What are the responsibilities and job description for the AVMA Trust Head of Student Services & University Relations position at AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association)?
Reporting to the Head of Veterinary Services, the Head of Student Services & University Relations provides strategic leadership & operational oversight for all AVMA Insurance Services student-facing initiatives. This role is responsible for advancing the organization’s mission by overseeing & developing the Student Services Representatives while designing & executing a comprehensive engagement strategy that supports veterinary students from matriculation through graduation while strengthening student engagement, expanding participation in complimentary coverage offerings, & guiding the development of student-focused programs, education initiatives, & university partnerships. This position will include significant (~50%) travel.Position Focus: Serving as the subject matter leader for student engagement, coverage education, & enrollment processes, the Head of Student Services ensures a structured pathway that promotes risk awareness, professional preparedness, & a seamless transition into insured AVMA members. The role oversees outreach strategy, workflow optimization, & academic relationship stewardship to ensure consistency, scalability, & alignment with organizational priorities.
The Head of Student Services cultivates strong relationships with university leadership, SAVMA chapters, student ambassadors, & veterinary students nationwide. Through campus visits & educational programming, convention seminars, & targeted communications, this position advances understanding of the products & services available through AVMA Trust.
By integrating strategic planning, relationship management, & operational execution, the Head of Student Services drives long-term member value across the professional lifecycle & strengthens the Trust’s role as a foundational partner to the veterinary profession.Goals of the Position:
Salary Range: $160,000 – $165,000. Benefits: The AVMA Administrative Services offers a robust benefits package with access to health, dental, vision, life, AD&D, short-term disability, & long-term disability insurance; FSA & HSA plans; generous vacation & sick time; 11 Paid Holidays, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) & 401(K) retirement plan; paid dues for the AVMA, one local VMA, & state licensure.
The Head of Student Services cultivates strong relationships with university leadership, SAVMA chapters, student ambassadors, & veterinary students nationwide. Through campus visits & educational programming, convention seminars, & targeted communications, this position advances understanding of the products & services available through AVMA Trust.
By integrating strategic planning, relationship management, & operational execution, the Head of Student Services drives long-term member value across the professional lifecycle & strengthens the Trust’s role as a foundational partner to the veterinary profession.Goals of the Position:
- Champion & operationalize the mission & vision of the AVMA Insurance Services across all student-facing initiatives.
- Develop & demonstrate a clear, strategic understanding of the multi-stakeholder student services landscape – including AVMA, SAVMA, AAVMC, & individual academic institutions – to ensure aligned strategy, communication, coordinated engagement, & effective program execution.
- Build a scalable Student Services infrastructure that outlines role responsibilities/duties, documents communication & educational outreach, outlines data/reporting metrics, & strategic forecasting (Student Service Playbook).
- Strengthen & clearly articulate the student value proposition to increase meaningful engagement & long-term member retention.
- Elevate the educational impact of Student Services to better prepare students for professional risk.
- Build & mentor a high-performing Student Services team capable of executing strategic objectives with excellence & adaptability.
- Leadership Expectations
- Champion adoption of new workflows & systems within the Student Services team.
- Maintain a student-first mindset while balancing compliance & operational excellence.
- Lead student-facing communication strategy.
- Lead annual strategic plan & clearly articulate implementation strategy to Student Services team members.
- Build & mentor a high-performing Student Services team capable of executing strategic objectives with excellence & adaptability.
- Support cross-functional collaboration with Trust Veterinarians, Head of Strategic Relationships, Marketing, & Pearl.
- Strategic Student Engagement
- Provide consultation & support to SAVMA students (i.e., Student claims, Policy questions, etc.)
- Develop & execute national strategy for SAVMA engagement, recruitment, retention, & educational support.
- Supervise student ambassador training & development.
- Oversee student professional liability & LIFE enrollment growth & retention.
- Lead segmentation strategy for continuing students vs. graduating students vs. recently graduated students.
- Coverage Administration & Compliance
- Ensure compliant opt-in processes & enrollment documentation.
- Oversee renewal cycles aligned with academic calendars (January, May, August).
- Manage group-pay institutions & institutional partnerships.
- Ensure accuracy & integrity of student data within CRM systems.
- Academic & Institutional Relationships
- Serve as primary liaison to veterinary schools & SAVMA leadership.
- Coordinate current & future curricular & extracurricular engagement efforts.
- Develop communication guidelines for universities & institutional partners.
- Support sponsorship strategy (e.g., SAVMA Symposium, VBMA, All for Students).
- Product Stewardship & Education
- Oversee student-facing insurance products including Student Professional Liability, Student LIFE, VetSTEPP, etc.
- Ensure educational messaging is clear, accurate, & risk informed.
- Partner with Marketing & Trust Veterinarians on risk education initiatives.
- Data, Reporting, & Performance Management
- Establish KPIs for student enrollment, retention, presentation reach, & product adoption.
- Provide monthly/quarterly/annual reporting metrics for AVMA Insurance Services leadership.
- Partner with Head of Veterinary Services to improve data visibility & forecasting.
- DVM/VMD preferred.
- Demonstrated leadership experience within veterinary education, association management, or professional services.
- Experience in an academic setting is strongly preferred.
- Ability to teach, coach, & mentor student members.
- Strong verbal & written communication & time management skills.
- Strong understanding of professional liability, risk management, & member services.
- Proven ability to manage data-driven initiatives & operational systems.
Salary Range: $160,000 – $165,000. Benefits: The AVMA Administrative Services offers a robust benefits package with access to health, dental, vision, life, AD&D, short-term disability, & long-term disability insurance; FSA & HSA plans; generous vacation & sick time; 11 Paid Holidays, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) & 401(K) retirement plan; paid dues for the AVMA, one local VMA, & state licensure.
Salary : $160,000 - $165,000