Title: Associate Director of Student Programming
Organization: Madison House
Job Hours/Type: Full Time, Exempt
Application Deadline: Open until filled

About Madison House
Madison House serves as the student-led volunteer center for the University of Virginia. As an independent nonprofit, Madison House coordinates volunteers, develops student leaders, cultivates community partnerships, and promotes a lifelong commitment to public service.

Position Overview
The Associate Director of Student Programming is a key contributor to UVA’s strategic priority of preparing citizen leaders and advancing public service across Grounds and in the community. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Associate Director oversees student leadership development, community partnerships, and Madison House’s portfolio of student-led service programs. This position supervises a small professional staff team and serves as the lead advisor to all student-led programming initiatives. As the most public-facing member of the Madison House staff for student leaders, the Associate Director shapes the overall student experience and represents student voice in key internal and external conversations.

Leadership Model
Madison House’s leadership structure follows a train-the-trainer model. Each year, more than 200 student leaders are selected through a competitive process to recruit, train, and manage 1,500–2,000 student volunteers. One-third of the Madison House Board of Directors is composed of students, offering a distinctive educational experience in civic leadership, board governance, and nonprofit management.

Responsibilities Include:

Student Leadership Development

  • Set the vision for leadership development and oversee its implementation through staff and student leaders.

  • Provide strategic oversight for the recruitment, training, and development of student leaders, ensuring alignment with Madison House’s mission and leadership model in collaboration with the Assistant Director.

  • Develop and implement a comprehensive student leadership curriculum with measurable learning outcomes, including retreats, summits, ongoing training, and reflection activities.

  • Advise and support Graduate Advising Fellows, Head Program Directors, and Program Directors individually and in groups.

  • Foster a shared “Madison House experience” across all programs by helping build and reinforce a unified student leadership culture that transcends individual programs.

  • Support the development of connections among related service programs (e.g. within tracks) through shared programming, collaborative initiatives, and peer learning opportunities.

  • Lead the development of training modules to introduce student volunteers to the Charlottesville community and prepare them for ethical community engagement.

Community Partnerships & University Collaboration

  • Provide strategic oversight for Madison House’s community partnerships, ensuring student-led programs align with community-identified priorities and Madison House’s partnership values.

  • Provide strategic guidance and recommendations related to new program and community partnership proposals, and confirm alignment with Madison House’s mission, partnership values, and institutional priorities prior to final approval, in collaboration with the Programs Committee and senior leadership.

  • Support student leaders and professional staff in navigating complex partnership questions, challenges, and opportunities, serving as an escalation point when needed.

  • Collaborate with the Assistant Director to incorporate community context, ethical engagement principles, and partner feedback into training, program review, and evaluation processes.

  • Serve as the primary staff liaison between Madison House and the UVA Center for Community Partnerships (CCP), ensuring coordination, information-sharing, and alignment around public service priorities.

  • Facilitate two-way communication among Madison House, CCP, and other university stakeholders to share insights on emerging needs, trends, and partnership considerations.

  • Provide leadership and guidance related to community partnerships while maintaining Madison House’s student-led partnership model, in which students serve as primary day-to-day contacts with community partners.

Student Programming Oversight

  • Serve as the lead advisor for all student-led programs and initiatives.

  • Oversee the flow of information between student leaders, staff, community partners, and volunteers to ensure clarity, accountability, and alignment across programs.

  • Manage the student programming budget.

  • Assess risk and ensure compliance with liability and safety protocols.

  • Guide data-informed program evaluation efforts and support the development of assessment tools in collaboration with the Assistant Director.

  • Facilitate periodic review and revision of program mission, goals, and evaluation frameworks.

  • Maintain systems and technology for effective communication, logistics, and record-keeping.

  • Contribute to a growing body of knowledge in community-engaged learning and ethical public service.

Supervision

  • Supervise, support, and evaluate two to three professional staff, including the Assistant Director of Student Programming.

Madison House Representation and Development

  • Represent Madison House in university-wide meetings, presentations, and coalitions.

  • Build and maintain collaborative relationships with university administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and community partners.

  • Liaise with other UVA units to promote a culture of service and support the University’s aim to graduate citizen leaders committed to the greater good.

  • Participate in the ongoing development and stewardship of Madison House, including attending staff retreats, events, and advisory board meetings.

  • Support other Madison House programs and initiatives as needed.

Skills Required

  • Master’s degree in a relevant field

  • Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience in student development, community engagement, volunteer management, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications

Leadership & Strategic Experience

  • 5+ years of experience designing, managing, and scaling student-led programming in a university setting

  • Experience supervising professional staff and advising student leaders

  • Advanced degree in student affairs, higher education, educational leadership, nonprofit management, or a related field

  • Demonstrated success in shaping public service strategies and co-curricular leadership models across departments or institutions

Expertise in Community Engagement & Collaboration

  • In-depth knowledge of community-engaged learning and ethical university-community partnerships

  • Experience collaborating with community partners, nonprofit organizations, and university stakeholders to advance institutional goals

  • Demonstrated commitment to building a culture of belonging within student programs and organizational practices

Assessment, Data, & Operations

  • Demonstrated use of assessment and evaluation to improve programs and student learning outcomes

  • Strong data literacy, including experience with analysis, visualization, and impact reporting

  • Demonstrated success in improving operational processes and programmatic efficiency

  • Advanced organizational and project management abilities

Communication & Technical Proficiency

  • Strong verbal, written, and public speaking communication skills

  • Excellent interpersonal skills

  • Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively across departments

  • Proficiency in tools such as Microsoft Teams, Google Workspace, Canvas, shared calendaring systems, and volunteer management platforms (e.g. GivePulse)

Work Modality: As a student-facing position, work will take place primarily in person at Madison House, on Grounds at UVA, and within the surrounding Charlottesville community. Hybrid flexibility may be available, generally allowing up to one remote workday per week during the academic year and up to two during the summer, depending on organizational priorities and operational needs.

Occasional evenings and weekends required for student events and/or board meetings. Flexible schedule leading up to or following these required events. 

Physical Demands: This is primarily a sedentary job involving use of a computer. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings and programs.

Website:

http://www.madisonhouse.org

Application Instructions
Interested candidates should submit a cover letter, resume, and three professional references to jobs@madisonhouse.org with “Associate Director” in the subject line of the email.

In addition to a cover letter and resume, please include brief responses to the following questions in the body of your email:

  1. How many years of full-time professional experience do you have working in a higher education setting or in a professional role primarily focused on working with college students? (Excluding part-time and graduate assistant roles.)

  2. Do you have experience supervising professional staff in a formal reporting relationship? If yes, please indicate the number of direct reports.

  3. Have you had professional experience working with community partners or in community-engaged programs? (Yes — primary responsibility; Yes — part of my role; Limited exposure; No.)

Priority Deadline: Review of applications will begin on Monday, February 16, 2026, and continue on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Salary Range: $70,000-$75,000 depending on experience, plus benefits.