Associate Director, Student Affairs

Overview

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. 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.

At Duke, we celebrate individuality and the unique perspectives that each member of our community brings. As the Associate Director, Student Affairs
, you ll join a dynamic team dedicated to supporting prospective students, new-to-Duke students, and their families. Your work will help strengthen belonging, connection, and student success across the Duke journey. In this role, you will lead high-impact initiatives that shape the earliest and most transformative experiences students and families have with Duke—from admitted-student engagement to family programming to orientation leadership.

Parent & Family Engagement

• Lead the planning, vision, and implementation of Duke s annual Family Weekend, including budget oversight, campus partnerships, and on-site execution.
• Coordinate Duke s family orientation programming through a series of summer webinars in collaboration with campus partners.
• Oversee a comprehensive communications strategy for families of new-to-Duke students, ensuring clear, timely, and supportive messaging.
• Serve as the primary liaison to university partners who contribute to family-facing programs and communications.

Admitted Student Recruitment & Yield Programming

• Design and execute major recruitment and yield events that introduce hundreds of admitted students and their families to life at Duke.
• Create programming that highlights Duke s vibrant community, leadership opportunities, and student involvement pathways.
• Partner across Admissions, Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, academic departments, and student organizations to deliver a holistic admitted-student experience.
• Ensure all programming and communications comply with federal regulations and university policies.
• Train and supervise student volunteers who support recruitment events.
• Evaluate event effectiveness in collaboration with Admissions leadership.

Experiential Orientation Leadership Advising

• Provide strategic advising to student leaders responsible for the design and execution of Experiential Orientation (ExO) projects.
• Support leaders in goal setting, budget planning, logistics management, risk mitigation, and partnership development.
• Help student leaders cultivate high-performing, inclusive team environments.
• Establish clear expectations, timelines, and accountability measures for ExO program success.
• Collaborate closely with other ExO advisors and campus partners to align the vision and quality of all orientation projects.
• Collect data and feedback to assess program outcomes and recommend enhancements.

Communications Oversight

• Lead communication timelines and editorial standards to ensure high-quality outreach to new students and families.
• Oversee timely, accurate, and student-centered messaging for incoming students.
• Partner with stakeholders across Duke to produce the Blue Book, the university s online platform for new students.
• Supervise staff and student team members who manage newsletters, webinars, and social media outreach.

Departmental Leadership & Supervision

• Support the recruitment, hiring, onboarding, and training of professional staff members.
• Provide direct supervision, coaching, and performance management to assigned staff.
• Assist with department-wide programming, including evening and weekend events.
• Manage budgets and ensure fiscal practices align with university guidelines.

Other Duties

• Contribute to administrative projects, committees, and campus initiatives as assigned.

Job-Specific Skills and Competencies

• Demonstrated success in advising and developing student leaders and student organizations.
• Experience with large-scale program development, event planning,…