Scheduled Hours
37.5
Position Summary
The Student Engagement Specialist leads Gephardt Institute outreach and engagement initiatives with students at all levels of Washington University, including prospective, admitted, undergraduate, and graduate/professional students. With an eye toward broad and strategic outreach, this position focuses on engaging students to foster their awareness and involvement in Gephardt Institute programs and the breadth of civic learning and engagement opportunities at Washington University and in St. Louis.
The Gephardt Institute envisions that Washington University students will embrace St. Louis as a vital part of their education. This includes learning from and collaborating with community partners, applying their talents to affect positive change in their communities, and graduating with the knowledge, skills, and commitment to actively engage in the process of democracy and contribute to the pursuit of a thriving democracy.
This position facilitates student awareness and involvement in civic life through the planning and execution of engagement initiatives and events, new student orientation programming focused on engagement with the St. Louis community, coordinating key aspects of the Gephardt Student Internship Program, and serving as a primary point of contact for students and student-led groups.
This position requires a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and access. This position also requires a strong commitment to non-partisanship and to engagement of all Washington University students regardless of their political positions.
Job Description
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Strategic Initiatives for Student Awareness and Engagement:
Identifies and advances strategies to foster students’ learning, participation, and engagement with the Gephardt Institute and other civic engagement opportunities through Washington University and in St. Louis. Responsibilities include:
- Identifies and plans innovative and emerging strategies to engage with students, both in person and digitally.
- Builds relationships and maintains visibility with a wide range of students to understand their perspectives, with a focus on diverse and underrepresented groups; conveys key themes to Gephardt Institute staff for consideration in program design.
- Identifies strategies for cultivating student awareness and involvement in St. Louis civic and community issues.
- Identifies, develops and supports student engagement experiences in the St. Louis region.
- Collaborates with Institute and campus colleagues on development of key messages, content, and outreach and engagement strategies that resonate with students.
Student Outreach:
Manages student outreach initiatives to engage undergraduates, graduate students, prospective students, and admitted students with resources to connect with and learn through civic engagement. Responsibilities include:
- Coordinates and facilitates Institute plans for presentations, tabling, and related outreach to students, student-led groups, and student-facing departments. Manages flow of inquiries and requests for workshops, consultations, referrals, and community engagement experiences. Ensures that requests are met by Institute staff and, at times, fulfills the needs directly.
- Identifies and cultivates new outlets for outreach and engagement, with an emphasis on strategic and data-informed initiatives.
- Collaborates with the Evaluation and Assessment team to track and evaluate outreach initiatives and measure their impact.
Programming:
Manages a broad spectrum of campus activities and programs that focus on outreach and engagement of students, such as orientation programming, the Civic & Community Engagement Fair, Civic Action Week, information sessions, drop-in hours, special events, and initiatives to activate student engagement with Stix House. Responsibilities include:
- Collaborates on the planning, development, implementation and assessment of civic and community engagement programming for first year student orientation.
- Collaborates on events with Institute colleagues and partners to develop program purpose, content, marketing, and communication strategies.
- Cultivates and sustains relationships with student-facing colleagues and student leaders to increase the impact and reach of engagement initiatives.
- Collaborates with Gephardt Institute staff on civic and community engagement educational workshops for students and student groups.
- Develops responsive programming related to civic engagement, public discourse, campus events, and student interests.
- Facilitates Gephardt Student Internship Program to foster student learning and impact through roles that advance the institute’s strategic priorities and programs.
- Facilitates Student Advisory Council to foster student involvement and input that informs Gephardt Institute programs, services, and strategies.
- Fosters a sense of community and belonging at the Gephardt Institute office (Stix House) for students through drop-in programming and special events.
Serves as an essential member of the Gephardt Institute team:
- Collaborates with program staff, operations staff, and relevant stakeholders to coordinate planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of all Gephardt Institute programs and services.
- Contributes to initiatives, meetings, and events of the Gephardt Institute, including donor cultivation and stewardship, developing strategy and vision for initiatives, planning processes, special projects, and special events.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Working Conditions
- Ability to travel to on- and off-campus locations for meetings and events.
- Ability to work outside normal business hours including early morning, evening, and weekends as needed.
- Ability to lift and move office furniture and supplies.
Applicant Special Instructions
- Washington University students who will receive their Bachelor’s degree in May 2022 are welcome and encouraged to apply.
- Please include a cover letter and resume with your application.
Preferred Qualifications
- Washington University undergraduate degree.
- Master's degree in Student Affairs, Social Work, or a related field.
- Co-curricular and/or paid leadership experience working with college students through a Student Affairs office, student-run organization, or related role.
- Demonstrated experience and skill with event management and program design.
- Excellent organizational, planning, problem-solving, project management, and event planning skills.
