Job Details

This ad is expired.

Undergrad Research & Fellowships Coach - Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships - UTK

Position Number: 6432463
Location: Chattanooga, TN
Position Type: Career Counseling and Placement

Undergrad Research & Fellowships Coach - Office of Undergraduate Research & Fellowships - UTK
Knoxville, TN, United States

Job Identification: 4225
Job Category: Student Services
Posting Date: 07/25/2025
Job Schedule: Full Time
Locations: 1331 Circle Park, Knoxville, TN, 37996, US

Job Description
Undergraduate Research & Fellowships (URF) provides UT's centralized undergraduate research, service learning, and nationally competitive fellowships services, with the goal of increasing student knowledge of and participation in high-quality undergraduate research, service learning, and fellowships opportunities. We accomplish our goals through campus-wide collaboration, innovative programming (including UG research funding, exhibitions, enrichment workshops, fellowships writing retreats, etc.), direct student coaching and mentoring, support of faculty and graduate students who mentor undergraduates, and recognition of outstanding engagement and performance in these areas. As a unit within the Division of Student Success (DSS), URF's work is grounded in the belief that undergraduate research, service learning, and the pursuit of competitive fellowships can activate, for all students, purposeful exploration through which they can develop key skills and relationships, cultivate their strengths and persist in their studies, and expand, clarify, and strategically pursue their goals for improving their communities.

The Undergraduate Research & Fellowships Coach will provide proactive and intentional support to UT students seeking information about programs/experiences that span URF's scope of activities, from undergraduate research to service learning to nationally competitive fellowships. Reporting to the URF Assistant Director, the URF Coach will focus on increasing URF's direct outreach to and collaboration with first-year students across all disciplines. These outreach goals will be accomplished by liaising on behalf of URF with programs both inside and outside the Division of Student Success. The purpose of this outreach is to: 1) raise awareness about and normalize undergraduate research and fellowships among our undergraduates, especially those early in their UT career, as an accessible and worthy pursuit; 2) help identify perceived on-the-ground student barriers to participation and share insights with office leadership that can be translated into improved URF services; 3) help grow the pool of students seeking URF coaching; and 4) diversify disciplines engaging in undergraduate research and fellowships competitions. The URF Coach will have primary responsibility for the office's initial "intake" research and fellowships coaching appointments, leveraging their coaching skills and knowledge of URF and UT resources to co-develop tailored, executable plans to help each student move to the appropriate next step in their research and fellowships journey in ways that reflect the students' unique strengths and goals. Referrals to and collaboration with URF ADs will be common as students progress in their research and fellowships journeys. Proactive, upbeat student follow-up and relevant data collection will be key to the URF Coach's success.

Responsibilities
Academic Coaching and Professional Development

- URF Coach will have primary responsibility for the office's initial "intake" research, service learning, and fellowships coaching appointments.

- Review student academic transcripts in preparation for student meetings to better assist students.

- Hold regular 1-on-1 student appointments (5-10 per day) with a wide pool of students interested in potentially pursuing undergraduate research, service learning, and/or fellowships. Glean student goals, interests, and strengths; share information about relevant undergraduate research, service learning, and nationally competitive fellowships in an approachable way; and make concrete suggestions about potential next steps, including initial conversations about how students can begin to improve their competitiveness for targeted opportunities. Appointments ideally should result in a co-developed, tailored, executable plan to help each student move to the the appropriate next step in their research, service learning, and fellowships journey in ways that reflect the students' unique strengths and goals. Refer as appropriate.

-Provide 1:1 and group advising to URF's undergraduate research grant recipients as they participate in Faculty Research Assistants Funding (FRAF), Advanced Undergraduate Research Activity (AURA), and the Departmental Research Assistants (DRA).

- Make clear referrals/hand-offs within the office -- especially to URF Assistant Directors for Fellowships and for Undergraduate Research -- when student is progressing to the more advanced stages of their research and fellowships journeys.

- Make referrals to other campus services/offices as appropriate.

