NJ-STEP Director of Transitions

Rutgers University-Newark (RU-N), an urban public research university and anchor institution located in Newark, New Jersey-a city of promise-is seeking a NJ-STEP Director of Transitions to support the success of NJ-STEP students statewide. Reporting to the Executive Director of NJ-STEP, the Director of Transitions provides comprehensive leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for all transition, reentry, persistence, and post-graduation support functions across NJ-STEP. This includes services delivered in correctional facilities, halfway houses, and other residential community-release placements across the New Jersey community college system, on Rutgers campuses, and through alumni and post-graduation engagement. The Director is accountable to NJ-STEP leadership, the University, and funders for the effectiveness, consistency, compliance, and long-term sustainability of NJ-STEP’s transitions and reentry infrastructure across all campuses and community contexts.

This position is responsible for and not limited to the following:

• Designing, implementing, ensuring consistency, documenting, and continuously improving transition systems supporting justice-impacted students as they move across educational, institutional, and community contexts
• Developing and sustaining the NJ-STEP reentry community, fostering a culture of consistency, mutual accountability, belonging, and persistence among current students, alumni, staff, and institutional partners.
• Participating in admissions-related review processes, cultivation of student pipelines from correctional and community college settings, and early identification of students approaching key transition points.
• Supervising a multi-campus Transitions Team, including three MVC Counselors (one assigned to each Rutgers campus), an Assistant Community Relations Dean and one indirect report.
• Working collaboratively with university offices and external stakeholders.
• Contributing data and narrative input for institutional reports, the annual transitions program report, and grant proposals.
• Facilitation of staff and student advisory structures, integration of student feedback into program improvement, development of crisis response frameworks, oversight of transition-related data integrity and documentation, and ensuring compliance with applicable university, state, and federal laws and policies.

Minimum Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in Counseling, Psychology, Education, Social Work, Criminal Justice, or related field.
• Minimum of three years’ experience in the candidate’s chosen field and at least three years of experience in program management and/or evaluation.

Certifications/LicensesRequired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Master’s degree in Counseling, Psychology, Education, Social Work, Criminal Justice, or related field.
• Minimum of three years’ experience in the candidate’s chosen field and at least three years of experience in program management and/or evaluation.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skills.
• Knowledge of non-traditional college students and/or incarcerated populations.
• Demonstrated experience with regulatory compliance and data-driven reporting.
• Must be able to successfully obtain and maintain security clearance from the New Jersey Department of Corrections (NJDOC) as a condition of employment to ensure necessary access to correctional facilities., * Some teaching experience or academic support experience at the secondary and college level is preferred.
• LCSW and the ability to supervise SW field placement are preferred.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Regularly visiting sites across the state, and the ability to travel between the Newark, Camden, and New Brunswick campuses.
• Requires a Valid driver’s license and the ability to travel.

Minimum Salary: 94,492 Mid Range Salary: 119,604 Maximum Salary: 144,715, Rutgers provides a comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. The specific benefits vary based on the position and may include:

• Medical, prescription drug, and dental coverage
• Paid vacation, holidays, and various leave programs
• Competitive retirement benefits, including defined contribution plans and voluntary tax-deferred savings options
• Employee and dependent educational benefits (when applicable)
• Life insurance coverage
• Employee discount programs

The New Jersey Scholarship and Transformative Education (NJ-STEP) Consortium is an association of higher educational institutions that work in partnership with the NJ Department of Corrections and the State Parole to provide comprehensive college degree programming for students while incarcerated and to assist in their transition to college life and further degree work upon release. Under the office of the Chancellor, NJ-STEP serves a statewide population of people enrolled in college while in prison, on parole, and post-incarceration. NJ-STEP operates at each Rutgers campus, in 5 separate prisons, and a variety of residential reentry programs and partner college campuses across the state. For further information, please visit http://njstep.newark.rutgers.edu/.