Director of Student Belonging and Leadership Development; Success Coach

Tennessee Wesleyan University; Athens (TN); On-site; USD 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

Tennessee Wesleyan University seeks a Director of Student Belonging & Leadership Development to lead a grant-funded initiative that strengthens persistence, engagement and sense of belonging, driving degree completion. You will design, implement, and assess high-impact programs and also serve as a Success Coach guiding students through academic and personal challenges.

The role combines developing a comprehensive student leadership program with coordinating retention-focused activities at key

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred in higher education, counseling, student affairs, or related field.
• 1–3 years of experience in student success, higher education, counseling, or related field.
• Strong interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills.
• Experience developing and facilitating workshops or educational programming.
• Preferred experience with student engagement and retention technologies.

Responsibilities

• Lead grant-funded initiatives to improve student persistence, engagement and belonging.
• Serve as a Success Coach, providing individualized support to students in need.
• Design, implement, and assess high-impact programs across the student lifecycle.
• Collaborate with Student Affairs, Academic Affairs and campus partners on retention efforts.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Presentation skills

Communication

Workshop facilitation

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree preferred

Job description

Position Summary

The Director of Student Belonging & Leadership Development serves as a key leader in the university's grant-funded initiative to improve student persistence, engagement, sense of belonging, and degree completion. Reporting to the Executive Director of Student Success & Retention, this position designs, implements, and assesses high-impact programs that support students at critical transition points throughout their academic journey, from entry into the institution through progression into the upper division.

In addition to leading student engagement and leadership initiatives, the Director serves as a Success Coach, providing individualized support to students experiencing academic, social, or personal challenges that may impact persistence. Through proactive outreach, goal setting, accountability planning, and resource connection, the Director helps students navigate barriers, strengthen their engagement with the university community, and achieve their academic goals.

The Director carries dual responsibility for developing a comprehensive student leadership development program and coordinating retention-focused programming at key inflection points in the student lifecycle, including new student orientation, welcome events, and sophomore-year success initiatives. This position collaborates extensively with Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and other campus partners to foster an inclusive and supportive campus environment that promotes student success and belonging.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred in Higher Education, Counseling, Student Affairs, or a related field.
• One to three years of experience in student success, higher education, counseling, or a related field.
• Strong interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills.
• Experience developing and facilitating workshops, presentations, or educational programming.
• Preferred experience working with student engagement and retention technologies.