Project Director, TRIO & CSTEP- Grant Funded

Trocaire College; Buffalo (NY); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Trocaire College is seeking a Program Director for the TRIO & CSTEP Grant to oversee daily operations of Student Support Services and related programs. The role requires directing program objectives, managing budgets, ensuring regulatory compliance, and guiding staff.'

The Director will work with college leadership on strategic planning, marketing, and process improvements, while maintaining strong relationships with students and faculty to promote student success and retention.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in student personnel, higher ed administration, educational administration, education, or related field.
• Minimum of 1–3 years of experience in staff supervision, budget management, program development & evaluation, and reporting/compliance with federal regulations.
• Minimum of 2–3 years of experience with federal TRIO programs, academic support programs, or similar programs for diverse, low-income, first‑generation college students.
• Experience with Student Information System; grant writing or related experience preferred.
• Culturally competent; demonstrated ability to collaborate with students, faculty, staff, administration, and governing boards.
• Strong organizational and communication skills; ability to assess, analyze data, and provide reports.

Responsibilities

• Plan, implement and track major program objectives.
• Monitor project information, budget, and systems and provide reports to ensure compliance with the U.S. Department of Education and New York State Education Department.
• Advise SSS and CSTEP participants and deliver presentations and workshops.
• Coordinate activities with other campus units and develop relationships with other TRIO and CSTEP programs.
• Coordinate project evaluation and maintain current knowledge of best practices in higher education advisement and student engagement.
• Ensure local, state, and federal compliance related to the functional area.
• Maintain accurate data for reports and support enrollment, persistence, retention, and completion analysis.
• Collaborate with college departments to ensure student success; develop communication plans for the department.
• Utilize technology to provide effective and efficient student services; serve on the Academic Support Services Division management team.
• Supervise support staff for the department and address personnel issues confidentially.

Skills

Staff supervision

Budget management

Program development

Evaluation

Reporting & compliance

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Data analysis

Team collaboration

Student-centered philosophy

Education

Master's degree in student personnel, higher ed administration, educational administration, education, or related field

Job description

The Program Director of the TRIO & CSTEP Grant is responsible for supervision and management of everyday operations of the Student Support Services provided through the TRIO Grant and the CSTEP program. The Program Director must have the ability to make administrative and procedural decisions; ability to interpret policy and establish methods and procedures; ability to determine work procedures, assign duties, promote efficiency; collaborate with relevant leadership regarding strategic planning, marketing, and process improvements.

Knowledge of college policies, procedures, and practices; knowledge of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), Title VII, Title IX, ADA and other applicable laws pertaining to employment and education; ability to plan, organize and implement assigned responsibilities and to work well under pressure to meet deadlines; excellent organizational, analytical and planning skills; ability to participate as a team member, ability to understand and interpret rules and regulations, and ability to adjust to change; skill in budget development and management; ability to handle confidential material judiciously; understanding of developmental education programs.

The Program Director must present leadership and excellent communication skills; ability to exchange ideas, facts, information, and opinions effectively and accurately with others; arrive at decisions, develop conclusions, or develop solutions; ability to communicate effectively with a diverse workforce and student population; ability to prioritize and delegate projects; ability to meet timelines and follow-through; ability to present materials effectively to individual students or groups; ability to manage interpersonal conflict situations requiring tact, diplomacy and discretion; demonstrate ethical conduct and professionalism; ability to effectively train, evaluate and develop staff members; ability to handle personnel issues in a highly confidential manner; ability to direct, manage, or lead others; establish and maintain effective working relationships with faculty, staff, other departments, students, and the public.

This position is funded by U.S. Department of Education TRIO SSS and New York State Education Department grant and is contingent on continued grant funding.

Primary Job Duties/Responsibilities:

• Plan, implement and track major program objectives
• Monitor project information, budget, and systems and provide reports to ensure compliance. Complete reporting to U.S. Department of Education and the New York State Education Department
• Advise SSS and CSTEP participants and deliver presentations and workshops
• Coordinator activities with other campus units and develop relationships with other TRIO and CSTEP programs
• Coordinate project evaluation
• Keeps current on philosophy, trends, and best practices in higher education academic advisement, student services, and student engagement.
• Ensure local, state, and federal compliance as they pertain to functional area
• Maintains accurate data for reports and informed decision-making. Assists with the analysis of enrollment, persistence, retention, and completion patterns of students and other relevant data collection and analysis.
• Maintains the institutional vision for a strong student engagement, retention, and completion program
• Collaborate with other college departments to ensure student success
• Develop and maintain a communication plan for the department to include communication to students, faculty, staff in both written and electronic formats.
• Utilize technology to provide effective and efficient student services.
• Serve on the management team for the Academic Support Services Division.
• Supervise support staff for the department.
• Other duties as assigned by the Dean of Academic Support Services
• A commitment to enriching the lives of students by promoting a positive learning environment; enhancing the quality of the student experience; and philosophically supporting programs and policies that facilitate student success.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Master's degree in student personnel, higher ed administration, educational administration, education, or related field
• Minimum of one to three years of experience in the areas of staff supervision, budget management, program development and evaluation, and reporting and compliance with federal regulations
• Minimum of two to three years of experience with the federal TRIO programs, academic support programs, or similar programs for diverse, low-income, first-generation college students
• Experience working with Student Information System; Professional and/or personal experience in overcoming barriers similar to those facing project participants is preferred
• Grant Writing and/or experience preferred
• Culturally competent
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain collaborative and effective working relationships with students, faculty, staff, administration, and governing boards
• Possess a student centered philosophy and approach to work
• Strong organizational, excellent communication skills
• Ability to perform assessment, analyze data, and provide reports
• Ability to effectively communicate ideas and information, in written and oral format, to students, staff, professional colleagues, governing boards, and the general public

Position Specifications and Working Conditions:

The physical demands and the work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Ability to communicate effectively with all constituents of the College; ability to speak to groups; handle multiple tasks simultaneously; ability to physically perform the functions of the position; ability to work required hours to include weekends and evenings.