Assistant Director of Student Engagement

Location: New York, NY Category: Professional Job Type: Full-time Posted On: Wed Sep 2 2026

Empire State University currently seeks applicants for a full-time Assistant Director of Student Engagement. Reporting to the Executive Director of Student Experience, the assistant director is responsible for leading the university's comprehensive student engagement strategy in both virtual and in-person environments to support the academic growth of our students and the sense of belonging at the university. The assistant director coordinates, implements, and continuously assesses engagement initiatives that strengthen student belonging, leadership development, retention, and student success while aligning programs with institutional strategic priorities.

The incumbent should be a self-starter and self-motivated with a student-centered focus and experience in student life in a higher education setting. Many of our students are working adult learners who learn and engage in a primarily online space. The selected incumbent must be knowledgeable about student services within higher education and should have familiarity with working with adult students in both face-to-face and online learning environments, with the ability to support students of diverse backgrounds.

The Assistant Director of Student Engagement provides support and operational management for student engagement initiatives. This position is responsible for implementing and evaluating innovative programs that foster community, inclusion, and student success in a predominantly online environment. Working closely with the Executive Director of Student Experience, academic departments, and university partners, the assistant director ensures that students - whether part-time, full-time, or in remote locations - have meaningful opportunities for connection and extracurricular involvement.

The assistant director supports, assists, and advises all student organizations in program planning, policies and procedures, event promotion, conflict management, travel, budgeting, conference attendance, etc. This position will design and implement student organization events (ex: orientations, workshops, institutes, etc.), maintain the student organization database, increase engagement in the virtual student union, SUNY Empire Connects, participate in staff trainings and meetings, and serve on committees and other programs promoting student activities on campus.

• Coordinate and support the implementation of the university's student engagement initiatives.
• Coordinate and execute a comprehensive calendar of online and in-person programs, events, and initiatives, aligned with university strategic goals.
• Develop and support programming designed for students.
• Incorporate best practices in student engagement, using data-driven insights to assess student needs and interests.
• Serve as the university's primary resource regarding student engagement practices, consulting with academic and administrative departments to develop collaborative initiatives that strengthen student success and belonging.

• Provide training, advising, and administrative oversight for student clubs and organizations, ensuring compliance with university policies and virtual community standards.
• Support student leaders in event planning, budget management, and organizational management.
• Serve as the institutional administrator for SUNY Empire Connects, overseeing platform governance, user adoption strategies, communications standards, training, assessment, and ongoing enhancement of the university's virtual student community.
• Be a central point of contact for all student clubs and organizations.