Student Services Manager - Assistant Director of First Year Success (Academic Advisement)

Student Services Manager - Assistant Director of First Year Success (Academic Advisement)

Job ID: 322348
Location: Mesa Community College
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular

Hiring Salary Range

$68,850.00 - $89,505.00/annually, DOE

Grade

118

Work Schedule

Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm; some evenings and weekends may be required

Summer Hours: Monday - Thursday, 7am-6pm

Work Calendar

12 Months

Maricopa Summary

10 Colleges. Unlimited Opportunities.

The Maricopa County Community College District is one of the largest community college systems in the nation. Home to 10 individually accredited community colleges and 31 satellite locations, we proudly serve students in every corner of the Valley. Each day, our dedicated faculty, staff, and administrators, live out our vision-

We focus on people-not profits.
With 100% acceptance, zero rejections, and affordable tuition, we provide the flexibility and support our students need to succeed in and beyond the classroom.

We don't just support our community-we help build it.
We are the largest provider of workforce development training in the state. The activities of our colleges and their students support one out of every 28 jobs in Maricopa County.

We believe our employees are our most valuable asset.
Our 10 colleges and District Office support nearly 10,000 jobs and careers throughout Greater Phoenix.

Join us in making a real difference in the lives of over 140,000 college students each year.

Campus Statement

Mesa Community College (MCC), is nationally recognized for its excellence in university transfer, career and technical programs, civic engagement, and innovative education. Serving more than 25,500 students annually, MCC offers a range of degree and certificate programs across its two campuses and additional locations. MCC students contribute more than 8,500 hours of community service annually. MCC serves as a key resource for education, workforce development, and lifelong learning. The college enhances student success through Guided Pathways with Integrated Support Services. A Hispanic Serving Institution, nearly 50% of MCC students are first-generation college attendees, and it boasts the largest Indigenous student population among Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) colleges, supporting students from 22 Arizona tribes and additional out-of-state tribes. Our award-winning faculty are committed to helping students achieve their goals through high-quality education, training and undergraduate research opportunities. Located in the East Valley of Phoenix, Arizona, MCC is one of 10 MCCCD colleges. Learn more at .

Benefits

Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) is committed to providing a competitive and comprehensive benefits program that supports our employees' and their families' health and well-being. Therefore, the MCCCD benefits support every stage of life and are designed to meet the diverse needs of our community. Explore the wide range of available to eligible employees at MCCCD:

Affordable and Comprehensive Benefits Package:

• Nationwide Medical, Dental, and Vision Coverage
• Paid Time Off: Vacation, Sick Leave, and Personal Time
• 20 Paid Observed Holidays
• Company-paid Life Insurance, AD&D, and Short-Term Disability plans, with the option to purchase supplemental coverage
• , including Long Term Disability and Retiree Health Insurance with 100% employer-matching contributions
• Optional Retirement Plans: 403(b), 457(b), Roth 403(b), Roth 457(b)
• Tuition Reimbursement for employees and dependents
• Annual Professional Development Funding
• Flexible Work Schedules

Employee Health & Wellness Programs:

• District-Wide Wellness Program with Workshops and Webinars
• Monthly Health & Wellness Calendar and Newsletter
• Virta Diabetes Reversal Program, Support Groups
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• 
  Sight-On-Site Eye Care Services
  
  
• Pre-Retirement Planning Events
• Qualifying Employer for (potential loan forgiveness for federal Direct Loans after meeting repayment requirements and working full-time for an eligible employer)

Job Summary

Assistant Director, First-Year Success (Inaugural Position)

Mesa Community College invites applications for and seeks a strategic, student-centered leader to serve as its first inaugural Assistant Director of First-Year Success. This inaugural leadership role will design, launch, and institutionalize a comprehensive first-year program that supports students from entry through the completion of their first year.

This position represents a critical investment in the college's long-term student success and enrollment stability strategy. The position will build the program from the ground up-coordinating multiple first-year initiatives and new student orientation, supporting early alert and intervention for first-year students, and supervising retention coaches-while aligning academic and student support services to ensure a strong, equitable start for all students.

Position Overview

Reporting to the Director, Academic Advising (or designee), the Assistant Director of First-Year Success provides college-wide strategic and operational leadership for first-year experience, new-student orientation, early academic momentum, and retention initiatives. As an inaugural role, this position requires a leader who can translate vision into operational reality, build cross-functional partnerships, and establish sustainable structures, processes, and assessment practices.

