Director of Retention​/ Early Alert (Student Support Specialist V

Director of Retention/ Early Alert (Student Support Specialist V)

Job : 496717

Location: Lexington, Kentucky

Employment Type: Staff

Standard

Hours:

37.5

Salary Range: $4616-$5771 per month

Contract Term Length: 12 Months

Work Location: On-Site

College: Bluegrass Community & Technical College

Campus

Location:

Bluegrass C&TC
- Newtown Pike Campus

Department: Academics, & Student Services

Closing date: Aug 15 2026 - 23:55 EDT

• Exceptional health care, vision, and dental coverage for you and your family
• Tuition reimbursement/waiver for you, your spouse, and dependents
• 403(b) retirement plan: a 5% employee contribution receives a 10% employer match
• Vacation/Sick Time
• Work-Life Balance
• 9.5 Paid Holidays
• 2 Weeks Institutional Closing Pay (Last 2 weeks of December) for qualifying positions
• Employee Assistance Program

The Director of Retention provides leadership support to the Student Success & Retention area. Oversees various programs and activities related to the promotion of student success and academic persistence, including coordinating & managing early intervention strategies, student learning communities, and supervising related student support staff. Works closely with the Director of Student Success/Tutoring, the College Success/FYE Coordinator, area members, and college leadership, faculty, and staff to assist with the development and implementation of co-curricular academic activities and programs.

Uses data collection and analysis to inform decision‑making and assess the effectiveness of success and retention efforts of the area and college. The Director of Retention/Early Alert reports to the Associate Dean of Student Success & Retention.

• Supervisor:
  Supervise the Retention Coordinator and other part‑time student support staff. Includes recruitment, hiring, training, and management.
• Administrative:
  Responsibilities include budget management, purchasing & contracts, strategic planning, and area marketing & communications.
• Retention Initiatives:
  Manages college‑wide Retention Initiatives including administration of the Early Alert System (currently Starfish) and coordination of college‑wide communication campaigns (call, email, text). Manages outcomes of student‑need surveys, referrals from Early Alert, and follow‑up from communication campaigns to ensure student receive timely interventions and navigation support.
• Student Learning Communities and Programming:
  Develops, coordinates and facilitates a variety of student learning communities, including Success Academies. Includes staffing, recruitment, instruction, advising, and assessment.
• Evaluation, Analysis & Reporting:
  Develops evaluation tools as needed for area personnel and activities. Uses data collection and analysis, including enrollment and student tracking, to identify and assess trends and new initiatives related to retention & student success. Provides systematic reports and presentations to area supervisor and college administration.
• Campus & Community Engagement:
  Engages with institutional partners to support Retention Initiatives and Student Learning Communities. Provides college‑wide training and presentations. Participates in recruitment activities, college events, community events, and ongoing professional development.
• Area/College:
  Serves, leads and actively participates on several college and system‑wide committees as the representative for Student Success & Retention area and/or Bluegrass Community & Technical College. Actively collaborates with area personnel and assists as needed.
• All other duties as assigned

• Master’s Degree and (8) Eight Years Position‑Related experience or equivalent

• Master’s degree in a related higher education field.
• At least 10 years of experience in student retention, academic advising, or related areas within higher education.
• Demonstrated experience managing retention programs and initiatives, which may include early alert systems, academic support services, summer bridge programs, and student outreach efforts.
• Familiarity with student information systems (e.g., Starfish, People Soft)
• Experience with assessing student support effectiveness to…