Assistant Director - Summer Promise & SDLI

Assistant Director - Smith-Davidson Leadership Initiative & Summer Promise Program

Reporting to the Senior Associate Dean, this position is responsible for administrative support for the Davidson Summer Promise Program (50%) and the Smith Davidson Leadership Initiative (50%).

About the Davidson Summer Promise Program:

The Davidson College Summer Promise Program is a week-long college readiness program for rising ninth graders. Through this residential program, students experience a snapshot of the holistic college experience to strengthen their confidence and enthusiasm for persisting in high school and pursuing higher education. Students experience courses co-taught by Davidson faculty and teachers from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Public Schools. Outside of class hours, the students engage with the many co-curricular experiences and facilities at Davidson.

Position Accountabilities:

As Assistant Director, this position will work closely with the Director as a thought partner and together they will advance the mission and goals of the program. The Assistant Director will provide logistical support as needed including in the areas of recruitment, retention, and reservation of campus space in the months leading up to the program. During the week scholars are on campus, the Assistant Director will oversee assigned portions of program operations, ensuring that the daily schedule is implemented, and direct reports perform to program standards.

This is a full-time position. During the week of the program, there may be situations where it is necessary to be on duty while scholars are taking classes or utilized for program planning.

• Assist Program Director in planning and implementing staff training, actively encourage team building and unity, and maintain open communication throughout the program.
• Attend daily staff meetings.
• Communicate any concerns with scholars or Promise Program Mentors to Program Director as soon as the issue arises.
• Work with the Program Director when/if any parental contact is necessary.
• Use sound judgment in responding to emergency situations. Communicate with a Director for leadership staff coverage.
• Monitor the documentation process of emergencies.
• Be prepared to step into the Director's role, in case of emergency.
• Convey support and enforce Summer Promise Program policies.

About Smith - Davidson Leadership Initiative:

The goal of the Smith Davidson Leadership Initiative is to recruit, select, and teach Johnson C. Smith University and Davidson College students how to become leaders who make a disproportionate impact on the life of a city. The program uses Charlotte, NC as training grounds to teach students about challenges that all cities face.

Program structure: Students attend 3 three-hour Saturday sessions during the academic year and participate in two internships during the summers.

Position Accountabilities:

As Assistant Director of the Smith-Davidson Leadership Initiative, responsibilities will include providing review of developing curriculum, including mini-courses about writing, public policy and public impact. The Assistant Director will be responsible for providing administrative and curricular support for the writing and public policy/impact courses.

The Assistant Director will assist in facilitating the on-boarding of students into the program and matching students with their summer internship hosts. They will provide ongoing support and mentorship to the students to help them navigate challenges and maximize their experiences in the program and in their internships. This position is responsible for oversight of the logistics of workshops and other events, as well as collecting feedback and evaluating to ensure continual improvement. Other administrative duties include coordinating the design and procurement of promotional materials for the program, as well as record keeping (crediting a repository for information including contacts, forms, dates, FAQs, and an operating calendar). This position is responsible for managing and updating website content, as well as leading communication efforts related to recruitment and retention of participants.

Travel between Davidson College and Johnson C. Smith University, as well as other Charlotte area venues, is required of this position.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree and two years' relevant experience or equivalent experience required.
• Proven ability to mentor and provide leadership to college-aged and/or high school students is essential.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills required with the ability to communicate in a creative and adaptable style, dependent on the audience.
• Proven technical aptitude including proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Publisher, Outlook) and Google (Google Docs, Google Sheets, etc.) suites required.
• Experience with the planning and execution of multi-faceted events, including registration.
• Must be a self-starter and able to use good judgment in decision making and exercise a strong sense of confidentiality and ethics.
• Excellent customer service focus is essential to success.
• Must possess excellent organizational skills with keen attention to detail. Periodic evening and weekend work required.
• A successful candidate must have a demonstrated commitment to and experience working with diverse populations.
• This position is an integral contact for the students involved in the program. Experience in a higher-education/student-focused role is strongly preferred.
• Experience with editing websites and Adobe Creative Suite preferred. Enterprise-wide financial system experience (such as Oracle, Banner, or Workday) preferred.
• Experience creating and managing budgets is strongly preferred.
• Understanding curriculum development is strongly preferred.

This position will require occasional night and weekend work. Flexibility is essential for the successful candidate.

This position is a two year grant funded position with the possibility of renewal.

As a part of your application materials, a resume and cover letter are required. Information about how to submit the application documents can be found at https://employment.davidson.edu.