The director of orientation assists the institution in achieving its goals of creating shared experiences that will inspire new students at Salem State to connect and thrive. It is crucial the director exhibits strong organizational and administrative skills; strong interpersonal communication skills; excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills; team building skills; the ability to build positive and effective relationships across the campus and community as this position provides leadership and oversight for the implementation, planning and development of programming for all new and transfer students through orientation programs. Working with appropriate campus partners (e.g., Academic Colleges, First-Year Experience, Marketing & Creative Services), the director will also serve as the campus lead on family programs. Additionally, this person will take the lead in pulling together a schedule of events for Welcome Week. The successful candidate must have a strong commitment to diversity and have the ability to work independently with minimal supervision and the ability to manage multiple tasks while providing exemplary customer service.

Salem State University values and appreciates diversity in all its forms and endeavors to create a space that reflects the campus community population which it serves. Our students come to Salem State University from 38 states and 48 countries and reflect the demographics of the greater Boston community in which we live. We are passionate about providing an experience for them and our fellow staff and faculty, where everyone can feel supported while they explore, learn, and celebrate their identities, similarities, and differences. We invite you to become a member of our community.

1. Oversee the implementation, planning, and development of orientation programming for all new and transfer students, including transition and signature events, oversee supporter orientation, and communication to supporters
2. Evaluate all programs and activities to determine their effectiveness as they relate to student learning outcomes, as well as general student and supporter satisfaction. Report findings and incorporate information in planning activities to improve existing programs and enhance success of new ones
3. Supervise the Coordinator for Orientation
4. Lead collaborative orientation efforts across the institution to enroll, yield, and retain new students
5. Design and implement strategic plans and overall vision for the orientation department and develop new initiatives for retention and new student success and co-curricular initiatives to support the student experience using existing efforts (e.g., Clifton Strengths)
6. Engage in Admissions events (e.g., open house, accepted students day)
7. Lead events that interact with families and supporters (e.g., family weekend, family council)
8. Oversee the hiring, training, management and supervision of student orientation leaders and develop a comprehensive orientation leader training program; directly supervise Coordinator and Orientation Leads with co-assignments to support new student programs
9. Recruit and hire graduate summer internship positions (e.g., through NODA and area higher education master’s programs)
10. Manage the online database used for orientation registration and communication
11. Create and manage an online orientation portal (e.g., Canvas) for transfer and new students
12. Create and manage the orientation budget to ensure resources are used effectively and cost-savings are maximized; be responsible for overall ledger oversight and expense processing for both internal and external financial transactions
13. Collaborate with Office of Institutional Research and First Year Experience to design mechanisms for gathering essential information about incoming students to be used as needed to target specific populations and enhance the effectiveness of recruiting, teaching, and program development activities
14. Collect, assess, and evaluate data from orientation and other programs to evaluate relevance and effectiveness of such programs; create monthly, mid-year and annual reports for the department for submission to the Vice President of Student Success, Dean of Students office, and key stakeholders
15. Partner with Marketing and Creative Services to develop marketing and publication materials for the office; manage, edit and submit updates for Orientation website and social media sites
16. Cultivate relationships with campus and community partners as they relate to orientation and new student programs; provide outreach to the community and foster collaboration that will enhance the town and gown relationship
17. Serve on a variety of University committees as requested to represent the interests of the division and build relationships with faculty, students, and other university staff
18. Perform other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs or a closely related field
• A minimum of 3-5 years of progressive responsible management experience and demonstrated leadership in new student and/or family programs and student activities, prefereably in the higher education setting

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working with the Association for Orientation Transition Retention in Higher Education (NODA) and recruiting interns through that program
• Demonstrated experience communicating with parents and supporters on a regular basis
• Demonstrated experience working in a multiracial and multiethnic environment with students of diverse backgrounds and learning styles

Working Conditions:

This is an on site position with on-campus, in-person responsibilities in Salem, MA which requires evening and weekend work.

Office activities are performed in an environmentally controlled office setting subject to extended periods of sitting, keyboarding and interaction with computer equipment; occasional bending, reaching, lifting, pushing and pulling up to 5-10 pounds.

Salem State University complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. For accommodation information or requests please email eo-hr@salemstate.edu.

Application Instructions:

Please apply online and attach resume and cover letter.

Employment is contingent upon a completed background and CORI check satisfactory to the university. 

This position is not eligible for H1B visa sponsorship.

EEO Statement:
Salem State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Persons of color, women and persons with disabilities are strongly urged to apply.

Please Note: If there is no application deadline associated with a position, it may be removed at any time and additional applications will not be accepted.