| University Recreation + Wellness at the University of Arkansas is seeking candidates for an Assistant Director of Outreach and Staff Development to help them achieve their mission to empower students for success through recreation and wellness. The Assistant Director of Outreach & Staff Development oversees staff development, signature programs, and assists with departmental assessment efforts. Main functions include developing and preparing student leaders for success, cultivating campus partnerships and events leading to healthy outcomes, and assisting with UREC’s communication strategy promoting our programs, story, and impact.
Responsibilities: Outreach (40%) - Manage the strategy and outreach of signature programs for the department, including Open House, Pick One, and spring orientation events. These large-scale, campus-wide programs are led by committee.
- Create and maintain key collaborative relationships, seeking innovative opportunities to broaden the UREC reach and expose students to our value proposition. Working closely with program area supervisors, this role identifies opportunities but manages partnership and is accountable for the overall success of events including planning, organization, and execution. Examples include the UREC-RSO Annual Basketball Tournament and New Student & Family Programs First Generation Celebration Week.
- Strive to improve UREC program offerings by cultivating partnerships, investigating new and emerging trends, exploring opportunities for growth, and seeking inclusive engagement opportunities that support diverse populations.
- Collaborates with Marketing and the Director of Analysis & Reporting for Student Affairs to develop a communication strategy for UREC to promote programs, events, and impact to various stakeholders.
- Seek additional funding for programs, including writing grant proposals and applying for internal university funding requests.
Staff Development (45%) - Directly supervise the coordinator of student development, who is responsible for part-time employee on-boarding and department-wide training, annual training requirements and in-service.?
- Support the design and execution of part-time staff development programming, including UREC LEAD, networking and engagement events, and online learning using evidence and theory-based practices.?
- Supports and assists the Student Employee Advisory Board and our Staff Development Committee.
Assessment (15%) - Works in partnership with the Director of Analysis & Reporting for Student Affairs to support collection, analysis, monitoring, and reporting of assessment related initiatives.
- Assists with aggregating and analyzing UREC participation data to create digestible data visualizations that demonstrate our impact on student success.
Minimum Qualifications: - Bachelor’s degree in Higher Education or related field from an accredited institution of higher education.
- At least two years of experience in collegiate recreation, student affairs, or higher education setting.
Preferred Qualifications: - Master's degree in Higher Education or related field from an accredited institution of higher education.
- Experience with student development programming, assessment, and managing full-time professional staff.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities (KSAs):
- Knowledge of staff development and career competencies
- Knowledge of current recreation programming trends and issues
- Ability to create environments that foster equitable participation of all groups while seeking to address and acknowledge issues of oppression, privilege, and power.
- Ability to evaluate and assess programs
- Ability to balance multiple assignments, deadlines, and tasks
- Ability to work in a team environment
Additional Information: Application Deadline: 3/17/2026 Salary starts at $56,123. Commensurate with education and experience. Regular, reliable, and non-disruptive attendance is an essential job duty, as is the ability to create and maintain collegial, harmonious working relationships with others. Please contact Steven Walton at sw132@uark.edu with questions regarding this position. For more information and to apply, go to jobs.uark.edu. | Additional information and application can be found on the career site at the University of Arkansas. Applications submitted via email or bluefishjobs.com will not be considered. The University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The university welcomes applications without regard to race/color, sex, gender, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, religion, marital or parental status, protected veteran or military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal or state law. he University of Arkansas is an equal opportunity, affirmative action institution. The university welcomes applications without regard to age, race, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, disability, religion, marital or parental status, protected veteran status, military service, genetic information, sexual orientation or gender identity. Persons must have proof of legal authority to work in the United States on the first day of employment. All applicant information is subject to public disclosure under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. | |