Passage Assistant Director

Passage Assistant Director

Job Overview

The Passage Assistant Director provides key leadership within Wheaton Passage, supporting the planning, implementation, and evaluation of Christ-centered orientation experiences for new students. This is a full-time position and pays $64,000-$67,000 annually.

This role:

• Leads Orientation Committee and on-campus Passage programming 
• Directs Urban Passage: Downtown (Chicago) experience 
• Collaborates with the Passage Director and Core Team on program development 
• Contributes to the holistic formation of new students through spiritual, relational, and academic integration 

Core Responsibilities

Orientation & On-Campus Programming

• Advise and lead the Orientation Committee 
• Plan and execute on-campus Passage programming across the academic year 
• Design a welcoming, spiritually formative experience for students and families 
• Coordinate with campus partners for seamless program delivery 
• Lead January Orientation 

Urban Passage: Downtown Leadership

• Serve as primary leader for a Chicago-based Passage experience (~100 students) 
• Develop and manage: 
• Program schedules 
• Leader training 
• Student experience design 
• Act as a context expert on Chicago, including neighborhoods and urban issues 
• Facilitate: 
• Small group discussions 
• Large group experiences (including emceeing) 
• Oversee: 
• Student wellbeing and risk management 
• Faculty, vendor, and community partnerships 
• Collaborate with the Assistant Director of Wheaton in Chicago 

Program Operations & Administration

• Manage program logistics and infrastructure 
• Process expenses and vendor payments (Oracle financial systems) 
• Maintain budget accounts 
• Set up and oversee purchasing tools (e.g., p-cards for student leaders) 

Passage Program Collaboration

• Serve on the Passage Core Team 
• Contribute to: 
• Program design 
• Strategic planning 
• Assessment and evaluation 
• Support Passage Leader hiring and training 
• Collaborate with Trips Committee as needed 

Teaching & Academic Integration

• Teach sections of CORE 131: Holistic Human Flourishing 
• Integrate academic and co-curricular learning within Passage 

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Development, Urban Studies, or related field 
• Experience supervising and developing student leaders at scale 
• Demonstrated commitment to co-curricular leadership development 
• Strong decision-making skills in complex or high-risk environments 
• Experience supporting student wellbeing (e.g., collaboration with counseling, health, accessibility services) 
• Budget management and financial systems experience 
• Excellent: 
• Organizational skills 
• Communication and relational presence 
• Public speaking/emcee ability 
• Willingness to: 
• Travel 
• Reside in Chicago during program period in August

Preferred

• Experience in Student Engagement or orientation/experiential programs 
• College-level teaching or facilitation experience 
• Small group facilitation and leadership training experience 
• Familiarity with Passage program and CORE curriculum 

Physical Requirements

The employee is regularly required to sit, talk, or hear; frequently to use repetitive hand motion, handle or feel, and to stand, walk, reach, bend or lift up to 10 pounds.

Position Details

• FLSA Status: Exempt 
• Position Type: Full-Time, 12-Month 
• Department: Student Engagement 
• Reports To: Wheaton Passage Director 

As a Christ-centered community, Wheaton College faculty and staff must affirm the College’s Statement of Faith as expressing their own theological convictions and agree to live by the moral standards in Wheaton’s Community Covenant, modeling these commitments for the Christian formation of our students. Wheaton College faculty and staff also support the Christ-Centered Diversity Commitment which highlights our desire to treat all individuals as equal image-bearers of Jesus Christ through diversity, inclusion, justice and unity.