Assistant Director, Registered Student Organizations

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Summary:

The Assistant Director, Recognized Student Organizations, is a live-on professional staff member that serves as a primary resource for student organization leaders navigating university policies, large scale programming, contracted services, funding processes, and organizational operations. This position provides leadership for student organization training and development efforts, oversees key administrative processes, and partners extensively with campus stakeholders to support safe, inclusive, and successful student engagement experiences.

The role requires strong student development and organizational leadership skills, as well as the ability to independently manage complex situations involving policy interpretation, event risk assessment, and institutional collaboration. Evening and weekend work throughout the academic year is required.

Essential Functions:

1.) Student Organization Advising, Leadership Development, and Policy Guidance

• Provide strategic advising and leadership development support to recognized student organizations and student governance bodies, including the American University Club Council (AUCC). Advise AUCC and support student leaders in funding allocation processes and budget decision-making. Produce reports, assessment summaries, and recommendations related to student organization engagement, training outcomes, and operational effectiveness. Manage budgets and financial processes associated with assigned student organization areas and departmental initiatives, ensuring compliance with university policies and responsible stewardship of student activity fee resources.

• Lead the development, implementation, and assessment of comprehensive training initiatives for student organizations focused on risk management, inclusive leadership, complex event planning, financial processes, contracting, university policies, and organizational operations. Develop and maintain educational resources, procedures, and operational guidelines that align with institutional priorities and evolving campus needs, and support in the RSO Manual update process. Serve as the CSI Advisor for CSI recognized student organizations. Guide student leaders, advisors, and campus partners in organizational management, advocacy, event planning, financial stewardship, policy interpretation, and leadership transitions.

• Oversee student organization cohort office spaces. Represent the department on divisional and university committees and contribute to broader departmental initiatives, strategic planning, and campus engagement efforts.

2.) Complex Event Planning Oversight, and Coordination

• Serve as the primary departmental lead for student organization complex events, including programs involving contracted services, external vendors, travel, outdoor spaces, elevated safety considerations, large attendance, or significant institutional coordination. Coordinate with Senior Associate Director as needed.

• Advise student leaders through all stages of event planning and implementation, including contract review and submission processes, risk mitigation strategies, logistical coordination, funding procedures, and compliance requirements. Collaborate closely with campus partners including Risk Management, AUPD, Facilities, Dining, Office of Student Accountability & Restorative Practices, Conference & Event Services, and other university offices to ensure safe and successful event execution.

• Attend and provide oversight for selected evening and weekend student organization events. Support crisis response, event troubleshooting, and decision-making related to student organization operations and programming.

• Supervise graduate assistant(s) and student staff as assigned.

3.) Engagement Platform and Organizational Process Management

• Provide oversight and strategic management of the Student Engagement platform and student organization administrative processes, including event approvals, organization registration, annual renewal, documentation management, roster verification, and workflow implementation. Manage official RSO email accounts, including annual access updates. In consultation with Senior Associate Director, manage all RSO recognition processes, including annual renewal, new club recognition, and organizational transitions including the development of timelines, communications, compliance procedures, constitution and document review, advisor verification processes, and organizational eligibility review.

• Support major division and university-wide programs, including but not limited to, Commencement, Family Weekend, Summer Send-Offs, Move-In, New Student Orientation, Family and Supporters Orientation, Student Achievement Awards, and Eagles at Night. As a member of the Division of Student Affairs, this position may advise recognized student organizations as needed.

4.) Event Staffing, Support, and SAST Team Lead

• As a live-on professional staff member, serves as a designated member of the Student Activism Support Team (SAST) and participates in an on-call rotation to support student activism, expressive activity, demonstrations, advocacy efforts, and other student-led engagement activities. In the absence of the Senior Associate Director, provides consultation, guidance, and resource navigation to students and student organizations before, during, and following events, helping students understand university policies, access campus resources, and successfully navigate institutional processes.

