Director for Veteran/Military Affairs

**Position Summary:** The Director runs the daily operations of the Veterans Center. This role focuses on helping veterans, military service members, and their families (dependents/survivors) succeed in college. This includes eligible students who are incarcerated. The Director manages VA education benefits, creates helpful student programs, and builds partnerships to secure resources and funding. Specific Job Duties (Essential Functions and Responsibilities) *Compliance, Benefits Administration, & Operations* - Process and approve student enrollment with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) so students receive their benefits. - Keep student enrollment statuses updated in the “VA-Once” system following strict VA rules. - Provide the VA with any additional information they need to process student benefits in a timely manner. - Keep up-to-date agreements with the VA and the US Department of Defense. - Maintain a safe and organized database of all students using VA benefits to track their academic progress in collaboration with Student Business Services. - Manage, update, and maintain the department’s website and any social media accounts. - Other duties as assigned. *Student Support, Recruitment, & Advocacy* - Advise students on how to use their VA educational benefits and explain any limits to those benefits. - Answer questions and help them solve issues with their military education benefits. - Create a welcoming, user-friendly campus environment that connects students to financial, cultural, and social support services. - Build programs to recruit new veteran students and help them successfully transition into college life. - Review data and research to create student programs that value and support diverse cultural backgrounds. - Act as a strong voice and advocate for military-connected students when they face challenges. *Community Outreach & Institutional Collaboration* - Work with the Office of Student Business Services to fix student tuition and fees payment issues. - Work with the Director of the Prison Education Program (PEP) to support incarcerated veterans and their families. - Build strong partnerships with local, state, and national veteran organizations (like Project Healing Waters and Veterans Suicide Prevention) to gain resources. - Represent the Center at university events, student group meetings, and staff meetings. *Strategic Leadership & Policy Development* - Set short-term and long-term goals and plans for the Center. - Create and suggest university policies to campus leaders that improve support for military-connected students. - Track and evaluate how well the Center’s programs are working to grow veteran enrollment. - Build a friendly environment that focuses on clear communication across different departments. - Understand your own personal beliefs and privileges. Minimum Qualifications: - Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. - 3-5 years experience working in higher education, Student Affairs, or Veteran Services. - Demonstrated experience working with VA educational benefits and/or serving as a School Certifying Official. - Excellent skills in sharing information clearly and working effectively with others through written, digital, and face-to-face communication. - Ability to treat others with respect, civility, and courtesy and to work honestly, effectively, and collegially with employees, students, and the community. This includes the ability to use appropriate conflict management skills to effectively manage any disagreement that might arise or to bring the disagreement to management for assistance in productive resolution when the situation requires. Preferred Qualifications: - Master’s degree from an accredited institution. - Veteran - Experience developing and evaluating policies and procedures. Location: On-site in Alamosa, CO Salary and Benefits: The salary range for this position is $47,400-$56,900. In addition to salary, Adams State University offers a competitive benefits pr…