Vanderbilt University

Position Summary:

The Projects Coordinator is a member of the Strategic Initiatives team within Student Affairs at Vanderbilt and is a key individual contributor supporting the division’s mission and priorities by implementing strategic systems and processes to facilitate meaningful student engagement. Reporting to the Director of Strategic Initiatives for Student Affairs, this position manages the use and operations of Anchor Link, Vanderbilt’s student engagement platform, designing efficient processes that adhere to university policies and align with the analytical data needs of the division. The Projects Coordinator will partner with the Strategic Initiatives team, offices across Student Affairs, and senior leaders to coordinate projects that enhance student engagement and inform the continuous improvement of Student Affairs.

About the Work Unit (Strategic Initiatives Team):

The Strategic Initiatives Team is part of the Student Affairs central administration. The Strategic Initiatives Team is responsible for managing the division’s data analytics and assessment plan, central technological platforms, and special projects in alignment with the division’s priorities and the University’s mission. The team creates and monitors efficient processes for special projects and provides strategic planning and solutions to ensure the division is optimally utilizing resources to promote innovation and operational excellence. The Strategic Initiatives Team facilitates the success of projects and systems by coordinating stakeholder involvement, establishing workflows, managing timelines, and offering change management strategies and solutions.

About Student Affairs at Vanderbilt:

Student Affairs serves a central role in student learning and development at Vanderbilt, advancing the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service. Student Affairs at Vanderbilt cultivates vibrant, inclusive communities that foster a student’s sense of belonging and well-being through collaborative partnerships, transformative learning experiences, and an accessible and holistic network of resources. We value connection, belonging, compassion, development, and innovation. Our staff is committed to continued growth in knowledge, awareness, skills, and experience engaging with these priorities in a higher education environment.

Key and Responsibilities:

• Serve as the vendor liaison for the student engagement platform (Anchor Link)
• Redesign all student engagement processes via Anchor Link by streamlining student organization registration, event registration, roster management, form creation, elections, document storage, and finance tools
• Design Anchor Link training for various administrator levels and streamline access to training materials
• Manage data within Anchor Link, including the upload and archive of users (students,
• faculty, and staff), and ensure data is accurate and useful
• Work closely with the Academic Affairs Process and Solution Implementations (PSI) team on data integration and other aspects of Anchor Link that interface with other university systems
• Consult with campus offices and students on how to best use Anchor Link and the functionality of the platform
• Move projects from inception to completion in a timely manner
• Create project timelines, track progress toward objectives, and keep stakeholders informed of progress toward goals via written or verbal updates
• Facilitate strategic alignment sessions and coordinate the implementation of the
• Continuous Improvement Plans (data structures via Anchor Link) across Student Affairs
• Assist with writing assessment questions and compiling data (via Anchor Link platform)
• Contribute to annual report writing process
• Generate succinct reports, as needed, to inform key stakeholders of Student Affairs division accomplishments and/or recommendations
• Serve on divisional committees and working groups to enrich the experience and resources available to staff across the division
• Participate in division-wide events, as needed, to support colleagues and ensure these events run smoothly
• Maintain an understanding of institutional and departmental financial policies related to travel, procurement, expense, and time reporting to ensure compliance and stewardship of university resources

Supervisory Relationships:

This position does not supervise any staff. The position supervises one graduate assistant. The position reports administratively and functionally to the Director of Strategic Initiatives.

Education and Certifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, or an equivalent combination of education, relevant military experience, and relevant skills, is required.
• A Master’s degree or other advanced degree in a relevant field from an accredited institution of higher education is preferred.

Experience and Skills:

• At least three years of comparable experience is preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills are necessary.
• Ability to manage multiple, complex projects efficiently and effectively with quick turn- around is preferred.
• Ability to work in a complex environment and demonstrated resiliency to changing environments is preferred.
• Experience in higher education is preferred.
• Familiarity with spreadsheets, relational databases, and statistical software is preferred.
• Ability to learn new technology quickly to design efficient processes for managing Anchor Link and other student engagement platforms is preferred.
• Ability to establish strong relationships with Anthology and internal and external divisional partners that use Anchor Link is preferred.

At Vanderbilt University , our work - regardless of title or role - is in service to an important and noble mission in which every member of our community serves in advancing knowledge and transforming lives on a daily basis. Located in Nashville, Tennessee, on a 330+ acre campus and arboretum dating back to 1873, Vanderbilt is proud to have been named as one of “America’s Best Large Employers” as well as a top employer in Tennessee and the Nashville metropolitan area by Forbes for several years running. We welcome those who are interested in learning and growing professionally with an employer that strives to create, foster and sustain opportunities as an employer of choice.

We understand you have a choice when choosing where to work and pursue a career. We understand you are unique and have a story. We want to hear it. We encourage you to apply today so that you might become a part of our story.

Vanderbilt University is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.