• Serves as a visible university representative and resource during planned and emergent student activities, promoting constructive engagement, effective communication, conflict de-escalation, and adherence to university policies and community standards.

• Provides after-hours and weekend support for student programs, campus events, demonstrations, and other activities that may require university response, coordination, or intervention. Collaborates with campus partners including the AU Police Department, Office of Student Accountability and Restorative Practices, the Office of Inclusive Excellence, and other university stakeholders to support student well-being, campus operations, and institutional response efforts.

• Maintains availability during assigned on-call periods to respond to emerging recognized student organization events and/or activism  concerns, assess situations, provide appropriate support and referrals, and ensure continuity of university services during evenings, weekends, holidays, and other non-business hours.

Supervisory Responsibility:

• Graduate Assistants and student staff.

Competencies:

• Building and Supporting Teams.

• Making Accurate Judgments and Decisions.

• Developing Plans.

• Evaluating and Implementing Ideas.

• Championing Customer Needs.

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work:

• Full-time.

• 35 hours per week.

• This is a full-time, full-presence 35-hour-per-week position that requires an in-person work schedule. Due to the nature of the role, the incumbent must be available to work non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and other times outside normal business operations.

• Regular attendance at campus programs, student events, university functions, and participation in after-hours response and on-call responsibilities are essential functions of the position.  To support the operational and on-call requirements of the role, the position includes a furnished on-campus studio apartment with all utilities provided as part of the compensation package.

• The incumbent is required to live on campus. 

Salary Range:

• $58,946.00 - $60,000.00 annually, plus housing.

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.

• 2 - 4 years of relevant experience.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Master's degree or equivalent.

• 3 - 5 years of relevant experience.

Additional Eligibility Qualifications:

• Inclusive Excellence: An ability to welcome, value, and affirm individuals of all identities and experiences, and a commitment to ensure they are understood, appreciated, and fully included in the university community.

• Discretion, Tact and Diplomacy: Ability to exercise discretion, tact and diplomacy while interacting with students, faculty, university staff, management, internship employers and other stakeholders on confidential and/or sensitive matters.

• Advanced Communication:Ability to express oneself clearly and concisely, using language with precision; constructing logical arguments; accurate note taking, editing and summarizing; and writing reports or correspondence free of spelling and grammatical errors. Ability to engage in active and empathetic listening and communicate with a service minded orientation.   

• Thoroughness in Reviewing Work:Ability to review one’s own and others work and information to ensure completeness and accuracy; carefully prepare for meetings and presentations; organize information or materials for others; follow up with others to ensure that agreements and commitments have been fulfilled; and set up procedures to ensure high quality of work.

• Student Services Skills: Ability to serve as bridge to services, intervene and/or advocate on students’ behalf with offices across campus to support needs, drive engagement and empower students to achieve their goals.

• Diagnostic Information Gathering: Ability to seek out relevant people to obtain information; probe skillfully to get at the facts when others are reluctant to disclose the full details; ask clarifying questions; and gain a complete and accurate picture by checking multiple sources.

• Standard Office Software: Skill using email, word processing, spreadsheet/ data analysis and presentation development software applications such as Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint while preparing briefings, reports, and presentations.

Other Duties:

• Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Benefits

AU offers a competitive benefits package. Click here to learn about American University's unique benefit options.

Other Details

• Hiring offers for this position are contingent on successful completion of a background check.

• Employees in staff positions at American University must deliver their services to the university from either the District of Columbia, Maryland, or Virginia, or perform work on-site at the university.

• Please note this job announcement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

• American University is an E-Verify employer.

Current American University Employees

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Contact Us

For more information or assistance with the American University careers site, email theworkline@american.edu.

American University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution that operates in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. The university does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex (including pregnancy), age, sexual orientation, disability, marital status, personal appearance, gender identity and expression, family responsibilities, political affiliation, source of income, veteran status, an individual’s genetic information or any other bases under federal or local laws (collectively "Protected Bases") in its programs and activities.