ASSISTANT DIRECTOR / ALTERNATIVE BREAKS

The Assistant Director of the Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center (VC) will work collaboratively with the Director and other professional staff and student members of the Volunteer Center to develop, support, and promote service opportunities to engage students with the mission and values of Central Michigan University. The Assistant Director will serve as the university advisor to the Alternative Breaks (AB) program and provide oversight and direction to the VC and AB graduate and undergraduate student staff. The Assistant Director will direct leadership training of the Alternative Break student advisory board, the student site leaders, and provide oversight of participant development of 700 students. The Assistant Director will also be responsible for providing support to Volunteer Center and AB program assessment. Additionally, the Assistant Director will manage most of the marketing efforts of the office, including, but not limited to: designing and printing promotional materials, promotional items ordering, social media posting for all channels, weekly newsletter creation and distribution and management of the Engage Central volunteer database. The Assistant Director will supervise up to three students to assist with the offices marketing and social media efforts. The Assistant Director will provide oversight of the AB budget and scholarship development as well as board and site leader retreats, service development with university community partners, and develop recruitment strategies for the program.

Bachelors degree.
One year professional experience with student organizations and/or campus programming.
Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills.
Demonstrated organizational skills, including ability to plan, establish priorities and handle multiple tasks and projects. Demonstrated experience as a team member who is highly motivated, a self-starter, and a dedicated professional.

Masters degree in student affairs, higher education, leadership, or related field. Three years direct student service and leadership experience.
Experience working with Alternative Breaks programming.
Experience in a higher education environment.

Serves as the university advisor to the CMU Alternative Breaks program, including the Alternative Breaks Student Advisory Board.
Manages Alternative Breaks data and information via social media oversight, Engage Central (Rosters, Online Forms, Events) and website maintenance.
Provides training sessions to the Alternative Breaks Board, site leaders and participants and assists administrative staff, programs and other CMU departments with volunteer trainings.
Disseminates and enforces University policies and procedures pertaining to Alternative Breaks service projects, risk management, fundraising, office management, student employment, accounting and payroll, etc.
Develops, supports, and provides programming and leadership development for Alternative Breaks staff and student leaders.
Serves as an advisor to Volunteer Center staff and other program leaders.
Develops promotional materials for Alternative Breaks and Volunteer Center to encourage student involvement in the program, offices and resources.
Manages all social media channels for the office.
Develops content for, creates, and disseminates weekly office newsletter.
Supervises up to five student staff members, two for Alternative Breaks and up to three for marketing and social media efforts.
Develops and implements evaluation and assessment of the Alternative Break program in conjunction with the Volunteer Center.
Assists with the management of fiscal resources of the Alternative Breaks program and Volunteer Center.
Represents the Volunteer Center at university events on campus and in the global community and maintains visibility/approachability on behalf of the department.
Assists with the planning and coordination of Volunteer Center programs.
Other duties as assigned.

None.

The Mary Ellen Brandell Volunteer Center, Central Michigan Universitys connection to volunteer opportunities and student resources. We connect students to hundreds of volunteer opportunities on campus, in the local community, and across the country. We offer a variety of programs, including our nationally ranked Alternative Breaks experiences. Additionally, you can find opportunities to volunteer with non-profits in the Mid-Michigan area via our Engage database.

Central Michigan University has a more than 125-year legacy of preparing students to become leaders and changemakers in their communities and in their personal and professional lives.

We serve nearly 15,500 students on our Mount Pleasant campus, in satellite locations around the state and throughout the country, and through flexible online programs. Many of our approximately 300 undergraduate, masters, specialist and doctoral programs in the arts, media, business, education, human services, health professions, liberal arts, social sciences, medicine, science and engineering are nationally ranked for excellence.

CMU leads the nation in leadership development programming through our Sarah R. Opperman Leadership Institute, and we are proud to be among only 5% of U.S. universities in the top two Carnegie research classifications. Our faculty work with graduate and undergraduate students in areas such as Great Lakes research, medical innovation, engineering technology and more.

Central is home to 17 mens and womens Division 1 sports including football, basketball, gymnastics, baseball, wrestling and more. Our student-athletes achieve great success in competition and in the classroom, capturing Mid-American Conference championships and maintaining an average cumulative GPA of 3.17.

CMU is located in Mount Pleasant, a community that blends the best of small-town living with big-city amenities. Its part of the culturally varied and vibrant Great Lakes Bay Region that also includes Saginaw, Bay City, Midland and the states largest Native American community, centered on the Saginaw Chippewa Isabella Reservation in Mount Pleasant.

Area residents enjoy the mix of outdoor activities, cultural events, shopping and dining options, and family attractions. Other major Michigan destinations and attractions - Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, wineries, beaches, golf and ski resorts, and many more - are within easy reach of the citys central location in Michigans Lower Peninsula.

CMU employees enjoy access to a nationally recognized wellness program along with health care and benefits that exceed regional, state and national norms.

Central Michigan University is a place where we value students and work for their success, where we act as family, and where employees are engaged, appreciated and have extraordinary opportunities to make a difference.

We intentionally maintain and strengthen the hallmark CMU culture that sets us apart from our peers by expecting CMU leaders and employees to model the following Leadership Standards and develop them within their teams.

Please review the Leadership Standards before applying for this position.

Central Michigan University is dedicated to fostering an environment that is reflective of the communities we serve. We are especially interested in highly qualified candidates who will advance and promote CMUs mission, vision, and leadership standards.

You must submit an on-line application in order to be considered as an applicant for this position.

Cover letters may be addressed to the Hiring Committee.

This position will remain open until filled. The university reserves the right to close the recruitment process once a sufficient applicant pool has been identified. For best consideration, please submit application materials by March 16, 2026.