Assistant Director for Fellowship and Awards

Position Summary

The Division of Student Affairs at University of Texas at El Paso seeks an innovative and highly motivated leader to join the Office of Student Fellowships and Awards (OSFA) as the Assistant Director for Fellowships and Awards. The OSFA leads institutional efforts to support undergraduates and graduates pursuing prestigious nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships that fund graduate study and international experiential learning opportunities, including research, teaching, and related academic enrichment experiences.

The Assistant Director provides strategic leadership for fellowship and award initiatives, including student recruitment, advising, programming, and outreach. This position develops and implements comprehensive strategies to identify high-potential applicants, expand access to fellowship opportunities, and strengthen campus-wide pipelines for nationally competitive awards. The Assistant Director collaborates with faculty, academic departments, honors programs, graduate programs, research and leadership units, and student support services to promote student success in competitive fellowship processes.

Statement of Duties and Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership in the delivery of individualized and group advising for students exploring nationally competitive fellowships.
• Led the planning, development, and execution of engagement events and programs for students pursuing prestigious national fellowships and awards, including Fulbright, NSF GRFP Boot Camps, and other competitive external awards. Develops and delivers instructional programming aimed at strengthening student competitiveness and success in national fellowship applications.
• Recruitment, outreach, and coordination for University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) fellowships and University of Texas System UT System fellowships, including the Hawkins Scholarship and the Archer Fellowship.
• Oversees the assessment and analysis of student engagement within the Office of Student Fellowships and Awards (OSFA), utilizing the Anthology platform (Baseline, Engage, and Insights) to evaluate program effectiveness, inform strategic planning, and guide continuous improvement.
• Provides direct supervision, training, and evaluation of undergraduate and graduate student assistants supporting OSFA programming, including regular staff meetings, individual coaching sessions, and performance feedback to support student development and operational excellence.
• Directs marketing and communications strategy for OSFA programs and services, including oversight of branding, design, digital outreach, signage, and promotional materials to increase visibility, engagement, and participation in fellowship opportunities.
• Ensures appropriate handling of sensitive student and institutional information in accordance with university policies, ethical standards, and applicable regulations, including FERPA compliance.
• Serves as a representative of the Office of Student Fellowships and Awards on division and campus-wide committees and contributes to strategic initiatives advancing student success, experiential learning, and nationally competitive awards attainment.
• Represents the OSFA at institutional, regional, and national conferences, professional meetings, and training opportunities; some travel may be required.
• Complies with all State of Texas and University policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Performs other duties as assigned in support of the strategic mission and goals of the Office of Student Fellowships and Awards.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in higher education, student affairs, counseling, liberal arts, or related field; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Experience: At least three years of professional experience in higher education such as student advising, scholarship/fellowship administration, academic support programs, student success programming; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's objectives, policies and applicable laws.

Disclaimer

The primary accountabilities are intended to describe the general content of and requirements of this position and are not intended to be an exhaustive statement of duties. Incumbents may perform all or some of the primary accountabilities listed. Specific tasks or responsibilities will be documented in the incumbents’ performance objectives as outlined by the incumbents’ immediate supervisor or manager. This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code §51.215, which authorizes the employer to obtain criminal history record information. A valid driver’s license issued by the State where the applicant resides and insurability as defined in UTS 157 may be required to perform the position's essential functions.