Asst Dir. of Student Wellness & Belonging

University of Wisconsin; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 84,000 - 114,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Wisconsin–Madison is seeking an Assistant Director for Student Wellness to provide school-wide leadership for student well-being across SMPH health professions programs. You will develop and oversee strategies, resources, partnerships, and support systems to promote student well-being and success.

The role collaborates with program leadership, faculty, and campus partners to enhance access to mental health, basic needs, and other student-support services, while guiding evaluation

Qualifications

• Completed Bachelor’s degree.
• Experience developing, implementing, coordinating and evaluating student-facing university-level programs or initiatives.
• Experience supervising staff or providing substantive leadership and direction to professional work groups.
• Excellent written, verbal, and organizational communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Monitor the program budget and approve expenditures.
• Evaluate and promote short and long term existing strategies and make recommendations for program enhancement.
• Identify, develop, and facilitate unit staff training opportunities.
• Exercise supervisory authority over at least 2.0 FTE employees.
• Serve as primary liaison to Kern National Network related to grant funding maintenance.
• Answer questions and provide information regarding student affairs resources to students and groups.
• Contribute to the design of student-focused programs and resources to promote new educational initiatives.
• Develop, plan, and direct staff implementation and operational work plans for one or multiple student affairs programs.

Skills

Communication skills

Supervision

Program development

Leadership

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Job Category:

Academic Staff

Employment Type:

Regular

Job Profile:

Student Affairs Assistant Director

Job Summary:

Supervised by the Director of Student Services, the Assistant Director for Student Wellness provides school-wide leadership for student wellness and well-being across the health professions degree programs at the UW-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. The position leads the development, implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of strategies, programs, resources, partnerships, and support systems that promote student well-being and contribute to student success.

The Assistant Director works collaboratively with leadership, faculty and staff across the Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Physical Therapy, Master of Physician Assistant Studies, Master of Public Health, and Master of Genetic Counselor Studies programs; Student Services and other SMPH units; UW-Madison campus partners; students and student leaders; and relevant external partners. The position serves as the school-wide strategic lead and convener for student wellness while recognizing that responsibility for student well-being is shared throughout the student experience.

The position works to strengthen all access to well-being resources and supports across programs and learning environments, including Madison and statewide sites, and uses student voice, assessment findings, accreditation expectations, and emerging student needs to inform priorities and continuous improvement.

The Assistant Director works closely with appropriate campus and community partners to strengthen prevention, education, resource navigation, and pathways to mental health, physical well-being, basic needs, financial, and other student-support resources.

Lead school-wide strategy for student wellness and well-being: Develop, advance, and periodically reassess strategic priorities for health professions student well-being across SMPH's five health professions degree programs, informed by student experience, assessment data, institutional priorities, relevant accreditation expectations, and emerging needs. Lead implementation and continuous improvement of student well-being programs, resources, and support infrastructure: Develop and coordinate programs, educational initiatives, communications, resources, and support pathways that promote student well-being, prevention, help-seeking, and access to appropriate services. Consider the needs of students across programs, stages of training, and Madison and statewide learning environments. Develop and sustain program, curricular, and campus partnerships: Work closely with health professions program and curricular leadership, Student Services, University Health Services, Recreation & Wellbeing, basic needs and other campus partners, and relevant SMPH offices to strengthen well-being throughout the student experience and improve coordination and access to resources. Lead assessment and quality improvement for student well-being: Develop and use appropriate quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess student needs, program reach and effectiveness, resource access, and other well-being outcomes. Interpret relevant institutional and program data, identify trends and gaps, and translate findings into recommendations and improvements. Support accreditation and institutional quality-improvement efforts related to student well-being and student support: Monitor and respond to relevant accreditation wellness and well-being requirements and contribute to other accreditation, reporting, and quality-improvement activities related to student well-being and student support as appropriate. Develop and maintain external partnerships and externally supported initiatives: Build and sustain relationships with organizations and partners that advance student well-being, flourishing, leadership development, and related priorities, and lead or contribute to grant-funded and externally supported initiatives as assigned, such as the Kern National Network for Flourishing in Health (KNN). Supervise and develop assigned staff and steward program resources: Provide effective supervision, coaching, performance management, and professional development for assigned staff and responsibly manage program, grant, and other funds associated with student well-being priorities.

• This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

• The work schedule is flexible and will be determined at the time of hire.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• May monitor the program budget and approve expenditures

• Evaluates and promotes short and long term existing strategies and makes recommendations for program enhancement

• Identifies, develops, and facilitates unit staff training opportunities

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees

• Serve as primary liaison to Kern National Network related to maintenance of currently-awarded grant funding.

• Answers questions and provides information regarding student affairs resources to individual students and groups

• Contributes to the design of student-focused programs and associated resources and materials to promote new and ongoing educational initiatives

• Develops, plans, and directs staff implementation and operational work plans of one or multiple student affairs programs, activities, experiences, and/or services

Department:

School of Medicine and Public Health, Medical Degree- Student Services, Student Services – Student Wellness & Belonging operational area

The Office of Academic Affairs (OAA) in the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), supports SMPH by overseeing all aspects of various health professions education programs: from admissions programs and curricular oversight to student services and multicultural initiatives across our statewide campus. It also is responsible for successfully meeting all national accreditation requirements as well as timely compliance with all health system, school, campus, and legislative policies and regulations. The OAA fosters a professional atmosphere to prepare health care providers and public health professionals at all stages of career development.

Compensation:

The starting salary for the position is $99,106 annually; but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage.

SMPH Faculty /Academic Staff Benefits Flyer 2026

Required Qualifications:

• Completed Bachelor’s degree
• Experience developing, implementing, coordinating and evaluating student-facing university-level programs or initiatives.
• Experience supervising staff or providing substantive leadership and direction to professional work groups
• Excellent written, verbal, and organizational communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• Completed Master’s degree, preferably in higher education administration, student affairs, or counseling.
• Experience with health professions educational or clinical work settings.
• Experience developing, implementing, coordinating, and evaluating university student well-being, student support, or student success programming.

Education:

Master's degree preferred in higher education administration, student affairs, counseling or related field.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal OpportunityEmployer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgroundsand encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodationfor any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR)in the division you are applying to.Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).

The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.