Careers

Title: Assistant Director

Department: Academic Support

Duration: Two-Year Term - Continuation to be Evaluated in 2026-27

Employment Status: Full Time (40 hours/week)

Job Summary

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Assistant Director supports the overall mission of the College and its community-engaged principles of social justice, reciprocity, power sharing, and reflexive and ongoing learning. This role is responsible for supporting students in developing the skills and experience necessary to be community engaged learners, peer mentors, and scholars. Student staff work in and with the CCBL, with faculty teaching CBLR courses and conducting CBR, and with community partners off campus.

Job Duties

• 35% - Support student leadership development in community engaged learning, research, and peer mentorship. Supervise, train, mentor, and support student staff; meet regularly with student staff, individually and as a team, to identify support needed. Develop, coordinate, conduct, and establish short- and long-range planning activities and projects to support student leadership development and learning in the field of community based learning and research (CBLR). Oversee and manage the students in the Education-in-Action (EIA) program, including mentoring, guiding, and supervising facilitators and coordinators in developing work plans and professional development goals related to CBLR course and the field of community engaged learning and/or research. Assist director, students, and faculty with logistical support for CCBL and CBLR courses and events, such as necessary paperwork for honoraria, identifying best options for travel and assistance in arranging transportation, and preparation for community engagement projects, such as requirements to work in local public schools (i.e. TB testing, background checks, and district paperwork). Manage student hiring, timesheet approval, and other HR requirements. Developing and identifying training opportunities for student leadership in community based learning and research. - (Essential)
• 15% - Cross campus collaborations, programs, and initiatives related to community engagement. Work collaboratively with other community engaged centers on campus, in both academic and student affairs, in order to coordinate engagement activities and projects with community partners and identify potential collaboration, including SLICE, UEPI, OxyArts, the HCC, and others. Work with Directors of CCBL, SLICE, UEPI and Oxy Arts to maintain internal systems for tracking community partnerships and student engagement. - (Essential)
• 25% - Event planning support and coordination. Lead new student and student staff orientations. Support executive director and student in planning meaningful end of semester/year events, including student presentations. Other campus wide community engagement and CCBL events. - (Essential)
• 25% - Support Executive Director with overall programming at CCBL. Identifying new and maintaining current relationships with community partners. Support with CBLR courses, as needed. Assist with data collection, report writing, and communication to the campus and community partners in collaboration with the directors of community engaged departments. Maintain and monitor social media accounts and regular website updates. Assistance with data for grant writing and program evaluation. - (Essential)

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, education, marketing, communications or other fields related to position responsibilities.
• Three years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, student leadership development, and community engagement. Experience working with community based organizations, non-profit entities, governmental, and industry partners in Los Angeles.
• Knowledge of the field community engaged learning, teaching, and scholarship.
• Experience working with community based organizations, non-profit entities, governmental, and industry partners in Los Angeles.
• Knowledge of the field community engaged learning, teaching, and scholarship.
• Demonstrated skills in community or educational organizing, program/project development and management, and staff supervision.
• Demonstrated skills developing and leading workshops and presentations.
• Ability to analyze, synthesize and organize data, and present findings in a comprehensible manner for different audiences. Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Google drives/folders/forms, Adobe Acrobat, Web Editing, and social media applications or any combination of productivity programs applicable to position responsibilities.
• Demonstrated ability to be detail-oriented and thorough; skilled at anticipating and preventing potential problems and handling a wide variety of tasks with efficiency and accuracy.
• Strong commitment to a quality work product.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate verbally, in writing and electronically.
• Effective interpersonal skills as evidenced in the ability to collaborate with a variety of constituencies.
• Demonstrated commitment to justice, equity, inclusion & diversity. Demonstrated skill in adapting to and performing work effectively in high-volume, high accountability, confidential environment with multiple and changing priorities.
• Effective organizational, logistical, time management and planning skills with the ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks/projects simultaneously, prioritize and fulfill the functions of an office in a timely manner.
• Ability to self-motivate and work independently.
• Ability to provide effective leadership and training, and to work effectively and professionally across functions, disciplines, levels, and with diverse groups.
• Knowledge of contemporary leadership and management methods to ensure employee success and achievement, and demonstration of related and applicable skills as evidenced by the ability to effectively direct, assess and evaluate performance of direct reports.
• Ability to effectively design, define, describe and document job functions, responsibilities, tasks, and required qualifications associated with supervised positions, and the demonstrated skills in assessing candidates’ experience, knowledge, skills and abilities when hiring for vacant positions, ensuring the best choice of candidate.
• Ability to provide employee development, training and opportunities for direct reports to demonstrate performance achievement and success; recognizing performance of both above standards and needs improvement and respond accordingly.
• Skilled at communicating feedback verbally, in writing and electronically; and documenting performance via introductory and annual performance appraisals.
• Skilled in developing and determining corrective employment/performance/behavioral strategies, as needed.
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute performance improvement plans, conducting disciplinary action and/or determining the appropriateness of employment continuation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in liberal arts, education, marketing, communications or other fields related to position responsibilities.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, student leadership development, and community engagement.

EXPECTED HIRING RANGE:  $66,600 - $70,000/yr

If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition to those factors, Occidental complies with applicable pay equity laws and considers internal equity among current employees when developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth.  We also offer a generous compensation and benefits package.