Academic Director

Mansfield Hall; Burlington (VT); On-site; USD 50,000 - 67,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance with HSA option

Dental and vision coverage

Wellness dollars

Free meals during shift

Cell phone and internet support

401(k) with 4% employer match

Paid time off + winter break

Disability and life insurance

Work expense reimbursement

Job summary

Mansfield Hall in Burlington, VT seeks a dedicated coach to support neurodivergent college students with academic planning, executive functioning, and independent living skills. You will meet individually, craft personalized plans, and monitor progress while coordinating with families, campus partners, and Mansfield Hall staff.

You will also mentor staff, participate in team and director meetings, and contribute to a supportive, non-traditional living-university environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences or related field is required.
• Three to five years of experience supporting diverse learners or in higher education.
• Experience managing direct reports or mentoring staff.
• Strong organizational, communication, documentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to support students, families, colleagues, and campus partners with professionalism.

Responsibilities

• Coach students through academic planning, coursework management and executive functioning.
• Meet individually to organize assignments, manage deadlines, access accommodations.
• Build individualized support plans to increase independence over time.
• Track progress, anticipate barriers and help students respond early.
• Communicate with families and stakeholders about progress and strategies.
• Collaborate with college partners, accessibility offices and staff.
• Supervise, coach and develop staff as assigned, including training on learning differences.
• Participate in team, director and community meetings and on-call rotation.

Skills

Coaching

Team management

Communication

Organization

Documentation

Relationship-building

Education

Bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences or related field

Graduate degree preferred

Job description

What We're Building

Mansfield Hall is a living and learning community for neurodivergent college students, students who are capable of college but not yet fully ready for total independence. We organize the work around four areas: Living (independent living skills), Learning (academic and executive functioning), Giving (community involvement), and Engaging (social and emotional growth). Coaches are how all four of those actually happen. Not in a classroom, in the moment, every day.

What You'll Actually Do

• Coach students through academic planning, coursework management, executive functioning, self-advocacy, and college success skills
• Meet individually with students to help them organize assignments, manage deadlines, prepare for registration, and access accommodations and campus resources
• Build individualized support plans that help students move toward greater independence over time
• Track academic progress, anticipate barriers, and help students respond before small issues become larger problems
• Communicate regularly with families and stakeholders about student progress, concerns, strengths, and support strategies
• Collaborate with college partners, accessibility offices, academic support centers, and internal Mansfield Hall staff
• Supervise, coach, and develop staff as assigned, including training on learning differences and executive functioning
• Participate in team meetings, Director meetings, community meetings, and the on-call rotation

Why This Might Not Be the Job for You

• You are looking for a traditional academic advising role focused mostly on course selection and registration
• You prefer working only with students and not with families, staff, or outside partners
• You are uncomfortable holding students accountable when they are struggling
• You need every day to be predictable
• You find it frustrating when growth is slow, uneven, or hard to measure right away

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in behavioral sciences or a related field required, graduate degree preferred
• Three to five years of experience supporting diverse learners or working in higher education, student development, coaching, residential programming, or a related field
• Experience managing direct reports, mentoring staff, or working in a team-based support model
• Strong organizational, communication, documentation, and relationship-building skills
• Ability to support students, families, colleagues, and campus partners with professionalism and care

Compensation & Benefits

This role pays $28.00 per hour, equivalent to $58,240/yr. Alongside your wages, full-time staff at Mansfield Hall also receive:

• Medical insurance, with the premium cost shared between Mansfield Hall and the employee, plus an HSA option
• Dental and vision coverage
• Employer-funded wellness dollars
• Free meals and drinks during your shift
• Cell phone and internet support
• 401(k) retirement plan with a 4% employer match
• Paid time off, plus paid winter break
• Disability and life insurance coverage
• Work expense reimbursement

How We Interview

We believe candidates and Mansfield Hall both do better with the fullest possible picture of each other, so it's common for three to four people to be part of your interview process. That's not meant to be intimidating, it's meant to give everyone real information before anyone commits.

1. A 30 minute phone screen
2. One to two structured interviews, in person or virtual depending on availability and geographic location
3. Reference and background checks
4. An offer