in collaboration with the director and relevant program staff.
- Respond to the needs, concerns, and questions from communities and individuals through advising, counseling,
and connecting/referring to campus and community resources.
Supervision (20%)
- Hire, train and directly supervise staff responsible for major areas of programming, services, and initiatives.
- Exercise functional supervision, when necessary, if working on projects/work beyond direct reporting lines.
- Appropriately balance challenge and support to advance the skills and potential of Spectrum Center staff; develop and implement strategies to create a positive work culture among staff.
- Work with staff to clearly define their roles and work in collaboration with one another; including establishing agreed upon professional development and measures of success for staff roles.
- Develop a system for holding staff accountable for deliverables, including, but not limited to, the criteria set forth by the division via the annual appraisal process.
- Create professional development plans for each supervisee and approve professional development funding requests.
Assessment (10%)
- Work in conjunction with direct supervisees to develop, execute, and assess plans to achieve divisional and unit goals.
- Provide guidance and direction to staff members implementing and delivering assessment efforts that include survey design, data collection, and data analysis/interpretation.
- Implement processes for more deeply understanding the reach and impact of our programs and services and lead the enhancement of existing assessment efforts to continue to demonstrate the impact of the center's efforts.
- Establish shared measurements for success; as well as tracking divisional student learning outcomes.
- Liaise with the Student Life Assessment and Research office to analyze information and share the impact of Spectrum Center through results-oriented reporting.
All staff responsibilities (15%)
- Provide mentorship, support, and guidance to students.
- Host weekly drop-in hours for students seeking support.
- Provide resources to individual students, responding effectively to needs/concerns.
- Facilitate assigned workshops and trainings.
- Publicly represent and answer questions about the center at informational campus and community events.
- Attend university programs, events, and educational opportunities at the direction of Spectrum leadership.
- Collaborate with the staff team to plan all-staff meetings and trainings.
Required Qualifications*
- Master's degree in student affairs, higher education, social work, or related field.
- 5+ years of directly related experience in 2SLGBTQIA+ leadership, serving and supporting queer and trans people, or a related field.
- Minimum 4+ years of experience working in gender and sexuality centers (or similar units in higher education/community-based resource centers).
- Minimum 3+ years of experience supervising staff.
- Understanding of theories related to context and mission.
- Demonstrated understanding of equity and belonging.
Desired Qualifications*
- 7+ years of directly related experience in 2SLGBTQIA+ leadership or a related field.
- Demonstrated understanding and significant experience working alongside students in the development of programs, ressources, and services.
- Experience with curriculum development, facilitation, and assessment to advance knowledge, skills, and actions around the topics of gender and sexuality, intercultural competence, bystander intervention, and related topics.
- Experience leading culture change in organizations and guidance of staff through change/transitions.
- Ability to navigate complexities associated with working in a large and decentralized campus environment.
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Additional Information
Position Responsibilities Criteria (leadership and behavioral qualities expected in this position):
- Demonstrated knowledge and competency in student development, identity development, and social justice education frameworks as it relates to working with 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals and communities and the ability to articulate this philosophy and framework.
- Proven leadership experience and the ability to work collaboratively and motivate others toward shared goals.
- Strong commitment to student-centered approaches and strategies.
- Strong administrative and organizational skills including the ability to manage multiple priorities.
- Demonstrated strong supervision experience.
- Demonstrated experience in impacting and contributing to shaping positive organizational culture and values.
Financial/Budgetary Responsibility:
- Oversight of the programming budget (approximately $110,000). The associate director assists the director in the planning, oversight, and tracking of the center's budget of approximately $700,000 annually.
Working Conditions:
- This is a hybrid position with four days per week on-site and one remote day. Some weekend and evening hours are required.
This role may have reporting obligations under Title IX and Clery.
Authorization to work in the U.S. is a precondition of employment and applicants for this position will not be sponsored for work visas.
Salary may vary depending on qualifications, experience, and education of the selected candidate.
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Application Deadline
Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.