The Assistant Director will collaborate closely with Academic Affairs, faculty leadership, Enrollment Services, Institutional Research, Information Technology, and Student Affairs units to ensure first-year success is embedded as a shared institutional responsibility. The role has a substantial impact on the success of college-wide first-year initiatives and provides oversight and management of signature first-year programs and leading a team of retention specialist positions.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and implement a comprehensive first-year success framework, including vision, goals, new-student orientation, onboarding, early-term retention milestones and strategies, and measurable outcomes aligned with guided pathways principles.
• Build program infrastructure from the ground up, including staffing models, workflows, communication strategies, and assessment processes.
  Coordinate and continuously improve new student orientation and related transition programming.
• Lead and align first-year programming such as success workshops, seminars, learning communities, and engagement initiatives.
• Support, help operationalize, and scale retention and early alert systems for first-year students, integrate academic progress monitoring, case management, intervention escalation protocols, and coordinate timely outreach and intervention with faculty, advisors, and support services.
• Partner with academic leadership and faculty to embed first-year success strategies into gateway courses and programs.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration across divisions (Academic Affairs, Student Services, Enrollment Management, Institutional Research) to align onboarding, advising, and support services for new students.
• Use quantitative and qualitative data, dashboards, and KPIs to assess first-year outcomes and guide continuous improvement.
• Develop and produce assessment reports, accreditation evidence, and executive-level summaries demonstrating institutional effectiveness.
• Supervise, train, and evaluate retention coaches, ensuring consistent, proactive, and equity-minded coaching practices to support first-year and new-student success initiatives, while fostering accountability, consistency, and professional growth.
• Ensure first-year programs are equity-minded, student-centered, and scalable, with attention to diverse student populations including first-generation, adult, and historically underserved students.
• Represent first-year success initiatives in college-wide planning, enrollment management, and accreditation activities.

Essential Functions

All Student Affairs positions require consistent, full on-site attendance and engagement as an essential job function in order to provide in-person student affairs services, including but not limited to: student advising, support services, case management, programming, student walk-in services, daily operational support and collaboration, etc.-which precludes remote or hybrid work options for any Student Affairs role regardless of position classification.

45% Leadership
* Participate in developing departmental strategic plans based on department goals.
* Develop, implement, assess, and manage student engagement and transition programs, policies, and procedures for MCC students first-year student success initiatives.
* Manage activities related to the first-year academic advising program, including determining and overseeing advisor/advisee caseloads, ratios, and student assignments/re-assignments in PeopleSoft.
* Work closely with the Dean and Director to develop impactful resources to support academic, social, and professional development of first-year students.
* Create, deliver, and evaluate quality first-year programming activities for students in both the seated and online modalities.
* Develop and lead retention-based outreach programs to currently enrolled students in coordination with division leadership.
* Compile and present data informed proposals and recommendations regarding immediate and long-range planning for advising and retention efforts.
* Evaluate effectiveness and efficiency of advisement delivered by first-year undergraduate advisors to students. Conduct data analysis projects; implement assessment initiatives designed to enrich advising and case management.
* Work across divisions to engage key constituents to design and deliver programmatic content in support of student success, retention, and meaningful faculty/student engagement.
* Create effective ongoing planning and relational partnerships to support first-year student success initiatives with academic units within the college.
* Partner with internal and external stakeholders to deliver value-added programs and services to support the delivery of exceptional experiences to first-year students.
* Collaborate with faculty regarding the First-Year Experience (FYE) courses to ensure relevant learning objectives and outcomes are as expected.
* Collaborate with faculty to address first-year experience courses, orientation, summer bridge programming, and similar initiatives.
* Demonstrate assessment technique and continuous improvement efforts through the development and submission of an annual assessment plan and report for the Office of First Year Experience in accordance with the Institutional Effectiveness Policy.
* Interview, hire, train, and supervise retention coach positions. Develop and implement onboard training, cross-training, professional development opportunities, and continuous feedback to advisors through the evaluation process.
* Ability to act in the absence of the Director, Academic Advising and assist with projects and program quality improvements.

45% Program/Operation Implementation
* Design and implement a comprehensive first-year success framework, including vision, goals, new-student orientation, onboarding, early-term retention milestones and strategies, and measurable outcomes aligned with guided pathways principles.
* Build program infrastructure from the ground up (with continuous improvement strategies), including staffing models, workflows, communication strategies, and assessment processes.
* Coordinate and continuously improve new student orientation and related transition programming.
* Lead and align first-year programming such as success workshops, seminars, learning communities, and engagement initiatives.
* Support, help operationalize, and scale retention and early alert systems for first-year students, integrate academic progress monitoring, case management, intervention escalation protocols, and coordinate timely outreach and intervention with faculty, advisors, and support services.
* Partner with academic leadership and faculty to embed first-year success strategies into gateway courses and programs.
* Lead cross-functional collaboration across divisions (Academic Affairs, Student Services, Enrollment Management, Institutional Research) to align onboarding, advising, and support services for new students.
* Use quantitative and qualitative data, dashboards, and KPIs to assess first-year outcomes and guide continuous improvement.
* Develop and produce assessment reports, accreditation evidence, and executive-level summaries demonstrating institutional effectiveness.
* Supervise, train, and evaluate retention coaches, ensuring consistent, proactive, and equity-minded coaching practices to support first-year and new-student success initiatives, while fostering accountability, consistency, and professional growth.
* Ensure first-year programs are equity-minded, student-centered, and scalable, with attention to diverse student populations including first-generation, adult, and historically underserved students.
* Represent first-year success initiatives in college-wide planning, enrollment management, and accreditation activities.

5% Compliance
* Monitor compliance with all unit, department, college, and government standards, policies, and procedu