Director, New Student and Family Programs

Student Success and Well-Being New Student and Family Programs:

The Office of New Student and Family Programs (NSFP), formerly First Year Experience, serves as the heartbeat of UCF's welcome experience. Tasked with helping new students and their families feel at home from day one, NSFP leads the university's charge in designing innovative orientation programs, transitional support initiatives, and family engagement opportunities that lay the foundation for long-term student success within a world-class academic community.

The Opportunity:

The UCF Student Success and Well-Being New Student and Family Programs is currently accepting applications for a Director of New Student and Family Programs (NSFP). This role will serve as a key leader within the Division of Student Success and Well-Being, providing strategic direction, program oversight, and team supervision for one of UCF's most visible and impactful offices. Formerly known as First Year Experience, NSFP plays a central role in welcoming nearly 20,000 new students and their families to Knight Nation each year through a wide range of high-impact, student-centered initiatives. The Director manages a $2.4 million departmental budget and leads a team of five professional staff and over 100 student employees. This position is responsible for the comprehensive administration, planning, and evaluation of all NSFP programs and operations including undergraduate onboarding for First Time in College (FTIC) and transfer students, Family Weekend, and the Pegasus Parent Program. The Director also collaborates with campus partners to support key university-wide events such as Pegasus Palooza (welcome week) and The Knighting (fall convocation), delivering a seamless and memorable entry experience that reflects UCF's bold, state-of-the-art approach to student success.

Responsibilities:

Office Leadership and Staff Supervision:

• Provides oversight of department, office space, equipment, staff safety, etc.

• Coordinates regular staff and direct report meetings, compile and approve payroll, and initiate other HR and business processes for hiring, developing, retaining, and evaluating professional and student staff.

• Provides guidance regarding effective marketing and communication strategies to promote programs, services and activities to students and campus-wide constituents.

• Establishes best practices and procedures to attain department objectives, learning outcomes, and divisional goals.

Budget Management:

• Provides oversight of separate revenue and expense accounts for payroll, operations, family weekend, and parent programming.

• Oversight includes monthly review, and ongoing assessment, allocation, and reallocation of funds within the departmental budget to achieve desired department outcomes.

Onboarding New Students:

• Establishes collaborative relationships with key stakeholders across the UCF community to assist in facilitating effective and efficient programs for students and families.

• Develops a schedule of dates to host approximately 50 new student and family onboarding sessions for students admitted to summer, fall and spring terms.

• Coordinates innovative programming to be delivered effectively online and in-person to enhance the transitional experience for new students and their families.

Inspiring Parent Engagement:

• Provides oversight of Pegasus Parent Program which requires partnership with various offices on multiple occasions (Homecoming, Family Weekend, Open Houses, etc.).

• Current programming for parents led by the office of NSFP beyond the in-person orientation sessions, includes maintaining digital parent portal, hosting family weekend, and coordinating the Parent and Family Fund Grant.

Campus Partnerships:

• Maintain partnership with more than 300 UCF colleagues who help plan for and facilitate new student and family programming.

• Serve on numerous university committees and workgroups dedicated to university-wide initiatives, such as Pegasus Parent Program, enrollment management, student success, retention and persistence, Student Government initiatives, and divisional strategic planning.

• Recommends and assists in the development and implementation of university policies and procedures, which affect the office including setting the office mission, vision, and values.

Other Duties as Assigned:

• May be requested to serve as essential personnel, act as a delegate for a supervisor in times of need, or perform other duties of leadership when requested.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's and 8+ years of relevant experience or Master's degree and 6+ years of relevant experience with at least 3+ year(s) of leadership experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience pursuant to Fla. Stat. 112.219. Click here for more information

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, Educational Leadership, or a related field.

• 3+ years of direct experience working in Orientation, New Student and Family Programming, First Year Experience, or student onboarding initiatives within a higher education setting.

• 2+ years of experience supervising both professional and student staff, with an ability to foster a collaborative team culture.

• Proven experience managing multiple budget accounts simultaneously, with demonstrated skills in financial oversight, planning, and reporting.

• Experience cultivating partnerships with campus units and stakeholders to support student success and engagement initiatives.

• Familiarity with technologies and platforms used in student onboarding, registration, or event coordination (e.g., Campus ESP, Advantage Design Group, VZ, or similar systems), including experience managing relationships with third-party vendors.

• Demonstrated project management experience with the ability to plan, execute, and assess large-scale events or programs involving multiple stakeholders and timelines.

Additional Application Materials Required:

In addition to your online application, please submit a resume and cover letter.

Special Instructions to the Applicants:

The anticipated salary range for this position is $75,809 - $92,500. The final salary will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, experience, and internal equity considerations.

Applicant must be authorized to work for any U.S. employer, as sponsorship is not available for this position.

Are you ready to unleash YOUR potential?

As a next-generation public research university and Forbes-ranked top employer in Florida, we are a community of thinkers, doers, creators, innovators, healers, and leaders striving to create broader prosperity and help shape a better future. No matter what your role is, when you join Knight Nation, you'll play an integral role at one of the most impactful universities in the country. You'll be met with opportunities to connect and collaborate with talented faculty, staff, and students across 13 colleges and multiple campuses, engaging in impactful work that makes a positive difference. Your time at UCF will provide you with many meaningful opportunities to grow, you'll work alongside talented colleagues on complex projects that will challenge you and help you gain new skills and you'll have countless rewarding experiences that go well beyond a paycheck.

Working at UCF has its perks! UCF offers:

• Benefit packages, including Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, Flexible Spending, and Employee Assistance Program

• Paid time off, including annual and sick time off and paid holidays

• Retirement savings options

• Employee discounts, including tickets to many Orlando attractions

• Education assistance

• Flexible work environment

• And more...For more benefits information, view the UCF Employee Benefits Guide.

Dive into our Total Rewards Calculator to discover the diverse selection available to you, giving you a glimpse into the benefits that together shape your comprehensive rewards package at UCF.

Unless explicitly stated on the job posting, it is UCF's expectation that an employee of UCF will reside in Florida as of the date the employment begins.

#LI-ONSITE

#LI-GF1