Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America’s leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Job Summary
The Office of University Scholars and Fellows (OUSF) seeks a creative and organized individual with excellent interpersonal skills to lead a team of faculty directors, a program coordinator, and graduate assistants to provide programming, mentorship, and experiential opportunities for Duke’s merit scholars. The MSP Director fosters academic engagement by providing vision and oversight for all of Duke’s Merit Scholarship Programs and through building strong working relationships with students, faculty, and the greater campus community. The MSP Director works closely with campus partners, including Admissions, Alumni Affairs, Financial Aid, Registrar’s office, and University Development, to lead the annual scholar selection and recruitment process. The MSP Director serves as the OUSF point of contact for scholarship donors, including the Duke Endowment and Alumni and Trinity Scholarships. Some travel is required.

OUSF is committed to creating an accessible, supportive environment, and an educational experience that recognizes diversity and cultural competence as integral components of academic and organizational excellence. Candidates who can contribute to that goal are encouraged to apply and to identify their strengths in this area. For more information, visit OUE’s Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism and OUSF’s Excellence, Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity Strategic Plan.

Required Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree with at least 4 years of experience in higher education administration, preferably with experience advising high-achieving students. Master’s, Ph.D. or other advanced degree is preferred. Strong and proven organizational, community-building, and written and oral communication skills are essential. The MSP Director must show evidence of a commitment to excellence in education and a record of successful involvement in program development and innovation. The position also requires experience in managing budgets and employing fiscal responsibility.

Skills

The MSP Director should have experience in undergraduate honors programs or other programs for high-achieving students, and must have a demonstrated ability to lead teams of faculty and staff as well as empower students. A background in working with international, low-income, first-generation, racially diverse, and LGBTQ+ students is preferred.

Work performed

With guidance from the OUSF Executive Director, the MSP Director performs the following responsibilities:

Merit Scholarship Program Administration - 40%

Create vision of all-OUSF programming and provide broad oversight to coordinate merit scholarships, which includes AB Duke, Alumni Endowed, BN Duke, Karsh, Mastercard, Reginaldo Howard, and Trinity Scholarship programs
• Serve as primary liaison within OUSF for coordination with the University, Rubenstein, and Robertson Scholarships. Discover and implement ways the affiliated programs Baldwin, Cardea, and Rachel Carson Scholars can be integrated into the community of the office.
• Supervise the MSP program coordinator and graduate assistants as they plan scholarship-specific programming for each scholarship group, including such events as group dinners, guest speakers, and enrichment field trips.
Convene periodic meetings of scholarship faculty directors.Promote merit scholarships and communicate with all merit scholars.
• Manage scholarship program budgets.
• Oversee grade reports process each semester and meet with students on academic or program probation.
• Advise, support, and assist scholars through navigating Duke and life in Durham.
• Oversee planning efforts for all-OUSF events in coordination with staff, faculty directors, and students, which may include Welcome Back Night activities, Faculty Fellows, Family Weekend Open House, Graduation Brunch, First-Year Series, Upperclassmen Series, Merit Scholar Finalist Days, and other new initiatives.

Scholarship Recruitment & Selection - 20%

Lead and direct the scholarship recruitment and selection process for all Duke merit scholars, including leading the OUSF Recruitment and Selection Committee.During the annual scholar selection and recruitment process, coordinate the activities of specific faculty directors, faculty/staff readers for each scholarship, and colleagues in Admissions, SISS, Alumni Affairs, Financial Aid, Registrar, and the University Development office.Provide training and support for all application readers.
• Work with Admissions to create workflows for reading teams and manage the Slate application flow for OUSF; Train personnel on Slate.
• Lead individual scholarship selection decision committees.
• Direct and manage the selection experience for finalists both domestic and international.
• Address merit scholar candidates’ issues and concerns.
• Manage all data, communications, and reporting for recruitment and selection process.

Program-Specific Oversight - 15%

• Provide direct support and oversight to the Karsh International Scholarship Program.
• Manage scholar application process with Duke Engage.
• Direct application process and administer the participation of AB Duke Scholars in the Duke in Oxford summer program; read and make recommendation of admission for all Duke in Oxford applications.
• Communicate with Nationally Competitive Scholarships team about potential candidates.

Merit Scholarship Program Assessment - 10%

Establish and maintain appropriate metrics for assessing MSP outcomes.Collect annual report from the faculty director of each MSP, including goals and objectives for the program. Prepare annual yield report of MSP collectively, prioritizing needs for each program and setting goals and objectives for program excellence.Analyze data to make informed changes to programming and practices.Manage development, changes, and delivery of scholars’ handbook and contracts.

Administrative Coordinator for Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows - 10%

• With MMUF Faculty Coordinator, plan academic year programming to include biweekly meetings.
• Coordinate annual research symposium trip for fellows to include serving as site host every five years.
• Lead and manage recruitment and selection process annually.
• Manage budgets and prepare documents for annual grant report and funds request.
• Track alumni for reporting and loan repayment purposes.
• Serve as liaison between Duke MMUF and Andrew Mellon Foundation.

External Relations - 5%

• In conjunction with Executive Director of OUSF and University Development, maintain positive relationships with scholarship donors, including the Duke Endowment, Mastercard Foundation, Alumni Affairs, and specific donor families and individuals.
• Manage grants and prepare budget and outcome reports for donors on scholarship programs.
• Travel and present and represent Duke University and OUSF at various events/programs

Other duties, as necessary

Desired Skills

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are core values of OUE and OUSF. (Please visit OUSF’s EDIE report for more information.) We believe that the educational environment is enhanced when diverse groups of people with varied ideas come together to learn. Applicants with a demonstrated commitment to issues of diversity in higher education are particularly encouraged to apply.
• Incorporates an anti-racist and anti-oppressive lens into work responsibilities and processes.
• Experience working directly with and elevating ideas of people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
• Ability to serve as an advocate for individuals of all backgrounds.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires communications, analytical and organizational skills generally acquired through completion of a bachelor's degree program.

Experience

Work requires the ability to plan and administer programs and direct program activities within a specific functional area, generally acquired through four years of related experience. OR ANY OTHER EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.