- Strong time management, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple priorities, and ability to forecast and plan work, while maintaining a landscape view of priorities, values, and vision.
- Excellent verbal and interpersonal skills with ability and sensitivity in engaging with a racially, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse range of stakeholders, including students, campus colleagues, alumni, community partners, donors and prospective donors, and senior-level administrators and external advisors.
- Commitment to continuous learning about inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.
- Strong ability to take ownership in driving and executing program plans and improvement cycles.
- Demonstrated experience and enthusiasm for civic engagement, community engagement, civic learning, community development, community partnerships, social change, and/or related areas.
- Commitment to the Gephardt Institute’s values of Inquiry, Empathy, Collaboration, Integrity, Equity, and Action.
- Energy, vision, initiative, creativity, empathy, humility, tolerance for ambiguity, ability to embrace and navigate change, sound judgment, diplomacy, tact, and sense of humor.
- Enthusiasm and ability to work in a dynamic, highly collaborative environment with multiple functions, audiences, and priorities.
- Ability to function both independently and collaboratively in a team-based environment.
- Ability and willingness to work early morning, evening, and weekend hours for events, special projects, and deadlines in service to students and the Institute’s mission.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree.
Grade
G09
Salary Range
$42,100.00 - $69,600.00 / Annually
The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.
Pre-Employment Screening
All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.
Benefits Statement
Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. Benefits eligibility is subject to employment status, full-time equivalent (FTE) workload, and weekly standard hours. Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to view a summary of benefits.
EEO/AA Statement
Washington University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability status, protected veteran status, national or ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation. Women, minorities, protected veterans and the disabled are strongly encouraged to apply.
Diversity Statement
Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.
Applicant Instructions
When you are ready to apply, creating an account only takes a minute. Your account creates a candidate home page which we will use to communicate with you and allows you to apply for jobs and view your application statuses. The first page of the application offers two “Quick Apply” options. Quick Apply allows you to either use a previous application or create a new application using a resume to populate the work experience and education sections of your job application. If using a resume to populate your application, check to ensure the application fields populated accurately. You may skip the “Quick Apply” page by clicking “Next” at the bottom of the page. Documents may be uploaded in the My Experience section of the application. You also have the option to apply with a Linkedin feature, which allows you to apply by using your Linkedin profile to populate some of the job application fields.
Scheduled Hours
37.5
Position Summary
The Student Engagement Specialist leads Gephardt Institute outreach and engagement initiatives with students at all levels of Washington University, including prospective, admitted, undergraduate, and graduate/professional students. With an eye toward broad and strategic outreach, this position focuses on engaging students to foster their awareness and involvement in Gephardt Institute programs and the breadth of civic learning and engagement opportunities at Washington University and in St. Louis.
The Gephardt Institute envisions that Washington University students will embrace St. Louis as a vital part of their education. This includes learning from and collaborating with community partners, applying their talents to affect positive change in their communities, and graduating with the knowledge, skills, and commitment to actively engage in the process of democracy and contribute to the pursuit of a thriving democracy.
This position facilitates student awareness and involvement in civic life through the planning and execution of engagement initiatives and events, new student orientation programming focused on engagement with the St. Louis community, coordinating key aspects of the Gephardt Student Internship Program, and serving as a primary point of contact for students and student-led groups.
This position requires a strong commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity, and access. This position also requires a strong commitment to non-partisanship and to engagement of all Washington University students regardless of their political positions.
Job Description
Primary Duties & Responsibilities
Strategic Initiatives for Student Awareness and Engagement:
Identifies and advances strategies to foster students’ learning, participation, and engagement with the Gephardt Institute and other civic engagement opportunities through Washington University and in St. Louis. Responsibilities include:
- Identifies and plans innovative and emerging strategies to engage with students, both in person and digitally.
- Builds relationships and maintains visibility with a wide range of students to understand their perspectives, with a focus on diverse and underrepresented groups; conveys key themes to Gephardt Institute staff for consideration in program design.
- Identifies strategies for cultivating student awareness and involvement in St. Louis civic and community issues.
- Identifies, develops and supports student engagement experiences in the St. Louis region.
- Collaborates with Institute and campus colleagues on development of key messages, content, and outreach and engagement strategies that resonate with students.
Student Outreach:
Manages student outreach initiatives to engage undergraduates, graduate students, prospective students, and admitted students with resources to connect with and learn through civic engagement. Responsibilities include:
- Coordinates and facilitates Institute plans for presentations, tabling, and related outreach to students, student-led groups, and student-facing departments. Manages flow of inquiries and requests for workshops, consultations, referrals, and community engagement experiences. Ensures that requests are met by Institute staff and, at times, fulfills the needs directly.
- Identifies and cultivates new outlets for outreach and engagement, with an emphasis on strategic and data-informed initiatives.
- Collaborates with the Evaluation and Assessment team to track and evaluate outreach initiatives and measure their impact.
Programming:
Manages a broad spectrum of campus activities and programs that focus on outreach and engagement of students, such as orientation programming, the Civic & Community Engagement Fair, Civic Action Week, information sessions, drop-in hours, special events, and initiatives to activate student engagement with Stix House. Responsibilities include:
- Collaborates on the planning, development, implementation and assessment of civic and community engagement programming for first year student orientation.
- Collaborates on events with Institute colleagues and partners to develop program purpose, content, marketing, and communication strategies.
- Cultivates and sustains relationships with student-facing colleagues and student leaders to increase the impact and reach of engagement initiatives.
- Collaborates with Gephardt Institute staff on civic and community engagement educational workshops for students and student groups.
- Develops responsive programming related to civic engagement, public discourse, campus events, and student interests.
- Facilitates Gephardt Student Internship Program to foster student learning and impact through roles that advance the institute’s strategic priorities and programs.
- Facilitates Student Advisory Council to foster student involvement and input that informs Gephardt Institute programs, services, and strategies.
- Fosters a sense of community and belonging at the Gephardt Institute office (Stix House) for students through drop-in programming and special events.
Serves as an essential member of the Gephardt Institute team:
- Collaborates with program staff, operations staff, and relevant stakeholders to coordinate planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of all Gephardt Institute programs and services.
- Contributes to initiatives, meetings, and events of the Gephardt Institute, including donor cultivation and stewardship, developing strategy and vision for initiatives, planning processes, special projects, and special events.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Working Conditions
- Ability to travel to on- and off-campus locations for meetings and events.
- Ability to work outside normal business hours including early morning, evening, and weekends as needed.
- Ability to lift and move office furniture and supplies.
Applicant Special Instructions
- Washington University students who will receive their Bachelor’s degree in May 2022 are welcome and encouraged to apply.
- Please include a cover letter and resume with your application.
Preferred Qualifications
- Washington University undergraduate degree.
- Master's degree in Student Affairs, Social Work, or a related field.
- Co-curricular and/or paid leadership experience working with college students through a Student Affairs office, student-run organization, or related role.
- Demonstrated experience and skill with event management and program design.
- Excellent organizational, planning, problem-solving, project management, and event planning skills.
- Strong time management, attention to detail, ability to manage multiple priorities, and ability to forecast and plan work, while maintaining a landscape view of priorities, values, and vision.
- Excellent verbal and interpersonal skills with ability and sensitivity in engaging with a racially, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse range of stakeholders, including students, campus colleagues, alumni, community partners, donors and prospective donors, and senior-level administrators and external advisors.
- Commitment to continuous learning about inclusion, diversity, equity, and access.
- Strong ability to take ownership in driving and executing program plans and improvement cycles.
- Demonstrated experience and enthusiasm for civic engagement, community engagement, civic learning, community development, community partnerships, social change, and/or related areas.
- Commitment to the Gephardt Institute’s values of Inquiry, Empathy, Collaboration, Integrity, Equity, and Action.
- Energy, vision, initiative, creativity, empathy, humility, tolerance for ambiguity, ability to embrace and navigate change, sound judgment, diplomacy, tact, and sense of humor.
- Enthusiasm and ability to work in a dynamic, highly collaborative environment with multiple functions, audiences, and priorities.
- Ability to function both independently and collaboratively in a team-based environment.
- Ability and willingness to work early morning, evening, and weekend hours for events, special projects, and deadlines in service to students and the Institute’s mission.
Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree.
Grade
G09
Salary Range
$42,100.00 - $69,600.00 / Annually
The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget.
Pre-Employment Screening
All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.
Benefits Statement
Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. Benefits eligibility is subject to employment status, full-time equivalent (FTE) workload, and weekly standard hours. Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to view a summary of benefits.
EEO/AA Statement
Washington University is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to an individual’s sex, race, color, religion, age, disability status, protected veteran status, national or ethnic origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation. Women, minorities, protected veterans and the disabled are strongly encouraged to apply.
Diversity Statement
Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.
Applicant Instructions
When you are ready to apply, creating an account only takes a minute. Your account creates a candidate home page which we will use to communicate with you and allows you to apply for jobs and view your application statuses. The first page of the application offers two “Quick Apply” options. Quick Apply allows you to either use a previous application or create a new application using a resume to populate the work experience and education sections of your job application. If using a resume to populate your application, check to ensure the application fields populated accurately. You may skip the “Quick Apply” page by clicking “Next” at the bottom of the page. Documents may be uploaded in the My Experience section of the application. You also have the option to apply with a Linkedin feature, which allows you to apply by using your Linkedin profile to populate some of the job application fields.