Associate Center Director - FIRST Center

The FIRST Resource Center was founded in September 2018 to create a supportive community and develop a network of resources for Tufts University's first-generation, high-need, and undocumented populations. FIRST welcomes any student who self-identifies with the first-generation college student experience. By strengthening the bonds within our community and bridging the gap between Tufts' resources and first-generation students, FIRST aims to ensure that students are empowered and prepared to reach their full social, professional, and academic potential.

The FIRST Center works to provide essential financial knowledge, information about Tufts, and access to opportunities and resources to help students succeed during their time at the university. The FIRST Center believes it is imperative that first-generation students have an inclusive space that respects their intersecting identities and validates their shared experiences. The Center celebrates the first-generation, high-need, and undocumented student identities and passionately advocates for the trailblazers who are the first in their families to attend an elite, private institution like Tufts.

The FIRST Center operates within the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion and collaborates closely with other identity-based cultural centers to holistically support students and staff.

The Associate Director plays a vital student-facing role in supporting the mission of the FIRST Resource Center through the development and execution of community engagement programs that uplift first-generation and high-need students, while honoring their intersecting identities, including gender, class, disability, sexual orientation, and citizenship/nationality.

A key responsibility of the Associate Director is to support the Center Director in day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives. This includes:

• Leading major programs such as the BEAST Pre-Orientation Program (including hiring and program development)
• Managing the FIRST Center intern team
• Maintaining the Center's designation as a First-Gen Forward Institution.

The Associate Director will also handle the below duties:

• Implement and lead the Peer Leader Program in collaboration with the Tufts Career Center
• Coordinate the planning and execution of the annual First-Gen Week celebration
• Collaborate with student-facing resources and offices including other Centers within the Division of Student Diversity and Inclusion, Residential Life and Learning, Student Life, Counseling and Mental Health Services, Global Education, Financial Aid, and more
• Co-facilitates the FIRST Resource Center's transition seminar and maintains a caseload for pre-major advising and individual student support

The role requires a strong presence on campus, with in-person interactions, evening and weekend availability, and responsiveness outside of scheduled hours for student support and emergency response.

Basic Requirements:

• Knowledge and skills as typically acquired by a Bachelor's degree
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience supporting student growth and development in an educational setting, preferably within a selective university or liberal arts college.
• At least 5 years of experience developing student-facing programs, ideally within a university setting.
• Exceptional judgment and demonstrated excellence in organizational, managerial, and oral and written communication skills
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, take initiative, and independently produce high-quality work
• Strong competency in supporting the populations served by the FIRST Resource Center, including first-generation, high-need, and undocumented students
• Experience working with students in crisis, with the demonstrated ability to respond effectively and appropriately
• Deep understanding of how social identities impact the college experience, with a strong background in the issues affecting historically underrepresented students at institutions like Tufts, including students of color, first-generation, and undocumented students
• Understanding of how campus support centers can serve students from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds, and awareness of different approaches to providing these services
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity and creativity in developing educational and community-based programs
• Proven ability to design initiatives that address the intersections of race, gender, class, ethnicity, sexual identity, religion, and ability

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree preferred with 3+ years related experience

Special Work Schedule Requirements:

This is a hybrid position expected to be on campus multiple days each week, and working outside of regularly scheduled hours for emergency response or programming.