Position Highlights

Note: The department has changed the Rate of Pay field to reflect the salary range.

The Office of Native American Initiatives seeks a dynamic, results-driven, and inclusive leader to support Native American and Indigenous students at the University of Arizona.

The Interim Director will play a vital role in advancing student success by fostering a strong sense of belonging, affirming cultural identity, and supporting academic persistence and graduation. This role requires deep knowledge of the cultural, social, financial, and community-specific factors that influence Native student success in higher education. Building on a legacy of advocacy that led to NASA’s founding in 1989, the Interim Director will collaborate across campus to develop and implement strategies that support the recruitment, retention, and well-being of Native American and Indigenous students. Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes, and Native American students at the U of A—representing over 200 Nations—make up 3.6% of the student population. This position is essential in affirming and celebrating their culture, language, and traditions within the university setting.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & Responsibilities

Center Management & Oversight (50%)

• Train, manage, and evaluate professional staff, graduate assistants, and undergraduate student staff as assigned.
• Allocate and monitor overall budget and expenditures for Native American Student Affairs.
• Facilitate social events and activities to build community and foster a sense of belonging.
• In collaboration with campus partners, develop and implement programs and activities that support Native American students, especially with respect to academics, career paths, student success, and financial aid.
• Facilitate events that support students' cultural identity and heritage.
• Refer students to campus resources and support services.
• Manage the implementation of the O’Odham Ki: (The People’s House) Living Learning Community in collaboration with Housing and Residential Life.
• Manage, in coordination with the Office of Admissions, outreach to new students at Orientation, Wildcat Welcome, Graduate Student Orientation, and other campus-wide student events.
• Communicate regularly with Native American students about events, opportunities, and important deadlines. This includes maintaining a weekly or biweekly newsletter, overseeing website updates, overseeing a shared calendar, and managing social media.
• In coordination with campus partners participate in the planning of key campus events, including, but not limited to, Indigenous Peoples’ Day programming, Native Heritage Month programming, an annual Powwow, and a graduation celebration.
  
  

Campus Coordination and Partners (50%)

• Oversee continued and ongoing services to students through active and innovative programs, events, training, activities, and collaborations with other campus units and external stakeholders including the UA American Indian Alumni and Tribal Youth Councils.
• Create an environment of collaboration and support for the leadership and members of Native American and Indigenous student clubs and organizations, including providing guidance to new and existing student groups on the development of their organizations.
• Work collaboratively with the Sr. Vice President for Native American Advancement and Tribal Engagement (NAATE) and the Assistant Vice Provost for Native American Initiatives (NAI) to develop programs, events, and partnerships to enhance Native American and Indigenous student success, including partnerships with Tribal Nations.
• In coordination with the Assistant Vice Provost for Native American Initiatives create partnerships with internal and external stakeholders such as Native American academic departments and faculty to continue and develop relevant ways to increase student/faculty interaction, appropriate research projects, and programs and services to support student success.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Minimum of 5 years of related work experience, including 2 years of managerial experience, or
  
  

Equivalent Combination Of Education And Work Experience. Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree
• Experience working with and leading Native American and Indigenous students.
• Experience partnering with Tribal Nations and Leadership.
• Experience working with intersectional identity groups.
• Experience in revenue generation and/or grant writing.
  
  

FLSA Exempt Full Time/Part Time Full Time Number of Hours Worked per Week 40 Job FTE 1.0 Work Calendar Fiscal Job Category Student Services Benefits Eligible Yes - Full Benefits Rate of Pay $65,687 - $85,393 Compensation Type salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE) Grade 9 Compensation Guidance The Rate of Pay Field represents the University of Arizona’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. The University considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, and internal equity.

The Grade Range represent a full range of career compensation growth over time. The university offers compensation growth opportunities within its career architecture. To learn more about compensation, please review our Applicant Compensation Guide and our Total Rewards Calculator. Career Stream and Level M2 Job Family Student Activities & Engage Job Function Student Services Type of criminal background check required: Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive) Number of Vacancies 1 Target Hire Date 7/21/2025 Expected End Date Contact Information for Candidates Tessa Dysart

tdysart@arizona.edu Open Date 7/7/2025 Open Until Filled Yes Documents Needed to Apply Resume and Cover Letter Special Instructions to Applicant Notice of Availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety Report In compliance with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), each year the University of Arizona releases an Annual Security Report (ASR) for each of the University’s campuses. These reports disclose information including Clery crime statistics for the previous three calendar years and policies, procedures, and programs the University uses to keep students and employees safe, including how to report crimes or other emergencies and resources for crime victims. As a campus with residential housing facilities, the Main Campus ASR also includes a combined Annual Fire Safety report with information on fire statistics and fire safety systems, policies, and procedures.

Paper copies of the Reports can be obtained by contacting the University Compliance Office at cleryact@arizona.edu.