ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR / COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / VOLUNTEER CENTER

Central Michigan University; Mount Pleasant (MI); On-site; USD 50,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Central Michigan University seeks an Associate Director for the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center in Mount Pleasant, MI. You will lead the Volunteer Center and supervise student staff, coordinating service opportunities, partnerships, and program assessment to align with CMU’s mission.

You will advise the Alternative Breaks program, train student leaders, manage budgets, and develop recruitment strategies while ensuring safety, risk management, and meaningful community engagement across local

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
• Two years of professional experience with student organizations and/or campus programming.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, including prioritization and multitasking, with crisis and risk management ability.
• Proven ability as a motivated self-starter and team member.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary on-call contact during Alternative Breaks, guiding travel and safety.
• Advise CMU's Alternative Breaks program and student advisory board.
• Oversee data management for Alternative Breaks via Engage Central and website.
• Provide training for board, site leaders, and staff.
• Ensure compliance with university policies and risk management for service projects.
• Develop programs and leadership development for staff and student leaders.
• Coordinate promotional materials and recruitment for the Volunteer Center and AB.
• Support budget oversight and collaboration with campus partners.

Skills

Written communication

Verbal communication

Presentation skills

Organizational skills

Crisis management

Team player

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR / COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / VOLUNTEER CENTER

Below you will find the details for the position including any supplementary documentation and questions you should review before applying for the opening.

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMU’s mission, vision, and leadership standards.

You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.

Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.

Position Information

Posting Number S-4014

Position Number 78250

Type of Recruitment External

Position Title ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR / COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT / VOLUNTEER CENTER

Position Summary The Associate Director of the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center (VC) will work collaboratively with the Director and other professional staff and student members of the Volunteer Center to develop, support, and promote service opportunities to engage students with the mission and values of Central Michigan University. This position serves as the university advisor to the Alternative Breaks (AB) program and provide oversight and direction to the VC and AB graduate and undergraduate student staff. This position directs leadership training of the Alternative Break student advisory board, the student site leaders, and provide oversight of participant development of 400+ students. The Associate Director will also be responsible for providing support to Volunteer Center and AB program assessment. Additionally, this position will serve as the primary point of contact for all on- and off-campus partnership and volunteer engagement requests, coordinating opportunities and fostering strategic relationships on behalf of the Volunteer Center, as well as provide oversight of the AB budget and scholarship development as well as board and site leader retreats, service development with university community partners, and develop recruitment strategies for the program. They will also provide oversight for the VC service project budget. The Associate Director will supervise up to three students to assist with the office’s volunteer engagement and collaboration requests.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Two years professional experience with student organizations and/or campus programming.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, including ability to plan, establish priorities and handle multiple tasks and projects. Demonstrated ability to effectively manage crisis, institutional compliance, and cross-campus responses to ensure student safety.
• Demonstrated experience as a team member who is highly motivated, a self-starter, and a dedicated professional.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in student affairs, higher education, leadership, or related field. Three years direct student service and leadership experience.
• Experience working with Alternative Breaks programming.
• Experience in a higher education environment.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Serves as the primary on-call contact during Winter, Spring, and Summer Alternative Breaks, providing real-time support to student leaders and participants through all phases of travel, including responding to emergent situations, coordinating with campus partners and local officials, and ensuring the safety and well-being of all experience participants. Serves as the university advisor to the CMU Alternative Breaks program, including the Alternative Breaks Student Advisory Board.
• Manages Alternative Breaks data and information via social media oversight, Engage Central (Rosters, Online Forms, Events) and website maintenance.
• Provides training sessions to the Alternative Breaks Board, site leaders and participants and administrative faculty/staff, programs, and other CMU departments with volunteer trainings.
• Disseminates and enforces University policies and procedures pertaining to Alternative Breaks service projects, risk management, fundraising, office management, student employment, accounting and payroll, etc.
• Develops, supports, and provides programming and leadership development for Alternative Breaks staff and student leaders.
• Serves as an advisor to Volunteer Center staff and other program leaders.
• Develops promotional materials for Alternative Breaks and Volunteer Center to encourage student involvement in the program, offices and resources.
• Provides comprehensive administrative support, including scheduling and coordinating travel arrangements for Alternative Breaks experiences.
• Provides support to student leaders and participants engaging in domestic and international travel, including pre-departure preparation, real-time guidance, and post-experience follow-up.
• Collaborates with Risk Management for consideration of all campus and community partnerships.
• Supervises up to five student staff members, two for Alternative Breaks and up to three for community engagement efforts.
• Develops and implements evaluation and assessment of the Alternative Break program in conjunction with the Volunteer Center.
• Assists with the management of fiscal resources of the Alternative Breaks program and Volunteer Center.
• Represents the Volunteer Center at university events on campus and in the global community and maintains visibility/approachability on behalf of the department.
• Serves as the primary point of contact for all on- and off-campus partnership and volunteer engagement requests, coordinating opportunities, facilitating communication with campus and community stakeholders, and fostering collaborative relationships on behalf of the Volunteer Center.
• Assists with the planning and coordination of Volunteer Center programs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Supervision Exercised

None.

Employee Group

Professional & Administrative -Salary

Pay Range

$50,000-$60,000

Division

University Engagement and Student Affairs

Employment Status

Full-Time

FTE

1.00

Position Type

12 month

Weekly Work Schedule

Mon-Fri, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. / weekends and evenings as needed

Location

Mount Pleasant, MI

About the Department

The Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center’s mission is to provide students the opportunity to serve their community, enhance their educational experience and develop into caring citizens. The CMU Volunteer Center began in 1992, after Dr. Mary Ellen Brandell and Dr. Bruce Roscoe wrote a grant to secure funding for a Volunteer Center on campus.

About CMU

Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.

We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, master’s, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.

CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more.

Central is home to 17 men’s and women’s Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3.17.

CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small-town living with big-city amenities. It’s part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the state’s largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant.

Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions — Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more — are within easy reach of the city’s central location in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms.

Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference.

We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams.

Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position.

CMU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and institution. CMU does not discriminate against persons based on age, color, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, height, marital status, national origin, political persuasion, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religion, sex, sex-based stereotypes, sexual orientation, transgender status, veteran status, or weight.

CMU does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, including admission and employment, and is required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 not to discriminate in such a matter.

Inquiries about the application of Title IX can be made to CMU’s Title IX Coordinator, the US Department of Education’s Assistant Secretary, or both.

CMU’s Title IX Coordinator can be reached at: Phone: [phone] Office: 103 E. Preston St. Bovee University Center, suite 306 Mount Pleasant, MI 48858 Email: [e-mail]

Posting Ends

Open Until Filled Yes

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * How did you first learn of this job opportunity? Please list the specific advertising source or indicate if it was word of mouth.

  (Open Ended Question)

• * Are you currently an internal employee of CMU according to the university's definition?
  • Yes
  • No
• * If yes, to which employee group do you belong? (If not applicable, select "Not Applicable" ).
  • Not Applicable
  • Administrative Office Assistant
  • Dispatcher
  • Lieutenant
  • Medical Faculty
  • P&A, SO or Faculty
  • Police
  • Public Broadcasting
  • Sergeant
  • Service Maintenance
  • Supervisory/Technical
• * Do you have at least a bachelor's degree?
  • Yes
  • No
• * Do you have two years of professional experience with student organizations and/or campus programming?
  • Yes
  • No

Optional & Required Documents

Required Documents

• Resume/Curriculum Vitae
• Cover Letter

Optional Documents

• Recommendation Letters
• Other Document (1)
• List of References

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