The VRO is an integral department within Student Affairs. The Director of the VRO will serve as a resource and thought leader on campus. The Director provides expertise related to the SMVF community as a sub-population necessary for institutional diversity. Given the diverse populations within the military, the Director will possess demonstrated experience and strategies for supporting and working with individuals from underrepresented backgrounds. The Director provides the framework that guides the services to members of the SMVF community who are contemplating entering USU or are currently enrolled in order to help with the transition to campus life and retention of these students to graduation and employment. The Director is responsible for all aspects of the office, including defining the co-curricular learning outcomes for student success emerging through researching and implementing, and improving initiatives that will assist in meeting the needs of the SMVF community. The Director serves as the primary liaison for the Veterans Administration, the Department of Defense (DOD), and other external organizations that support the SMVF community. The Director oversees the coordination, planning, and execution of all SMVF events throughout the year including those related to Veterans Day and Memorial Day. As a colleague and leader, the Director will collaboratively work with colleagues within and outside USU to support the SMVF community through their transitions, including but not limited to enrollment, financial aid, student development, and career success.

• The Director is responsible for the hiring, onboarding, training, and supervision of all staff related to the VRO.
• Provide oversight of departmental budgets, including creating necessary reports.
• Oversee certification of benefits for SMVF students.
• Complete and submit annual compliance surveys and reports for the USU system including all statewide sites.
• Complete and submit the 85-15 Rule reports and verification.
• Coordinate services with the Registrar's Office, the Scholarship Office, Student Affairs Business Services, and all other necessary University units.
• Develop and maintain resources on issues related to the SMVF community.
• Provide or assist in providing military and cultural competency training for faculty and staff.
• Advise on concerns, legislative issues, and university policy issues that impact the lives and academic success of members of the SMVF community on campus.
• When applicable, serve as a resource to USU's Vice President for Government Relations, Vice President for Student Affairs, and Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on requests by government officials, the Utah System of Higher Education, and other entities regarding SMVF issues
• Work collaboratively on fundraising and grant writing for new and existing funds that support scholarships, programs, and services for the SMVF community.
• Represent the University at the National Council on Military Transition to Education and professional organizations such as NASPA and ACPA.
• Work collaboratively with Enrollment Management to communicate with prospective and matriculated students including, partnering with the Office of Admission on recruitment events.
• Conduct needs assessments to determine current issues facing the SMVF community that inform services, utilization, climate surveys, and develop respective reports for Utah System of Higher Education and Utah Department of Veterans & Military Affairs (DVMA).
• Collaborate with the Veteran Affairs Regional Benefits Office and Salt Lake City VA Health Care System to provide veterans services, including coordinating and monitoring the Veterans Integration into Academic Leadership (VITAL) programs on campus.
• Oversee a comprehensive website, in addition to social media sites, with information for current, future, and alumni of the VRO.
• Maintain and disseminate knowledge about policies and procedures that impact the SMVF community.

DISCLAIMER: This job description is not to be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all the duties and responsibilities of this job. This position is not a telework appointment and may occasionally require work in the evenings and on weekends.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree;
• Four or more years of honorable service in the U.S. Armed Forces;
• Five years of progressively responsible management experience;
• Demonstrated leadership, human relations, and effective communications skills; and
• Ability to perform the essential functions of the job as outlined in the position description.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's Degree;
• Substantial knowledge about the organizations devoted to the SMVF community's issues to include the federal government, the state government and various associations;
• Strong student-centered leadership philosophy;
• Demonstrated leadership in development of new programs;
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and demonstrated commitment to diversity initiatives; and
• Experience in higher education operations.

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV”
2. Cover Letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes.  The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

About the Office:
The Veterans Resource Office's (VRO) mission is to support the individual and academic success of veterans, service members, and their family members who attend the University; to help them receive the benefits they earned; to support their goals for a successful future; and to serve as a liaison between the Service Members, Veterans and Family (SMVF) community and the University.

About Student Affairs:
The Division of Student Affairs (Student Affairs) comprises 11 departments or areas and encourages Utah State University (USU) students to participate in the creation of campus culture, collaboratively working alongside professional staff, student leaders, and academic partners to ensure all members of our community not only feel welcomed but are fully incorporated into university life. As a division, our mission is to support student well-being and success with the ultimate goal of assisting students in discovering their passion, people, and purpose. Student Affairs is committed to the grounding of our programs, procedures, and policies in the tenets of equity and inclusion. Our expectation is that all employees are engaged in this work to create a welcoming environment that supports the success of students and employees.

Utah State University (USU) was founded in 1888 and is Utah’s land-grant and space-grant university. USU is one of only 146 research institutions in the U.S. classified as R1 “very high research activity” by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. As one of the two premier research institutions in Utah, USU provides a high-quality education at an affordable price. With its main campus in Logan, the university serves approximately 27,500 students, including 24,255 undergraduates and 3,171 graduate students. USU Online has served students from all 50 states and 55 countries for 25 years.

USU’s statewide system features three residential campuses, 30 total campus locations, and 23 Extension education centers. The university employees 903 full-time faculty members, 124 executive administrators, and 1,649 full-time support staff. USU offers 115 undergraduate majors, as well as 91 master’s and 42 doctoral degrees. Learn more about USU.

A core characteristic of USU is engagement with communities and people in economic development, improvements to quality of life, and human capital. Through the practical application of knowledge, the University and its faculty engage and share expertise with the state, nation, and world, preserving the historical land-grant tradition of partnering with communities to address critical societal issues in the interest of the public good.

The USU main campus is located in beautiful Logan, Utah, a city of about 50,000 situated in a picturesque mountain valley about 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. Outstanding recreational opportunities abound in the nearby mountains and proximate region.

USU is sensitive to the needs of dual career couples and provides a Dual Career Assistance program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment.

USU endeavors to provide reasonable accommodations to ensure equal access in all aspects of employment to qualified persons with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, please contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Human Resource office at 435-797-0122 or submit a request at hr@usu.edu.

USU Land Acknowledgment

Please visit our website to learn about Utah State’s land acknowledgment of the eight tribes of Utah.

Notice of Non-discrimination

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner, discrimination@usu.edu, Old Main Rm. 161, 435-797-1266

Title IX Coordinator Hilary Renshaw, titleix@usu.edu, Old Main Rm. 161, 435-797-1266

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov

U.S. Department of Education, Denver Regional Office, 303-844-5695, OCR.Denver@ed.gov

*updated 04/18/2022