Resource Navigator

Location : Westerville, OH

Job Type: Administrative Staff

Job Number: 00374

Division: Student Affairs

Department: Student Affairs

Opening Date: 11/06/2024

DESCRIPTION

Otterbein University is seeking a Resource Navigator. Under the direction of the Dean for Student Engagement and in collaboration with the Title III Grant Team, the Resource Navigator manages the Cardinal Resource Hub, leverages campus and community resources, coordinates the emergency mini-grant process, and assists students by removing barriers to their education. This is a full-time, exempt, 5 year grant position.

BENEFITS AT OTTERBEIN

Otterbein offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Accrue 4 weeks paid vacation and 10 days paid sick time per year
  
• 12 paid holidays plus bonus days (including Christmas Eve through New Year's Day)
  
• Medical, dental and vision insurance to you, dependents or domestic partner

• Defined contribution retirement plan
  
• Tuition benefit for employees and their dependents
  
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  
• and much more

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

BASIC NEEDS NAVIGATION

• Administers a basic needs program; provides technical support and program development. Serves as the centralized point-of-contact to facilitate student access to campus and community-based resources through the management of the Cardinal Resource Hub, an extensive collection of internal and external resources, contacts, and processes.
• Conducts research on best practices in higher education basic needs administration. Attends virtual workshops and trainings in the area to stay current with trends in service delivery strategies.
• Coordinates a new Benefits Bank to help students navigate external resources provided by federal and state agencies (e.g., SNAP, WIC)
• Develops and sustains regional partnerships to leverage resources and services; regularly meets with partners to vet community-based services.
• Identifies and links students to on- and off-campus basic needs services and resources, including: food, housing, clothing, transportation, textbooks, technology, mental health services, health care, utilities assistance, and more. Specifically develops a new housing security initiative to provide both on-and off-campus alternatives to homelessness.
• Coordinates the Emergency Mini-Grant portfolio; manages application process and intake, trains Navigators, collaborates with financial aid office, tracks applications and dissemination of funds. Hosts hours at the Office of Financial Aid to assist students.
• Serves as a Navigator, completing solution-focused assessments with students seeking basic needs assistance.
• Assists in monitoring the basic needs budget; makes recommendations on the allocation of resources and expenditure of funds.
• Plans, organizes, schedules, and hosts events for targeted student groups to share information about services and introduce students to community resources. Provides or co-hosts life-skills workshops with external and internal experts on financial literacy, benefits, budgeting, consumer intelligence, nutrition, cooking, and other essential skills. Collaborates with campus departments on joint programming.
• Provides support services for student coordinators; Manages schedules and task assignments. Collaborates with students on special programs and projects.
• Holds regular office hours at The Promise House to connect with shoppers, share resources, and identify gaps in food security services.
• Develops flyers and factsheets to inform students; facilitates presentations to academic classes and campus departments on the socioeconomic barriers to success and resource pathways.
• Assists with donor relations, including: communication (e.g., student Thank You notes) charitable contribution tracking, donor visits, and the writing and editing of annual donor reports.

SUCCESS COACHING

• Develops relationships and provides a case management support approach to a cohort of students (3-5) identified as at-risk at Otterbein. This includes meeting regularly with the students throughout the term and providing guidance and support to navigate and overcome academic and non-academic barriers to their success.
• Serves as the lead contact on all concern alerts related to the coach's student cohort. Concern alerts include, but are not limited to: Cardinal Concerns, Early Academic Alerts, individual faculty/staff outreach.
• Meets weekly with all students in the coach's student cohort and provide the necessary follow-up with the student, faculty, and support offices after each meeting. Maintain accurate documentation of all meetings and communication.

GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES

• Manages confidential information with discretion and professionalism.

• Compiles data, prepares and maintains records, creates reports. Maintains confidentiality.

• Understands and ensures compliance with Clery, FERPA, and Title IX law and support services.
• Serves on campus committees such as the CARE Team, Wellness Committee, and Retention Committees.
• Other duties may be assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES: Supervises student personnel.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions..

EDUCATION and EXPERIENCE: A bachelor's degree required, with some experience in higher education, non-profit management, or social work.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS: Valid Ohio driver's license and ability to pass Otterbein's motor vehicle record check.

LANGUAGE SKILLS: Must possess strong presentation, interpersonal and communication skills including competency in verbal and written English grammar. Excellent customer service skills are essential.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS: Basic math, bookkeeping, and ability to use Excel and calculator.

TECHNICAL SKILLS: Computer literacy, especially Word, Publisher, Excel, and database management; operates office machines. Must be thorough in quality of work produced.

REASONING ABILITY: Must possess excellent attention to details; must be self-motivated and a team player and interact collegially with others; must be able to exercise sound judgment in unusual/new situations; must be exceptionally well-organized and able to multi-task efficiently; must be able to keep confidential information; time management skills. Respect for and attention to community relationships is essential.

ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS: Must be well-organized and able to multi-task efficiently. Must be able to work independently and to prioritize with little direct supervision. Must be able to maintain confidentiality.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• The ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures; entails establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with diverse students, faculty, and staff
• Strong student advocacy with proven ability to work with a diverse population
• Excellent project management skills
• Team-building skills focused on student interaction/relationships
• Analytical, reasoning and problem-solving skills
• Polished written and verbal communication skills
• A positive attitude
• Consummate team player and relationship builder who thrives on student interaction
• Must be an extremely well-organized individual with excellent follow through ability

PHYSICAL DEMANDS: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to communicate, sit, reach and use repetitive motions of hands and wrists. The employee must frequently lift and/or carry up to 20 pounds and occasionally push and/or pull up to 50 pounds. Evening and weekend commitment required. Must be able to meet regular and predictable attendance standards. Must be able to meet regular and predictable attendance standards; must be able to work evenings and some Saturdays.

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Duties are in various campus locations, in an environmentally controlled office setting and at outdoor settings (community garden, rain garden, etc.).

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

This description is intended to indicate the kinds of tasks and levels of work difficulty that will be required of positions that will be given this title and shall not be construed as declaring what the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position shall be. It is not intended to limit or in any way modify the right of any supervisor to assign, direct, and control the work of employees under supervision. The use of a particular expression or illustration describing duties shall not be held to exclude other duties not mentioned that are of a similar level of difficulty.

Otterbein University is an EEO educator and employer.

To help attract a talented team, Otterbein offers a comprehensive benefits package to full-time faculty and staff.

Benefits at Otterbein include:

• Tuition benefit for employee and their dependents
• Accrue 4 weeks paid vacation and 10 days paid sick time per year
• 11 paid holidays plus bonus days
• Medical, dental, vision, life insurance for employee, dependents, or domestic partner
• Disability
• Defined contribution retirement plan
• and much more

ABOUT OTTERBEIN UNIVERSITY:

ABOUT OTTERBEIN CAREERS and BENEFITS:

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