Manager, Student Activities (Engagement & Traditions)
University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, United States
Minimum Requirements
Bachelor's degree in a related field and four (4) years of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Grade 7 (Salaried)
Position Description The Office of Student Engagement within the Division of Student Affairs is seeking to hire a Manager, Student Activities. The Manager provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for several of the University’s most high‑profile and high‑impact student and family engagement initiatives. This position leads the development, implementation, marketing, and assessment of comprehensive programs that support new student transition, family engagement, commuter and transfer student success, campus traditions, and signature events that foster connection, belonging, and institutional pride.
This position also leads integrated marketing and communications efforts across multiple engagement portfolios, ensuring consistent branding, clear messaging, and effective digital outreach to students, families, alumni, and campus partners. Through strategic planning, relationship‑building, and professional involvement, the Manager plays a critical role in shaping meaningful experiences that support student success and strengthen the University community.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
Parent and Family Engagement: Provides leadership for the planning, implementation, and assessment of programs and initiatives for the UofL Parents & Family Association and coordinates signature initiatives including Cardinal Family Weekend and Parent and Family of the Year recognition.
Oversees parent and family communications including newsletters, websites, publications, email campaigns, and bulk mailings.
Serves as primary point of contact for parent and family inquiries, ensuring timely, accurate, and student‑centered responses.
Assists with philanthropic initiatives for parents building relationships through personalized communication and stewardship.
New Student Programming and Welcome Week: Serves as a primary institutional leader for Welcome Week, providing strategic direction, coordination, and oversight for one of the university’s largest, most visible student engagement initiatives.
Collaborates with campus‑wide offices, academic units, Athletics, and Student Affairs departments to co‑manage the comprehensive new student transition experience.
Leads Welcome Week marketing and communications strategies, including branding, social media campaigns, digital content, and coordinated outreach to students and families.
Red Barn Programs, Events, Alumni Engagement, and Scholarships: Provides direct supervision and strategic leadership for all Red Barn initiatives.
Supervises the primary liaison to the Red Barn Alumni Association, supporting alumni involvement, communications, and engagement opportunities.
Collaborates with Advancement, Alumni Relations, and campus partners to strengthen Red Barn alumni engagement and long‑term sustainability.
Commuter and Transfer Student Engagement: Provides leadership for the development, coordination, and assessment of programs and initiatives that support commuter and transfer student engagement, connection, and success.
Designs and implements targeted engagement strategies that address the unique needs of commuter and transfer populations, including orientation touchpoints, communications, and co‑curricular programming.
Integrates commuter and transfer engagement into Welcome Week, special events, and ongoing Student Activities Center programming.
Marketing, Communications and Digital Engagement: Leads marketing and communications strategies for Office of Student Engagement to include Parent & family, Welcome Week, Student Activities Center, Office of Student Involvement (SAB, ELSB, SOAB, CTI) and special event initiatives.
Manages website content, social media platforms, digital publications, video content, and newsletters.
Develops consistent messaging aligned with institutional branding and engagement priorities.
Maintains data integrity within databases and content management systems; oversees reporting and resolves inconsistencies.
Supervision and Leadership: Supervises Red Barn professional staff, Commuter and Transfer Professional Staff, and a Program Assistant supporting Special Events and Traditions.
Provides performance management, coaching, training, and leadership development.
Business and Administrative Support: Develops, manages, and monitors budgets for Red Barn, Commuter & Transfer Initiatives, Welcome Week and Cardinal Family Weekend, ensuring fiscal responsibility, compliance with university policies, and effective allocation of resources to support high‑impact programming.
Professional Engagement: Maintains active involvement in professional organizations, including AHEPPP; participates in divisional and university committees as assigned; performs other duties and completes special projects as assigned.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in higher education administration, student affairs, communications, marketing, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience managing large‑scale events and complex logistics.
Experience supervising professional staff, graduate assistants, and/or student employees.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate across departments and with external partners.
Five (5) or more years of experience in higher education, student engagement or student affairs.
Knowledge of business operations (budgeting, payroll, procurement, travel).
Experience with digital marketing platforms and content management systems.
Active involvement in professional organizations such as AHEPPP.
Work Hours and Location This is a full‑time, exempt position with a 37.5‑hour regular workweek including intermittent evening and weekend hours as required. Additional work hours may be required based on department needs, programming, staffing, and/or scheduling. The primary work location for this position is at the Belknap Campus. Occasional overnight travel may be required.
Employee Benefits The University of Louisville offers competitive benefits and perks to eligible full‑time and part‑time employees.
Equal Employment Opportunity The University of Louisville is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. The University strives to provide equal employment opportunity on the basis of merit and without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, or pregnancy. In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Act of 1974, the University prohibits job discrimination of individuals with disabilities, Vietnam era veterans, qualified special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans. The University acknowledges its obligations to ensure affirmative steps are taken to ensure equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. It is the policy of the University that no employee or applicant for employment be subject to unlawful discrimination in terms of recruitment, hiring, promotion, contract, contract renewal, tenure, compensation, benefits, and/or working conditions. No employee or applicant for employment is required to endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint to be eligible for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, or promotion.
Consistent with applicable law, demographic information is collected for aggregate reporting requirements. Demographic information provided through this application is not available to hiring managers/committees and is not considered in hiring or employment decisions.
