Director, Center for Excellence in Financial Counseling

Center for Excellence in Financial Counseling

The Center for Excellence in Financial Counseling (CEFC) at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL) is recognized as a national leader in financial counseling, focusing on education, research, and community engagement that benefits a wide range of collaborators. The CEFC was founded at the University of Missouri-St. Louis by the former Foundation for Credit Education on July 1, 2009. The Center, including the Director's position, is funded by the Endowment for Excellence in Financial Counseling and advised by a Leadership Council. The mission of the Center is to promote national excellence in financial counseling through research, interdisciplinary efforts, and enhanced professional development for financial counselors.

Housed in the College of Business Administration at UMSL, the CEFC offers education, professional development, and other training, and research on financial literacy and financial counseling to students, community members, and national partners. The Center is deeply committed to advancing knowledge through interdisciplinary collaborations with local, regional, and national partners. In addition, the CEFC builds a strong partnership with the campus community, the St. Louis region, and beyond to advance excellence in financial counseling, literacy, and education.

The Center for Excellence in Financial Counseling (CEFC) is seeking a director to lead the Center and its programs to achieve effective and impactful outcomes. This position requires a candidate with strategic vision, leadership skills, and knowledge of financial literacy, wellness, and counseling. The Director will be instrumental in implementing the mission to serve the financial counseling community through education, training and professional development, and research for the benefit of members, students and the broader community.

The Director will be expected to lead all activities for the Center, supervise day-to-day operations of the Center, implement initiatives, and achieve results.

Reporting to the Dean, the Director's position will include the following responsibilities:

30% Leadership and Administration - Manage the Center's budget and fiscal operations, supervise operations, and serve various campus partners.

• Manage the Center's budget and fiscal operations, including general accounting, purchases, budget preparation, and the allocation and use of program resources.
• Supervise day-to-day operations, oversee, and guide all activities for the Center.
• Engage with stakeholders and campus and community partners, in designing, planning, and implementing all Center programs and activities and achieving results and impacts.
• Provide reports for various audiences and partners, including the annual financial reports.
• Define clear metrics to evaluate Center's efforts and outcomes. Monitor the Center's performance and make improvements regularly.
• In coordination with the Dean, serves as the liaison with the Center's Leadership Council, manage and host Council meetings.
• Serve on College and University committees relevant to the mission of the Center.
• In collaboration with advancement, assist with fundraising for the Center, including private gifts and sponsored grants.

30% Community Partnership and Engagement - Engage with all stakeholders in the community through financial counseling programming and activities, increase the impact of the Center in St. Louis and nationally.

• Establish and grow strong partnerships with campus and community partners in St. Louis and beyond.
• Elevate awareness of the Center and grow its impact through engaging programming and training opportunities.
• Design and implement programs in collaboration with the community to serve the community's needs, educate and disseminate knowledge about financial literacy and counseling.
• Collaborate with College and University marketing teams to create marketing content and communication strategies to inform stakeholders of the Center's initiatives and achievements.
• Maintain the Center's website and update it regularly.
• Promote the Center's programs, activities, and engagements with campus partners and the broad community.

20% Training, Professional Development, and Education - Develop and deliver training programs to serve the campus, local, and national communities, teaching non-credit courses and workshops, and professional development courses.

• Design, implement, and teach, or facilitate the teaching of, for-credit courses, non-credit courses, workshops, short-term courses and training, and special educational programs to advance the mission of the Center.
• Elevate awareness of the Center through engaging programming and effective outcomes in student learning and success, in the College of Business Administration and through other academic and support units on campus.
• Design, implement, and teach workshops, non-credit courses, or support the teaching of for-credit courses in topics relevant to financial literacy, wellness, and counseling; develop and deliver professional development programs and activities to engage students and the community with the Center.
• Engage students and the community in the counseling and planning process through activities, teaching, and workshops.

20% Research - Produce research in financial counseling, obtain external funding, present at conference, and publish papers to advance knowledge in financial wellness.

• Keep updated with the current knowledge in financial counseling and related areas.
• Disseminate research results to the financial counseling community.
• Obtain external program funding that will support programming, events, and activities to strengthen partnerships with campus and community to further the mission and the impact of the Center.
• Obtain external funding for designing, supporting, or conducting research, including learning-based and community-based research and outreach projects.
• Present at conferences and support the publication of articles in professional and scholarly outlets to promote the mission of the Center and to advance its impact on higher education and the industry.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States. The University will not sponsor applicants for this position for employment visas.

40 hours a week, in-person, five days in the office and no remote days.

Bachelor's degree or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 6 years of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

• Master's degree or higher from an accredited program in Counseling, Personal Finance, Financial Planning, Social Work, Business, or a related field.
• Accomplishments in interdisciplinary collaboration, partnerships, and collegiality with a variety of stakeholders, including the internal and external communities.
• Proven record in fostering relationships and development opportunities with the financial counseling, planning, or education communities, e.g., the higher education financial wellness community.
• Experience or interaction with higher education in a professional setting.
• Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.
• Strong project management and time management skills.
• Experience leading a financial literacy or wellness education program, counseling center, or comparable enterprise.
• Experience working with college students or in the higher education environment.
• Teaching effectiveness in financial counseling, personal finance, and related subjects in both in-person and online modalities.
• Experience in curriculum development on topics of financial counseling or planning.
• Proven records in developing and implementing programs that grow individual financial capabilities to achieve individual financial well-being.
• AFC, CFP, or equivalent professional experience related to financial counseling.
  

Pay commensurate with education and experience.
Hiring Range: $88,000 to $92,000 Annual
Grade: GGS-13
University Title: Educational Program Director

Application materials include a cover letter and resume. Finalists will be asked to provide references at a later date.

Applicants must combine all application materials into one PDF or Microsoft Word document and upload as a resume attachment to the UMSL Job site: http://umsl.jobs.

Limit document name to 50 characters. Maximum size limit is 11MB. Do not include special characters (e.g., /, &, %, etc.). For questions about the application process, please email employment@umsl.edu. If you are experiencing technical problems, please email umpshrsupport@umsystem.edu.

This position is eligible for University benefits. As part of your total compensation, the University offers a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental and vision plans, retirement, paid time off, short- and long-term disability, paid parental leave, paid caregiver leave, and educational fee discounts for all four UM System campuses. For additional information on University benefits, please visit the Faculty & Staff Benefits website at https://www.umsystem.edu/totalrewards/benefits.

Values Commitment

We value the uniqueness of every individual and strive to ensure each person's success. Contributions from individuals with diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives promote intellectual pluralism and enable us to achieve the excellence that we seek in learning, research and engagement. This commitment makes our university a better place to work, learn and innovate.

In your application materials, please discuss your experiences and expertise that support these values and enrich our missions of teaching, research, and engagement.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Missouri System is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Equal Opportunity is and shall be provided for all employees and applicants for employment on the basis of their demonstrated ability and competence without unlawful discrimination on the basis of their race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, or protected veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable state or federal law. This policy applies to all employment decisions including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, training, promotions, pay practices, benefits, disciplinary actions and terminations. For more information, visit https://www.umsystem.edu/ums/hr/eeo or call the Director of Employee and Labor Relations at 573-882-2146.

To request ADA accommodations, please email the Office of Human Resources at umslhr@umsl.edu.