THIS POSITION IS ON THE OXFORD COLLEGE OF EMORY UNIVERSITY CAMPUS, 36 MILES EAST OF ATLANTA.
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Reporting to the Dean of Campus Life of Oxford College, the Director of Life Design, Leadership, and Engagement is the senior leader responsible for creating and implementing a purpose-centered student engagement model that supports Oxford College students' leadership development, civic identity, and transition to Emory's Atlanta campus. As head of the Office of Student Initiatives, Leadership, and Traditions (SILT) the Director stewards a restructured division designed to reflect Oxford's strategic priorities: enhancing engagement, student belonging, leadership cultivation, and holistic personal development. This role modernizes student affairs work through Life Design principles while supporting operational excellence and equity in staffing.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Integration:
- Leads all functions of the LDLE Office, including leadership development, student organizations, social clubs, civic engagement, campus programming, SGA, new student and family orientation, and the first-year experience.
- Directs departmental strategic planning, assessment, equity-informed goal setting, and budgeting (over $100,000), aligned with institutional values.
Life Design & Leadership Education:
- Incorporates Life Design frameworks across programs, empowering students to explore purpose, develop leadership skills, and make connections between academic and co-curricular learning.
- Co-directs the Pierce Leadership Certificate Program, integrating the Social Change Model through seminars, retreats, and developmental milestones.
- Redesigns leadership development initiatives to reflect current student needs, inclusive practices, and new research in student development.
Student Transitions & ATLBound:
- Oversees New Student Orientation and co-leads ATLBound, Oxford's signature program that supports students' transition to the Atlanta campus. This includes developing onboarding content, coordinating Emory-wide resources, and measuring impact via event attendance, app use, and advising participation.
- Collaborates with the Center for Pathways and Purpose and key Atlanta campus partners to ensure seamless academic and social transitions for Oxford students.
Operational Excellence & Team Supervision:
- Supervises professional and student staff, with a focus on equitable workload distribution, talent development, and wellness.
- Modernizes internal systems for student organization advising, communication, and leadership training -- addressing previous challenges in staffing capacity and compensation equity.
Belonging & Civic Engagement:
- Expands community-building programs that reflect Oxford's commitment to excellence and a holistic sense of place.
- Grows civic engagement programming, integrating service-learning and ethical leadership practices rooted in experiential education.
- Represents Campus Life on college and university-wide committees focused on student well-being, equity, and co-curricular learning.
- Partners with faculty and staff to support retention, develop integrated learning pathways, and ensure LDLE's contributions to Oxford's strategic goals.
- Performs other related duties as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- A master's degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, or a related field, and four years of progressive professional experience, OR an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
- Demonstrated expertise in student leadership development, co-curricular learning, and program assessment.
- Experience in staff supervision, budget management, and student transition programs.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Knowledge of Life Design or purpose-centered educational models.
- Familiarity with equity reviews, change management, and wellness-oriented leadership development.
NOTE: Position tasks are generally required to be performed in-person at an Emory University location. Remote work from home day options may be granted at department discretion. Emory reserves the right to change remote work status with notice to employee.
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