Dir. of Student Engagement

General Summary

Reporting to the Associate Head of School for Student Life, the Director of Student Engagement facilitates robust engagement across the student body through a compelling schedule of activities; aligns and supports Deerfield’s community-building efforts, including student Alliances; and actively promotes among students the ideas and practices outlined in the Framework for Schools.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Facilitate Student Engagement and Connectedness – to the School and to One Another
Community Engagement:

• Maintain a visible, accessible presence in the school community and actively build meaningful connections with students;
• In collaboration with the Student Life Office and Alliance advisors and guided by the Framework for Schools, oversee, manage, and curate a menu of activities throughout the academic year that exposes students to new ideas, viewpoints, opinions, cultures, and experiences – including planning and execution of the Academy’s Martin Luther King recognition day;
• In planning for all student-facing activities, prioritize a pro-social approach that builds a positive culture and leverages shared experiences as a source of meaningful relationships among students;
• Serve as a leader and manager for all student extra-curricular club activities, including review and approval of annual student club creation and formation as well as providing support to fellow faculty Alliance advisors and their work with students;
• Meet regularly with IT, Dining, Facilities, and other departments to ensure smooth, timely collaboration in support of student programs and activities;
• Co-lead with the Director of Academic Support, Deerfield’s Rising Scholars Program.

Student Activity Planning and Curation:

• Create a menu of activities – particularly on weekends – that brings students together around a sense of fun;
• Collaborate weekly with the Student Programs Committee (SPC) to ensure that weekend activities reasonably tend to the ideas and interests of the student body;
• Communicate clearly and punctually to students and faculty information and details about each weekend’s campus events;
• Ensure that student-facing campus events are well-executed;
• In collaboration with the Dean of the Faculty’s Office, coordinate and assign faculty weekend duty assignments to ensure student events and activities are appropriately supervised;
• Ensure that campus events for students are varied and appeal to a broad range of preferences;
• Manage, review, and oversee third-party contractors for student activities, including the management of contracts, scheduling, invoice review and approval, and other tasks in a timely manner;
• Regularly review student-facing events with students and chaperones to ensure success and/or appropriate refinement;
• In collaboration with other members of the Student Life Office, receive, review, and approve or deny proposals for student attendance at community building programs off campus.

Dining and Sit-Down Meals: 

• Collaborate closely with the Student Life Office Senior Associate to ensure that sit-down meals continue to serve as sources of connection and engagement;
• Collaborate with the Dean of Faculty’s Office and the Student Life Office Senior Associate to manage and support faculty participation in the sit-down meal program;
• Serve as a resource for faculty and students regarding the sit-down meal program.

Collaborate with Other Departments:

• Attend weekly Health, Education, and Wellness (HEW) meetings as scheduled through the Health Center;
• Serve as primary point person for external inquiries about community life at Deerfield;
• Coordinate and collaborate major campus events with the Academy’s Event Manager;
• Prioritize ongoing professional learning through attendance at conferences focused on student engagement;
• Serve on Admissions and recruitment panels for prospective students and families, as needed.

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

• Coach and/or participate in the co-curricular program for two seasons each year;
• Manage the Community Engagement budget according to Academy policies and practices;
• Write and submit end-of-term reviews of events and programs;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Job Specifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree required
• Demonstrated leadership and experience in community-building efforts
• Experience with mediation of conversations across difference 
• Demonstrated capacity to create positivity, optimism, and a sense of joy among adolescents
• Demonstrated commitment to intellectual diversity and the ideas outlined in the Framework for Schools
• Ability to use data and information effectively in planning and decision-making
• Exceptional attention to detail and punctuality
• Demonstrated capacity to engage in strategic work 
• Exceptional ability to work in teams and establish partnerships with third parties
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Experience in K-12 schools and/or college or university settings 
• High degree of energy and flexibility
• Demonstrated success in strategic planning and future-oriented initiatives
• Excellent leadership and communication skills
• Ability to manage and sensitivity to confidential information 
• Superior interpersonal, organizational and managerial skills
• Ability to work effectively with all levels of a socially and culturally rich and diverse independent school, ultimately serving as a role model to promote a positive and welcoming school climate

Physical Job Demands:

• Close visual acuity to view a computer terminal, analyze data and figures, and read
• Ability to frequently sustain substantial movements of the wrists, hands and/or fingers
• Ability to frequently receive and communicate information
• Ability to occasionally stoop or kneel and to occasionally lift/carry/push up to 20 pounds

Working Conditions: The worker is mainly in an office environment, and is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.  

Disclaimer: The above job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this classification.  This job description is not intended to be construed as a comprehensive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. It is expected that job duties and responsibilities will develop over time commensurate with performance.