Director of the Student Union

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) invites nominations and applications for the position of Director of the Student Union. UWM is a doctoral/research university and Wisconsin’s premier public urban institution. Serving a student body of over 30,000 diverse students, UWM provides a distinctive array of programs and is committed to the highest quality of education. The 104-acre main campus is located in a beautiful residential neighborhood and is a short walk from Lake Michigan. UWM is three miles from downtown Milwaukee, and the city offers a wide range of cultural, athletic, artistic, entertainment, and outdoor opportunities.

The Director of the Student Union provides strategic direction, coordinates long-term planning, develops policies and procedures, and is responsible for facility management, budget development and oversight, auxiliary operations, student activities, marketing, personnel practices, tenant relationships, and general programmatic oversight for the Student Union. The Director ensures that the Union provides a wide array of social, educational, leadership, and recreational programs for UWM’s diverse community. The Director works closely with the Union Policy Board and Student Association to sustain student-friendly services and to maximize student participation. The position oversees 35 professional staff and 225 student staff and has an annual operating budget of $7.5 million. The Director must be a visionary, innovative, and highly collaborative leader with the ability to purposefully facilitate organizational development and prioritize numerous projects. This is an exciting time at UWM as the new Director will oversee major new construction/renovation of the Student Union.

A Masters degree and seven years of significant management experience are required. The successful candidate must also demonstrate excellent business, fiscal planning, and budget management skills; an understanding of facility maintenance and construction/renovation projects; a commitment to student involvement, student activities, and student leadership organizations; the ability to shape a union environment that supports a wide range of social, educational, and recreational programs; the ability to strategically facilitate organizational change; strong supervisory skill with the ability to recruit, support, and retain a large and diverse staff; an understanding of tenant contracts and retail operations; excellent oral and written communication skills and an engaging public presence; an active commitment to diversity and inclusion; and the ability to work collaboratively with students, staff, faculty, alumni, business partners, community members, the media, and other stakeholders. The new Director will possess a passion for the profession and the talent to incorporate best practices into the organizational culture.

Review of applications will begin March 9, 2012 and will continue until the position is filled. A resume with an accompanying cover letter may be submitted via the SJG website at www.spelmanandjohnson.com under the link Open Positions. Nominations for this position may be emailed to Peter Rosenberg at pwr@sjgsearch.com. If you are unable to submit materials electronically, please call SJG at 413-529-2895.

SJG – The Spelman & Johnson Group
UW-Milwaukee – Director of the Student Union
Peter Rosenberg, Senior Associate

Visit the UW-Milwaukee website at www.uwm.edu

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer.