Job Details

Assistant Director of Writing Support

Position Number: 7263231
Location: Saratoga Springs, NY
Position Type: Academic Advising

Assistant Director of Writing Support

Empire State University is currently seeking an Assistant Director of Writing Support in the Office of Academic Support. The Assistant Director of Writing Support works closely with the Director to support the implementation, coordination, and continuous improvement of online writing support services and initiatives. The role contributes writing-support expertise, supervises a small team of adjunct writing coaches, provides direct student support (through individual sessions and online workshops), develops accessible resources, and collaborates with institutional partners to advance student-centered writing support services. Additionally, the Assistant Director of Writing Support frequently collaborates with the Assistant Director of Quantitative and Applied Academic Support, and the other Directors of Academic Support as needed.

Successful candidates demonstrate a student-centered approach to their work and apply equity-focused practices that support student learning and persistence, particularly for post-traditional learners and students navigating complex academic and life circumstances. They bring demonstrated knowledge of established best practices and scholarship in writing support, WAC, and WID, as well as the ability to communicate clearly and organize work effectively in professional environments. The strongest candidates also balance innovation with follow-through: they apply creative, evidence-informed approaches; use AI tools ethically and thoughtfully when appropriate while still demonstrating independent judgment, writing expertise, and command of professional conventions needed to produce high-quality work independently.

Key Responsibilities

Direct Student Support

Provides online and occasional on-site writing and academic support aligned with established best practices and UDL principles, adapting to individual student goals, linguistic backgrounds, and learning needs, including those of adult, multilingual, and neurodiverse students.
Builds and applies working knowledge of institutional writing contexts and processes [e.g., Educational Rationale essays, Credit for Prior Learning (CPL), etc.].
Contributes to expanding student engagement with writing support services.
Supports embedded tutoring initiatives by partnering with faculty to integrate writing support into online courses and learning experiences.

Resource Development

Designs and delivers inclusive and accessible writing support resources including online workshops, presentations, videos, OERs, and instructional materials.
Maintains and updates training materials, guides, and resources aligned with established practices.

Tutor Supervision & Professional Development

Supervises adjunct writing coaches, including coordinating schedules, providing feedback, and supporting ongoing development.
Contributes to fostering a sense of community among a writing team who are geographically distributed and working primarily online.
Assists in coordinating and facilitating writing-focused professional development and training for writing specialists and adjunct writing coaches.

Program Support

Supports the Director in implementing, coordinating, and refining writing support programming.
Assists in identifying and implementing improvements and initiatives to enhance efficiency, accessibility, consistency, and integration of writing support services.
Assists with developing and applying new approaches to online writing support in response to emerging student needs and trends.

Collaboration & Service Coordination

Collaborates with the Assistant Director of Quantitative & Applied Academic Support and various university offices (e.g. Accessibility Resources & Services, Student Support & Outreach, Opportunity Programs, etc.) to coordinate student-centered writing support services, projects, and initiatives.

Assessment & Continuous Improvement

Contributes to the use of data to evaluate the effectiveness of writing support services.
Contributes to identifying gaps in student engagement and access.
Contributes to reporting processes and continuous improvement efforts.

Technology & Digital Fluency

Effectively uses digital tools (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc.) to conduct online tutoring sessions, lead workshops, and other online conferencing events.
Ethically and thoughtfully uses generative AI as a support tool, while maintaining strong independent judgment and core professional skills.
Learns and applies new technologies as needed.

Communication & Collaboration

Assists with outreach campaigns and marketing for academic support.
Communicates clearly and effectively across professional contexts.

Continued Growth

Participates in professional development, training, and conference activities where possible to stay current with best practices and improve student support.

As a university with a strong commitment to flexible, online, and student-centered education, SUNY Empire prioritizes writing support that is inclusive, responsive, and adaptable to students' varied experiences, goals, schedules and needs across individualized academic pathways and varied entry points into degree programs. We aim to reduce barriers and support persistence for a diverse population of online learners, including adult and post-traditional students, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, and neurodiverse learners with varied cognitive, linguistic, and educational backgrounds.

Job Requirements:
Required Qualifications

Master's degree from an accredited institution.
A strong academic background in writing, writing studies, writing center theory, WAC and WID pedagogies.
Experience tutoring writing and delivering workshops online at the college level.
Familiarity with online learning tools and pedagogies.
Experience supporting diverse learners, including adult and post-traditional students, multilingual learners, students with disabilities, neurodiverse students, and under-represented students.
Prior experience supervising staff.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate with a team in an academic environment.
Some experience collaborating with faculty and campus partners.
Some experience designing accessible digital resources.
Familiarity with using generative AI ethically and effectively for professional purposes.
Effective communication, organization, and interpersonal skills in professional environments.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in Writing Studies, English, Communications, or a related field.
Experience working with Opportunity Programs or comparable student success initiatives.
Prior experience supervising academic staff or coordinating student support persistence.
Knowledge of adult learning theory and best practices in student retention and coaching.
Experience working within WAC and/or WID programs.

Special Information

This position is located at 4 Park Ave, New York, NY.
Occasional travel may be required to fulfill department and university-wide commitments.
Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. VISA sponsorship is not available for this position.
SUNY Empire provides employees with robust remote and flexible work options to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff in a dispersed work environment.

Additional Information:
Rank/Salary: Senior Staff Assistant, SL3 / $68,000-$70,000, dependent on experience and qualifications.

We are pleased to offer our employees an excellent benefit package which includes NYS health insurance, free dental and vision, competitive retirement options, and generous vacation, sick and holiday accruals; and a strong emphasis on work-life balance. We also offer professional-development activities for professionals and support staff.

SUNY Empire is an AA/EEO/ADA employer. The University actively seeks applications from women, veterans, individuals with a disability, members of underrepresented groups or anyone that would enrich the diversity of the University. SUNY Empire is committed to fostering a diverse community of outstanding faculty, staff, and students, as well as ensuring equal educational opportunity, employment, and access to services, programs, and activities, without regard to an individual's race, color, national origin, religion, creed, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, familial status, pregnancy, predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, or criminal conviction. Employees, students, applicants, or other members of the university community (including but not limited to vendors, visitors, and guests) may not be subjected to harassment that is prohibited by law or treated adversely or retaliated against based upon a protected characteristic.

SUNY Empire provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, veterans, or wounded warriors where appropriate. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (518) 587-2100.

In accordance with the Title II Crime Awareness and Security Act, a copy of our crime statistics is available upon request by calling (518) 587-2100. It can also be viewed online at our Safety and Security website.

To apply, visit http://esc.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=201052