GEAR UP Assistant Director

About Longwood University:

A comprehensive university with a strong liberal arts and sciences foundation, Longwood has a distinctive mission to develop citizen leaders who are prepared to make positive contributions to the common good of society. Founded in 1839, Longwood is the third-oldest public university in Virginia.

Longwood is part of the proud tradition of higher education in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Roughly one-hour's drive from Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Richmond, Longwood is located in the historic two-college community of Farmville. Longwood currently has approximately 4,600 undergraduate and graduate students and 41,000 alumni. It maintains affiliations with the neighboring Robert Russa Moton Museum of civil rights history and the Longwood Center for Visual Arts, a nationally accredited university art museum. A member of the Big South Conference, Longwood competes at the NCAA Division I level.

Job Description:

The Institute for Teaching through Technology and Innovative Practices (ITTIP) in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services is seeking a GEAR UP Assistant Director (GA047).

GEAR UP Longwood is a seven-year federally funded partnership led by Longwood University that supports students from rural and low-income communities in Southside Virginia. The program works with 14 school districts to improve academic achievement, increase high school graduation and college enrollment rates, and prepare students for success in postsecondary education through mentoring, academic support, STEM initiatives, and family engagement.

The GEAR UP Assistant Director provides coordination and leadership support for the Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) Longwood initiative. Under the supervision of the ITTIP Director (GEAR UP Program Director), this position oversees daily program operations, ensures alignment with federal grant goals, and maintains strong relationships with 14 participating school divisions. The Assistant Director supervises the Partnership Liaison and collaborates with school and community partners to expand college and career readiness opportunities for students in rural and low-income communities.

This position would require some travel to partnering school divisions, typically not overnight. This position is eligible for a flexible telework work schedule but will require time on Longwood campus to a varying degree each month, depending on current projects.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Responsibilities:

• Coordinate daily operations of the GEAR UP Longwood program, ensuring consistency and compliance across all partner school divisions.
• Serve as the primary contact for district administrators, counselors, and community partners.
• Supervise and support the GEAR UP Partnership Liaison in implementing division-level activities.
• Assist partner divisions with annual implementation plans and reporting related to grant objectives.
• Support the delivery of student-focused programming such as mentoring, tutoring, STEM experiences, eSports initiatives, and college visits.
• Support professional development for educators related to college and career readiness, data-driven culture, and student engagement.
• Collaborate with evaluators and district staff to collect and organize data for program reporting.
• Prepare and submit program progress summaries, success stories, and outcome reports.
• Represent GEAR UP Longwood at community events, regional meetings, and professional conferences.

Requirements:

• Master's degree in education, student affairs, counseling, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in education, college access, or student support programs.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate multi-site educational initiatives and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet project deadlines.
• Commitment to the mission of increasing college readiness and access for low-income and first-generation students.
• Experience working with rural or underserved school districts.
• Ability to travel to partnering school divisions, typically not overnight.

Preferred:

• Experience with federal or state grant-funded programs.
• Knowledge of GEAR UP program goals and regulations.

Additional Information:

This position is a full-time, administrative & professional faculty, exempt position. This position is funded contingent on available resources and will end no later than September 30, 2032. Salary will be commensurate with credentials and experience. A successful fingerprint-based criminal background investigation is required. AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, and other national service alumni are encouraged to apply.

Commonwealth of Virginia benefits accompany this position to include:

• State health and dental benefits & flexible spending accounts
• Paid leave (which may include sick leave, personal leave, annual leave, etc.), and 13 holidays
• Retirement savings plans (some with limited employer match available (VRS))
• Life & Long-Term care insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employee discounts for various services, including Verizon
• Educational benefits for most employees
• Cost-effective Fitness Center membership for employees

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Longwood University will provide, if requested, reasonable accommodations to applicants in need of accommodations in order to provide access to the application and/or interview process. You are not required to note the presence of a disability on your application. If, however, you require accommodations in the application and/or interview process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at 434-395-2074 or humres@longwood.edu.

Per CFR: Title 34, the Title IX Coordinator's contact information can be located through this link http://www.longwood.edu/titleix/.

A diversified workforce is an important part of our strategic plan. EOE/AA

Application Instructions:

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled, position posted 12/3/25. To apply for this position, qualified applicants must complete the online information section and questions, and please attach (under Resume):

• Letter of interest summarizing qualifications for this position
• Current resume
• Names and contact information for three references