Sr. Director, Scholars & Fellows Programs

We are seeking a Sr Director, Scholars & Fellows Programs who will provide leadership in the ongoing integration of an expanding portfolio of cohort-based scholars programs and fellowships advising. The integration of these programs within the Center for Student Success (CSS) has a three-fold goal: to create a strong sense of academic and social belonging via the cohort-based experience; to provide strong pathways for first-generation and/or limited-income (FLI) students to fellowships opportunities; to allow the fellowships program to develop a stronger presence for first years and sophomores. Continuing its steady growth, in AY 24-25, the Scholars & Fellows Programs (SFP) will expand its scholar's programs to become home to additional cohort-based programs at JHU that will provide robust scholar development programming and community for students.

The director will have expertise in scholar development, familiarity with the landscape of nationally competitive fellowships, and demonstrated success in working with high-achieving underserved students, including success in navigating issues that typically confront FLI students. The director provides strategic oversight for all programs in the portfolio and is charged with evaluating and reporting on the programming, advising and interventions employed. In keeping with the array of FLI programs at JHU, the director will be ambitious in advancing an equity-based approach to fellowships advising and innovating with scholar development frameworks so that work on the JHU campus belongs to the forefront of national conversations about access and equity.

The director will supervise and lead a team of 5-7 full-time staff, which includes three established positions and several new positions that director will have the opportunity to shape in partnership with the Executive Director of Student Success to expand cohort-based scholars programs at JHU. The person in this role must move effortlessly in both administrative and faculty cultures and be effective in both student-facing work and collaboration with development officers, admissions, and senior leadership.

Organizationally, this role belongs to the leadership team in the CSS and works in strong partnership with all CSS program heads. The role maintains an especially strategic collaboration with the leadership in the Success Coaching program in Academic Advising (SCAA), which provides the primary advising for all FLI students in the FLI cohort-based scholars programs. SCAA provides provide year-round and year-to-year proactive, holistic guidance, while advising within the Scholars & Fellows team focuses on students’ intellectual wayfinding, high levels of self-reflection and expressive competence, and community building. Within the CSS, the role holds an additional strategic responsibility in coordinating and defining pathways to high-impact experiences (CSS Summer Grant program, FiGURE research opportunities, etc.).

The Senior Director of Scholars and Fellows reports to the Executive Director for Student Success.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Management of Human & Financial Resources (15%)

• Supervise and develop 5-7 professional staff in SFP and any part-time employees.
• Develop and monitor annual budgets and align financial and human resources with strategic priorities.

Direct portfolio management (30%)

• Cultivate and promote a long-range vision and mission of the programs within the SFP portfolio that is aligned with our FLI programs, and JHU’s Student Affairs Division and academic mission.

Kessler Scholars Program

• Support staff member who leads the program and, when needed, co-lead aspects of our work on campus. Provide strategic guidance for and/or direct representation of our campus program within the Kessler Collaborative (inter-institutional activities, assessment strategies, reporting).
• Be a visible presence within the Kessler Scholars community, demonstrating an investment in knowing students directly and engaging staff and faculty as key community members.

Cummings Scholars Program

• Serve as an ex officio member of the Faculty Advisory Board.
• Support staff member who leads the programs and, when needed, co-lead aspects of our work on campus. Provide strategic guidance for and/or direct representation of the programs with senior leadership on campus and external stakeholders.
• Be a visible presence within the Cummings Scholars community, demonstrating an investment in knowing students directly and engaging staff and faculty as key community members.

Fellowships Advising

• Provide strategic direction to align fellowships advising with a mission of ac