Visiting Associate Director, INI

About the role

The Illinois Neurodiversity Initiative (INI) is a comprehensive support program housed in the Department of Human Development & Family Studies at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. INI promotes the success of neurodivergent college students from orientation through graduation by providing academic supports, mental health services, social connection, and employment preparation. The program is grounded in a strengths-based, neuroinclusive philosophy that centers student voice and self-advocacy across academic, social, and professional settings.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Student advising
• Provide individual executive function support to assigned students
• Support students in developing self-advocacy skills across academic, community, and professional settings
• Aid in academic support programming and student needs assessment
• Support INI’s corporate internship program and employer partnerships
• Provide employment preparation and career readiness programming
• Connect students with work-based learning opportunities and employment resources
• Course instruction and curriculum development
• Teach 1–2 courses per semester from INI’s curriculum based on program need and candidate expertise which may include: HDFS 202: Pre-Employment Seminar, HDFS 255: Current Topics in Autism, HDFS 398: Leadership in Neurodiversity, HDFS 398: Global Self-Advocacy
• Contribute to curriculum development and the ongoing refinement of course materials
• Support the development of novel programming and interventions for neurodivergent college students
• Program leadership and operations
• Assist the Director with program planning, implementation, and evaluation
• Contribute to the development and refinement of program policies and operational infrastructure
• Support student recruitment and retention efforts, including recruiting events, application review, and student onboarding and orientation
• Assist with campus and community trainings on neurodiversity and neuroinclusive practices
• Support parent and family engagement
• Contribute to program assessment and outcome tracking
• Supervision
• Supervise INI program staff, including providing regular feedback, guidance, and professional development support

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in special education, speech-language pathology, social work, psychology, rehabilitation, human development, or a closely related field
• Minimum of three (3) years of experience working directly with neurodivergent individuals
• Demonstrated experience in program coordination, staff supervision, or a related leadership role
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively and flexibly in a small, dynamic team environment

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with neurodivergent students in a post-secondary or higher education setting
• Teaching or instructional experience at the college level
• Research experience related to neurodiversity, disability, or transition
• Experience in employment preparation, career readiness, or vocational support for neurodivergent individuals
• Familiarity with executive function support models and academic support strategies
• Experience developing or leading social programming or community-building initiatives
• Knowledge of neuroinclusive practices across academic, workplace, and community settings
• Experience with program assessment, data collection, or outcome tracking
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal resources and supports for neurodivergent individuals