Assistant Director of Academic Peer Coaching - Academic Success Center - UTK

The Academic Success Center seeks an innovative and student-centered leader to serve as the Assistant Director of Peer Coaching, a position uniquely positioned to shape how peer support is delivered, sustained, and scaled across the Division of Student Success. 

The Assistant Director provides operational and developmental leadership for the peer coaching program, which connects undergraduate students with trained peer coaches to support strengths-based academic skill-building, goal-setting, and persistence. Reporting to the Director of Academic Coaching and in collaboration with division partners, this position holds responsibility for the full lifecycle of the peer coaching program: recruiting, selecting, training, and developing peer coaches; overseeing service delivery and session quality; and managing the data and assessment infrastructure that informs continuous improvement. 

The Assistant Director directly supervises a team of Professional Academic Coaches and the Academic Success Center's peer coaches, serving as a hands-on leader who invests in the growth, accountability, and professional development of the staff they oversee. In partnership with Academic Success Center leadership and divisional offices, the Assistant Director also provides support to peer coaches across the division in the areas of hiring, training, assessment, and quality assurance. As a key member of the Academic Success Center leadership team, this role contributes to strategic planning, service enhancement, and the ongoing development of a high-performing, mission-driven unit committed to advancing the Division of Student Success’s strategic goals.

Peer Coaching Program Development and Oversight (35%)

• Design and refine the peer coaching service model, including appointment structures, session frameworks, and outreach touchpoints that maximize student engagement and impact

• In collaboration with divisional partners, develop and oversee curriculum for peer coaching training and development courses, including session guides, resource toolkits, and skill-building materials that peer coaches use in their work with students

• Establish and maintain a cohesive framework of policies, protocols, and accountability structures that ensure consistency and quality across all peer coach placements, in alignment with the Academic Success Center and the Division of Student Success's broader academic peer coaching philosophy.

• Partner with individual offices and units to coordinate peer coach selection and assignments, ensuring a consistent and equitable selection process while supporting unit-level identification of needs

• Design and implement targeted strategies to deepen peer coaching engagement across student populations, with intentional and proactive outreach to first-year students and those who would benefit most from peer-delivered academic support.

• Partner with Academic Success Center assessment staff and the Division of Student Success analytics team to review participation data, outcomes, and trends to inform program adjustments and recommendations.

• Monitor qualitative and quantitative data to evaluate peer coaching effectiveness, identify opportunities for improvement, and support evidence-based decision-making

• Develop and administer student learning outcome assessments related to peer coaching participation, and use findings to refine program delivery and training content

Peer Coach Supervision, Training, and Development (30%)

• Provide consistent, individualized supervision to a team of Academic Success Center peer coaches, offering meaningful feedback and professional guidance that supports their development and ensures accountability to the highest standards of program practice 
• Conduct ongoing evaluation of peer coach performance through observation, structured feedback, and data analysis, using findings to drive continuous improvement in peer coaching quality and program effectiveness 
• Cultivate a cohesive and growth-oriented team culture among all peer coaches, fostering opportunities for connection, critical reflection, and shared learning across the full arc of the academic year 
• Intentionally integrate competency development into every stage of the peer coach experience, ensuring peer coaches can clearly and confidently articulate the skills, knowledge, and professional growth they are gaining through their work 
• Design and sustain clear pathways for peer coach advancement and recognition, including opportunities for leadership roles, certifications, and experiences that support career development

Supervision and Professional Staff Management (10%)

• Provide direct supervision to a team of Professional Academi