Assistant Director - Talent Search Projects

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JOB DESCRIPTION AND POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Are you passionate about empowering students to achieve their educational dreams? Are you an excellent student success professional interested in exploring the next steps in your career? Consider joining Penn State’s Office of Educational Equity TRIO Talent Search project as an Assistant Director. The assistant director will support the implementation and coordination of our TRIO Talent Search projects, ensuring that students receive the guidance and resources necessary to succeed academically and pursue their educational goals.

Penn State’s TRIO Talent Search projects, funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Education, are dedicated to assisting first-generation middle and high school students in achieving their bachelor’s degrees. Our projects operate within the Aliquippa, Clairton City, Farrell, McKeesport, New Castle, New Kensington-Arnold, Sharon, and York City School Districts and serve as a beacon of opportunity.

In this role, you will play a crucial part in the management, operation, strategic planning, and external communications of our Talent Search projects. This position manages the projects’ web and social media content and campaigns. This position also provides critical on-site training and support for school-based project staff, positioning them to assist their students with meeting the following core objectives of the projects:

• Guiding non-senior participants through rigorous coursework and grade progression.

• Ensuring timely high school graduation and successful transition to postsecondary education.

• Facilitating seamless matriculation to postsecondary institutions immediately after high school graduation.

• Supporting participants in obtaining postsecondary credentials within six years of high school graduation.

• Managing the project’s social media channels by directing content creation, ensuring processes and infrastructure are available for staff to submit content, developing campaigns, setting timelines, and training staff to provide quality contributions.

• Working collaboratively with our Penn State Educational Equity office’s marketing and communications team to create printed materials for the projects.

The ideal candidate will have experience in the following knowledge areas:

• Previous experience working in educational outreach programs, preferably within the TRIO community.

• Strong understanding of the challenges faced by underserved and underrepresented students in accessing higher education.

• Coordinating hiring, on-boarding, and training of professional staff.

• Providing on-site support for secondary school-based staff, utilizing site visits to strengthen relationships with school district administrators, counselors, students, and other personnel.

• Assisting with developing and implementing project continuity plans when staffing vacancies occur.

• Maintaining fluency with the legislation and regulations that govern the operation of federal TRIO projects.

• Coordinating the creation and maintenance of project forms and applications for services.

• Assisting in preparing and drafting project grant proposals, annual performance reports, and audit responses.

At Penn State, we celebrate diversity and foster an inclusive culture that values every individual. Join us in advancing equity, inclusion, belonging, and excellence across all aspects of education.

This is a limited-term appointment funded for one year from date of hire, with an excellent possibility of renewal. This job requires travel between school district sites and may require some overnight travel, evening, and weekend hours. Full Penn State benefits included.

Education and Experience:

This position requires a master’s degree or higher with at least six years of related experience in addition to the masters. Applicants with equivalent combinations of education and experience will also be considered.

Background checks:

This position involves working with minors and requires the following clearances: PA State Police Criminal Background Check, PA Child Abuse History Clearance Form, and Federal (FBI) Fingerprint Criminal Background Check.

This position requires that you operate a motor vehicle as a part of your job duties. A valid driver’s license and successful completion of a motor vehicle records check will be required in addition to clearances. 

The Pennsylvania State University is committed to and accountable for advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability in all of its forms. We embrace individual uniqueness, foster a culture of inclusion that supports both broad and specific diversity initiatives, leverage the educational and institutional benefits of diversity in society and nature, and engage all individuals to help them thrive. We value inclusion as a core strength and an essential element of our public service mission.

The pay range for this position, including all possible grades is:

$51,000.00 - $74,000.00

Salary Structure - additional information on Penn State's job and salary structure. 

CAMPUS SECURITY CRIME STATISTICS:

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here .

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies. 

EEO IS THE LAW

Penn State is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer, and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

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