Assistant Director, Veterans Services

The Assistant Director, Veterans Services provides support to the Director and works with the Coordinator to ensure that all eligible students are aware of their benefits. The Assistant Director assists students from various branches of the military, veterans, and military affiliated students. The Assistant Director assists with troubleshooting registration issues and eligibility requirements and payment of benefits.

• Ensures that eligible and potential students are informed about their benefits, new and existing laws governing same, and veterans' services available to them through proactive communication.
• Establishes and maintains agency and community relationships and networks; participates in Financial Aid/VA outreach activities to include presentations, on and off campus.
• Assists with certifying students and submitting tuition/fees in accordance with institutional policies and procedures.
• Facilitates compliance with federal, state, and other agencies by developing policies, procedures, and interoffice forms, as appropriate, to meet changing federal Department of Veterans Affairs laws governing veterans' education benefits.
• Administers GI Bill benefits ensuring compliance with mandatory annual training requirements and reporting deadlines.
• Collects, evaluates, and analyzes data and prepares administrative reports on the utilization and effectiveness of support services offered through the Veterans Services Office.
• Facilitates a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
• Develops and administers programs/outreach and services at the University by understanding the unique needs of veterans and active military students seeing to remove barriers to success for the students.

• Performs other duties as assigned

Direct Reports:

• Supervises full-time and part-time staff

Delegation of Work:

• Occasionally assigns work to subordinate(s)

Supervision Given:

• Makes final decision on evaluating employee performance; scheduling work hours of other employees; on coaching and counseling; training; handling employee grievances and complaints; granting time off. Provides recommendations on promotions; salary increases; hiring new employees; discharging employees; and disciplinary actions.

Required Education:

• Bachelor's degree

Required Experience:

• Minimum of two (2) years of related work experience

License/Certification:

• None

• Experience in higher education or veterans affairs.
• Experience with assisting veterans with issues within higher education
• Knowledge of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Experience working with an urban/diverse student population
• Experience with managing business social media accounts
• Demonstrated experience with commonly used higher education software and applications (PeopleSoft, Zoom)
• Demonstrated experience with VA-Once
• Experience with budget management

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of trends, issues, and accepted practices relevant to veterans and higher education

Skills:

• Proficiency with MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook
• Excellent diplomacy and interpersonal skills
• Excellent customer service skills
• Strong planning and organizational skills, accompanied by strong attention to detail
• Skilled in developing and delivering reports and presentations

Abilities:

• Ability to deliver excellent written and oral communication in a manner appropriate to the audience
• Ability to work through processes quickly and prioritize responsibilities

Primary Work Location:

• Works in an office environment

Physical Demands:

• Work is normally performed in a typical interior work environment, which does not subject the employee to any unpleasant elements
• Position is physically comfortable; individual has discretion about sitting (80%), walking (10%), and standing, etc. Occasional lifting, pushing, climbing, and pulling may be required
• Work environment involves minimal exposure to physical risks
• Occasional evening and/or weekend work may be required

Commitment to Excellence - UHD

• Demonstrates a commitment to competently perform his/her job duties and responsibilities within established time frames.
• Continuously strives to improve work performance.
• Accepts responsibility for his/her commitments to the university.
• Contributes to the success of the university by consistently providing quality results in the performance of his/her job duties and responsibilities.

Respect and Cooperation

• Treats others with courtesy, respect, and dignity in the workplace.
• Promotes cooperation through open and honest communications and consideration of others ideas, thoughts, and opinions.

Integrity

• Demonstrates high ethical standards of conduct in the performance of his/her job duties and responsibilities.
• Accepts responsibility for his/her actions.
• Respects and complies with department and university policies, procedures, and work rules.

Proficiency

• Possesses required job skills and knowledge.
• Demonstrates the ability to apply those skills and knowledge to competently perform his/her job duties and assignments.

Dependability

• Takes responsibility to accomplish job assignments within reasonable deadlines.
• Willing to accept new projects and/or commitments.
• Does due diligence to complete projects within specified timeframes and/or fulfill commitments.
• Arrives to work on time prepared and ready to contribute.

Flexibility

• Willingly adjusts to changing work assignments or conditions.
• Open to changes in operational procedures, technology, and/or organizational structure.
• Views changes as opportunities for learning and professional development.
• Displays a positive attitude to encourage others.
• Promptly responds to changes in work priorities and/or unexpected circumstances or situations.

Customer Relations Management

• Ensures customer's needs and expectations are addressed within his/her department or section. (Customers can be students, external constituents, employees, or university guests.)
• Mentors and guides department/section staff by sharing knowledge and best practices to appropriately respond to customer's requests.
• Monitors staff interactions with customers for professional conduct, consistent application of university policies and procedures, and follow up of outstanding requests.
• Assumes responsibility for addressing complex or unusual requests.

Project Management

• Manages project stages from proposal to completion ensuring project objectives are met within project budget and projected time frames.
• Clearly defines roles and responsibilities of project team; ascertains and secures necessary resources; and monitors project performance.
• Keeps management apprised of project status.

Supervision

• Supervises the work of staff employees.
• Sets clear goals and expectations within reasonable timeframes.
• Motivates staff through constructive feedback, challenging assignments, and recognition of achievements.
• Provides mentorship and guidance by sharing expertise and best practices.
• Supports staff by providing essential resources, professional development opportunities, and open communication.
• Promptly addresses performance issues with appropriate measures and discretion.

Decision Making

• Demonstrates the ability to make informed decisions in a timely manner.
• Assimilates and/or secures relevant information to assess the risks and benefits of alternatives.
• Considers impact of decision in the long and short term.

Building External Relationships

• Demonstrates the ability to build rapport and develop relationships with external constituents.
• Displays a genuine interest in constituents' ideas and concerns, and pursues mutual interests and aspirations between the university and external constituents.
• Builds trust and forms alliances through shared respect and cooperation.

Student Success Indirect Support

• Contributes to student success by assisting students with anything that supports their student experience, whether directly or indirectly.
• Helps students navigate their way through the different offices, programs, and services at the university and/or connects students with the appropriate party(ies).
• Connects students with services or resources that can help them with career exploration, goal selection, and ongoing academic assistance.
• Helps students build peer support networks.
• Encourages student participation in out-of-class activities.
• Provides encouragement and guidance to foster student success.
• Treats students with respect
• Maintains the learning environment to ensure quality and/or sound pedagogy.