Graduate Program Director Jobs in Plainfield, IL

Northeastern offers a rewarding working environment for our students and employees. Our faculty and staff are smart, dedicated people who work to create an excellent urban university experience for bright and motivated students.

Job Summary:

Provides leadership for key functions of the Student Leadership Development (SLD) Office and assists in the overall management of Student Leadership Development on a diverse urban campus. Responsibilities include the development, facilitation, implementation, and assessment of comprehensive leadership development and training initiatives for students. The Program Director coordinates leadership workshops, retreats, civic engagement initiatives, and student leadership programs that promote leadership development, student engagement, belonging, and student success.
The position assists in the administration and support of the university's campus community engagement platform, including training, reporting, and student organization support functions. Responsibilities also include advising and supporting student leaders and organizations through leadership education, policy interpretation, event planning guidance, and leadership transition support. The Program Director manages portions of the Student Leadership Development budget, supervises undergraduate interns, and collaborates with campus partners to enhance leadership opportunities and student engagement initiatives throughout the university.
The Program Director reports to the Director of Student Leadership Development and assists in representing the office in the absence of the Director.

Job Description:

• Develops, implements, and assesses a comprehensive leadership training curriculum for student leaders.

• Facilitates workshops on leadership foundations, including leadership styles, emotional intelligence, ethical decision-making, and values-based leadership.

• Designs and delivers training that promotes inclusive leadership, cultural competency, and a sense of belonging among diverse student populations.

• Provides training on communication, conflict resolution, public speaking, and interpersonal effectiveness.

• Promotes professionalism and career readiness competencies, including effective communication and engagement strategies.

• Facilitates training on personal development topics such as time management, resilience, wellness, and goal setting.

• Educates student leaders on navigating institutional systems, policies, and available campus resources.

• Promotes civic engagement and social responsibility through leadership training and community involvement opportunities.

• Builds and maintains partnerships with campus and community stakeholders to enhance leadership initiatives.

• Tracks participation, evaluates learning outcomes, and prepares reports to assess program effectiveness.

• Develops and delivers advanced leadership training on strategic thinking, facilitation of difficult conversations, and crisis response.

• Supervise and assist in recruitment, selection and training of FYE Peer Mentors.

• Develop, manage, facilitate and assess the Leadership Pathways Program that includes meeting with participants, assigning mentors, acting as a mentor, leadership workshops, seminars, and retreats.

• Assist in planning and implementation of Freshmen Adventure Days, Spectrum Retreat, and Senior Reflection/Retreat.

• Assist on the training and orientation process of all new student organization leaders.

• Supervision of Graduate Assistant (s) and undergraduate intern.

• Interpret and enforce SLD policies as it impacts organizational activities on campus.

• Assist the Director of the Student Leadership Development Office with the development, implementation, and evaluation of internal and university wide policies and procedures.

• Represent the SLD office director in their absence at all events, meetings.

• Will serve as the SLD representative on campus committees and task forces as recommended by the Director.

• Assist the Director in the development of the Student Leadership Development budget and monitor spending in the areas that the assistant director oversees.

• Assist in the development and implementation of office and campus wide programs such as Weeks of Welcome, Student Government retreat and elections, and first-year student orientations or per Director's request.

• Function as part of the SLD Leadership team in servicing daily walk-in student organization leaders seeking guidance and resources for event planning and student organizational management.

• Collaborate with the Director in the development of the unit's strategic plan, office retreats, and staff meetings.

• Performs related duties as assigned.

Minimal Qualifications:

1. Bachelor's degree.

2. A total of three (3) years (36 months) in education, training and/or work experience in the area of specialization inherent to the position. (Note: Master's Degree in an area consistent with the duties of the position may be substituted for one (1) year of work experience.

3. Based on position requirements, additional education, training, and/or work experience in the area of specialization inherent to the position, may be required.

Departmental Preferences:

• Experience in working with student groups and leadership programs

Hours: Monday through Friday 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. (Hours vary based on departmental needs and may include evenings and weekends).

Location: NEIU Main Campus (Requires travel to all NEIU campuses).

This position requires a background check.

Salary Range

$59,000 - $62,000

Benefits

University employees may be eligible for a variety of State of Illinois benefits. These benefits are administered through the Illinois Department of Central Management Service (CMS). Please visit ourEmployee Benefitspage to learn more about our comprehensive benefits packageincluding health, dental, and vision benefits, sick and vacation days, and participation in the State Universities Retirement System.

Northeastern Illinois University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and invites applications from Women, Minorities, Veterans and Persons with Disabilities, as well as other qualified individuals.Northeastern Illinois University's positions are contingent upon the University's receipt of its State of Illinois appropriation.