Project Director of TRIO and Thrive Scholars Program

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Position type: Full-Time 12-Month
Department: 440601 - Holmes Center for Student Success
Location: Main Campus - Starkville, MS
Categories: Professional
Position Open Date: Aug 25 2025

Position Function:

The Project Director of Student Support Services and Thrive Scholars Program is responsible for increasing access, retention, and success of vulnerable student populations, focusing on their engagement in academic initiatives and co-curricular activities that facilitate success. The Director will provide direct oversight and leadership to the TRIO Student Support Services and Thrive Scholars Program, ensuring that students are empowered and prepared to reach their full social, professional, and academic pursuits.

Employees hired into Intermittent positions are limited to working no more than 720 hours per fiscal year.

1. Work collaboratively with the Office of Academic Excellence and Division of Student Affairs to develop and implement innovative approaches to enhance student learning, close achievement gaps and provide a student-centered learning environment
2. Serves as the point person for the THRIVE Scholars Program, ensuring students in this program receive academic support resources and financial resources for degree completion.
3. Assist with the planning, coordination, and implementation of student success programs.
4. Assist with the development and implementation of early intervention and retention programs.
5. Coordinate programs and initiatives that promote students’ sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and personal/professional development.
6. Track performance measures, update program database and prepare annual performance report to U.S. Department of Education, Executive Director and MSU administration.
7. Serve as the university contact with U.S. Department of Education and attend Director’s meetings, seminars and conferences as required.
8. Encourage student engagement in departmental and university activities.
9. Serve as a constant and immediate source of support for students and making referrals when necessary to meet their needs.
10. Work alongside staff to design workshops and deliver toolkits and resources for student success.
11. Serves of divisional, university, and community committees as required.
12. Performs related duties as required.

Supervisory Responsibility:

Received:
Receives supervision from the Executive Director, Holmes Center for Student Success.

Given:
Full supervisory responsibility to professional staff including the Associate Director, Program Coordinator and student staff

Minimum Qualifications:

* Master’s Degree in Education Administration, or a related field required

* 5
-7 years of administrative experience managing a department/team

* Three years of experience with budget management

* Three years of experience with budget management

Preferred Qualifications:

* TRIO eligible background preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

1. Proficient with technology
2. Ability to work with students in crisis
3. Ability to work independently and collaboratively
4. Must have strong problem-solving, organizational and time management skills
5. Ability to lead high initiatives from conception to implementation
6. Ability to analyze and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data
7. Excellent verbal and written communication skills
8. Excellent presentation skills
9. Demonstrated strong commitment to supporting students

Working Conditions and Physical Effort

• No unusual physical requirements. Requires limited lifting of files and records and nearly all work is performed in a comfortable indoor facility.

• Frequent
- External imposed deadlines; set and revised beyond one’s control; interruptions influence priorities; difficult to anticipate nature or volume of work with certainty beyond a few days; meeting of deadlines and coordination of unrelated activities are key to position; involves conflict-resolution or similar interactions involving emotional issues or stress on a regular basis.

• Job frequently requires walking, sitting, reaching, talking, hearing, handling objects with hands.

• Ability to occasionally work…