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Position Description The Office of Student Engagement within the Division of Student Affairs is seeking to hire a Manager, Student Activities. The Manager provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for several of the University’s most high‑profile and high‑impact student and family engagement initiatives. This position leads the development, implementation, marketing, and assessment of comprehensive programs that support new student transition, family engagement, commuter and transfer student success, campus traditions, and signature events that foster connection, belonging, and institutional pride.
This position also leads integrated marketing and communications efforts across multiple engagement portfolios, ensuring consistent branding, clear messaging, and effective digital outreach to students, families, alumni, and campus partners. Through strategic planning, relationship‑building, and professional involvement, the Manager plays a critical role in shaping meaningful experiences that support student success and strengthen the University community.
Essential Duties And Responsibilities
Parent and Family Engagement: Provides leadership for the planning, implementation, and assessment of programs and initiatives for the UofL Parents & Family Association and coordinates signature initiatives including Cardinal Family Weekend and Parent and Family of the Year recognition.
Oversees parent and family communications including newsletters, websites, publications, email campaigns, and bulk mailings.
Serves as primary point of contact for parent and family inquiries, ensuring timely, accurate, and student‑centered responses.
Assists with philanthropic initiatives for parents building relationships through personalized communication and stewardship.
New Student Programming and Welcome Week: Serves as a primary institutional leader for Welcome Week, providing strategic direction, coordination, and oversight for one of the university’s largest, most visible student engagement initiatives.
Collaborates with campus‑wide offices, academic units, Athletics, and Student Affairs departments to co‑manage the comprehensive new student transition experience.
Leads Welcome Week marketing and communications strategies, including branding, social media campaigns, digital content, and coordinated outreach to students and families.
Red Barn Programs, Events, Alumni Engagement, and Scholarships: Provides direct supervision and strategic leadership for all Red Barn initiatives.
Supervises the primary liaison to the Red Barn Alumni Association, supporting alumni involvement, communications, and engagement opportunities.
Collaborates with Advancement, Alumni Relations, and campus partners to strengthen Red Barn alumni engagement and long‑term sustainability.
Commuter and Transfer Student Engagement: Provides leadership for the development, coordination, and assessment of programs and initiatives that support commuter and transfer student engagement, connection, and success.
Designs and implements targeted engagement strategies that address the unique needs of commuter and transfer populations, including orientation touchpoints, communications, and co‑curricular programming.
Integrates commuter and transfer engagement into Welcome Week, special events, and ongoing Student Activities Center programming.
Marketing, Communications and Digital Engagement: Leads marketing and communications strategies for Office of Student Engagement to include Parent & family, Welcome Week, Student Activities Center, Office of Student Involvement (SAB, ELSB, SOAB, CTI) and special event initiatives.
Manages website content, social media platforms, digital publications, video content, and newsletters.
Develops consistent messaging aligned with institutional branding and engagement priorities.
Maintains data integrity within databases and content management systems; oversees reporting and resolves inconsistencies.
Supervision and Leadership: Supervises Red Barn professional staff, Commuter and Transfer Professional Staff, and a Program Assistant supporting Special Events and Traditions.
Provides performance management, coaching, training, and leadership development.
Business and Administrative Support: Develops, manages, and monitors budgets for Red Barn, Commuter & Transfer Initiatives, Welcome Week and Cardinal Family Weekend, ensuring fiscal responsibility, compliance with university policies, and effective allocation of resources to support high‑impact programming.
Professional Engagement: Maintains active involvement in professional organizations, including AHEPPP; participates in divisional and university committees as assigned; performs other duties and completes special projects as assigned.
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree in higher education administration, student affairs, communications, marketing, or a related field.
Demonstrated experience managing large‑scale events and complex logistics.
Experience supervising professional staff, graduate assistants, and/or student employees.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Demonstrated ability to collaborate across departments and with external partners.
Five (5) or more years of experience in higher education, student engagement or student affairs.
Knowledge of business operations (budgeting, payroll, procurement, travel).
Experience with digital marketing platforms and content management systems.
Active involvement in professional organizations such as AHEPPP.
Work Hours and Location This is a full‑time, exempt position with a 37.5‑hour regular workweek including intermittent evening and weekend hours as required. Additional work hours may be required based on department needs, programming, staffing, and/or scheduling. The primary work location for this position is at the Belknap Campus. Occasional overnight travel may be required.
Employee Benefits The University of Louisville offers competitive benefits and perks to eligible full‑time and part‑time employees.
Equal Employment Opportunity The University of Louisville is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. The University strives to provide equal employment opportunity on the basis of merit and without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, or pregnancy. In accordance with the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Vietnam Era Veteran Readjustment Act of 1974, the University prohibits job discrimination of individuals with disabilities, Vietnam era veterans, qualified special disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, and other protected veterans. The University acknowledges its obligations to ensure affirmative steps are taken to ensure equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants for employment. It is the policy of the University that no employee or applicant for employment be subject to unlawful discrimination in terms of recruitment, hiring, promotion, contract, contract renewal, tenure, compensation, benefits, and/or working conditions. No employee or applicant for employment is required to endorse or condemn a specific ideology, political viewpoint, or social viewpoint to be eligible for hiring, contract renewal, tenure, or promotion.
Consistent with applicable law, demographic information is collected for aggregate reporting requirements. Demographic information provided through this application is not available to hiring managers/committees and is not considered in hiring or employment decisions.
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