- Engage in proactive, upbeat student follow-up and maintain detailed records, such as in Salesforce, Banner, Slate, and other software, to document coaching sessions and communication with students.

- Assist in case management for first-year students in need of additional academic support (Vol Success Teams).

Strategic Student Outreach and DSS/Campus Engagement

- Under supervision of the Assistant Director and with additional support from office leadership, liaise on behalf of URF with DSS programs such as the UT Success Academy, Academic Success Center, Honors & Scholars, First-Year Programs, and Veterans Success Center, in addition to relevant areas outside DSS with the goal of making undergraduate research, service learning, and fellowships more visible, accessible, and 'normalized' among our undergraduates.

-Offer URF's introductory and exit workshops seminars that are held at least monthly in the early evening as part of the DSS Express program.

- Contribute significantly to URF's promotional efforts (social media, website updates, flyers, etc.).

- Oversee biweekly URF student newsletter, with significant support from Director, ADs, and Office Coordinator, as well as DSS Communications.

- Offer and organize URF Overview Sessions for DSS and campus partners, class visits, and for student organizations and other cohorts upon request; follow up with attendees.

- Participate in campus-wide outreach activities, including requests from DSS and campus partners, Admissions browse sessions, Orientation programs, and tabling sessions.

- Participation in DSS's various committee work, initiatives, and professional development opportunities, as appropriate and/or assigned.

- Engagement with UT community through professional development activities and service to the campus community.

Scholarship Support

-Under the supervision of the Assistant Director, serve as the key co-manager for the Gilman Scholarship application support that URF provides in the fall and spring semesters to approximately 100 students.

-As co-manager of URF's Gilman support, provide information sessions to promote the Gilman Scholarship across campus, teach a cohort of Gilman applicants how to compose competitive essays, arrange writing retreats for students, give feedback on application drafts, provide 1:1 advising to applicants, and track student progress from intake through submission.

-Serve as primary contact for OneStop/Financial Aid and Programs Abroad with all matters that involve the Gilman Scholarship.

-Provide additional scholarship/fellowship support as needed (Fulbright, CLS, etc.).

Support of Major URF Activities/Programs

- Provide assistance as needed in the planning and execution of major URF programs, such as Discovery Day, EUReCA, and fellowships-focused student events and activities.

- Collect and maintain students data, design and delivery student surveys, and share with URF leadership as appropriate or requested.

- Contribute to URF reports.

-Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications

Education:
- Bachelor's Degree
Experience:
- Bachelor's degree with one year of student-facing professional experience by date of hire working in a college/university setting or master's degree with no experience.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
Presentation skills needed to speak effectively 1-on-1 and in group presentation settings (e.g., visiting a student organization)
Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion when working with students and student data
Experience working one-on-one and in small groups with university students
Computer skills needed to collect, organize, and share data (e.g., using Microsoft Office suite and university-specific systems)
Ability to remain organized, composed, upbeat, and detail-oriented under the pressure of deadlines and high-volume times of year
Ability to conduct effective student outreach campaigns using multi-modal approaches
Ability to write clear, error-free text
Ability to take direction and work as a collaborative team member

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

Master's Degree
Knowledge of student academic success and the support services and co-curricular opportunities that exist on an R1 university campus

Experience:

Master's degree in education or related field
Two years of relevant student-facing professional experience

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

Ability to use Banner, Canvas, Salesforce, or similar higher education student software system
Personal experiences with research, service learning, or fellowships
Experience providing feedback to student writers

Compensation and Benefits

UT market range: MR08
Anticipated hiring range: Minimum $49,000
Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted.

Resume
Cover Letter
List of 3 Professional References

About Us
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees-the Volunteers-who uphold the university's tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee's flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy's largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices that attract and retain a diverse community and that support a culture where everyone matters and belongs.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as "Best Employer for New Graduates," "One of America's Best Large Employers," and "Best Workplace for Women," and has been designated as "Best Place for Working Parents" by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!

To apply, visit https://fa-ewlq-saasfaprod1.fa.ocs.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1/job/4225/?mode=location