Director, Gender & Sexuality

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

Gender and Sexuality Initiatives at Swarthmore College provides programs and services that support the personal and intellectual development LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) and their intersecting identities. In addition, it promotes systemic change toward a multicultural perspective across the institution, and fosters community-building and collaboration among diverse groups both within and outside of the college. We believe support of LGBT students and communities must be done in a multicultural, social justice context, honoring the many identities of students.

The Women’s Resource Center (WRC) provides programs and services that support the personal and intellectual development of women. The WRC promotes gender equity broadly and provides a welcoming space for all genders. In addition the WRC partners with other campus organizations and offices to strengthen and sustain an inclusive campus community that promotes gender equity and awareness, and supports people of various gender identities.

The opportunity:

The Director of Gender and Sexuality is responsible for developing affirming and educational programs that foster an atmosphere that supports lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and women students and communities at Swarthmore College. The Director of Gender and Sexuality advises LGBTQ+ students and student organizations, and builds relationships across campus constituencies. The director also manages the Women’s Resource Center (WRC), Women’s Resource Center Associates and works closely with the Black Cultural Center (BCC), the Interfaith Center, International Student Services, the Health and Wellness Center, Title IX Office, and other relevant college offices to support the academic wellness, holistic support and campus integration of LGBTQ+ and women students, faculty, staff, and allies. The Director of Gender and Sexuality also assumes responsibility for identifying and accessing on and off-campus community resources available to LGBTQ+ and women students that will help them address the specific barriers they experience to succeeding in a collegiate environment.

Essential Responsibilities

Programmatic Responsibilities (50%)

• Provide advising, training, and support to LGBTQ+ and women students, student organizations, and campus partners related to gender, sexuality, and identity.
• Manage events and programs that speak to the particular needs and experiences related to gender and sexuality.
  • National Coming Out Day, Pride Month, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Transgender Day of Visibility, Women’s History Month, Lavender Celebration and other events throughout the year.
  • Manage KAMP - our LGBTQ+ mentor programs for students.
• Coordinate students, student organizations, faculty, and campus partners to develop programming that supports individual’s LGBTQ+ and women’s identity development, community building, and campus awareness of LGBTQ+ and women’s issues.
  • Collaborate with Identity-Based Centers, Departments and Program on campus to foster ongoing collaborations with Identity Based Centers (Black Cultural center, Intercultural Center, the Interfaith Center, and International Student Office).
  • Collaborate with students and staff to provide annual events, such as new student orientation, WRC Open House, fall and spring study breaks, drag shows, and LGBTQ+ social events.
• Partner with Admissions, Advancement and the LGBTQ+ Alumni Network for potential support and projects.

Direct Service (50%)

• Supervise the 8-10 student WRC associates and 2-3 Gender and Sexuality intern.
• Manage Women’s Resource Center budget.
• Exercise professional judgment and specialized knowledge to provide crisis response to issues or concerns that impact gender and sexuality across the campus.
• Develop and lead SQUAD (Swarthmore Queer Advocate) trainings for faculty and staff.
• Offer individualized trainings and workshops educating the campus community about LGBTQ+, gender equity, sexuality, pronouns, and other topics that support the mission.
• Provide support and advocacy for LGBTQ+ and women’s issues, ensuring that the Associate Dean of Inclusive Excellence and other appropriate stakeholders are aware of salient issues affecting the quality of life at Swarthmore for LGBTQ+ and women’s communities.

Additional Responsibilities

• Building on existing work, coordinate a needs assessment, and make resource recommendations for LGBTQ+ and women students and organizations.
• Participate in meetings with LGBTQ+ and women student organizations and build partnerships and facilitate linkages with LGBTQ+ and women student groups and other student organizations.
• Collaborate with faculty and departments with a specific emphasis on co-curricular workshops that address Women and/or LGBTQ+ experiences.
• Develop strategies to encourage cross collaboration of LGBTQ+ and women student groups to build a culture of “togetherness” within LGBTQ+ and women student organizations.
• Track and evaluate program effectiveness and assist in annual reports.
• Assist with the development and maintenance of Gender and Sexuality / WRC website and social media.
• Develop and provide resources within the WRC (library, educational and promotional materials, etc.).
• Oversee the use, maintenance, and cleanliness of space, including managing requests to EVS and workbox.
• Carry out other duties that support the Office of Inclusive Excellence, the Women’s Resource Center and the broader Swarthmore College community.
• Assist in increasing the visibility of the WRC and LGBTQ+ life.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervise 10-12 students interns to support the Women’ Resource Center and Gender and Sexuality Programming.

Who you are:

• Enthusiastic, energetic, and organized self-starter who is capable of working independently and in a team environment.
• Prepared to work in a fast-paced environment where processes and needs are changing and developing regularly.
• Demonstrate initiative, have excellent verbal and nonverbal communication skills, navigate relationships with students, staff and faculty, and demonstrate a high level of multicultural competency.
• Enthusiastic, energetic, and organized self-starter who is capable of working independently and in a team environment.
• Prepared to work in a fast-paced environment where processes and needs are changing and developing regularly.

What you bring:

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• 3-5 years of experience working with both LGBTQ+ and women communities, including developing collaborative educational initiatives.
• Must have experience working effectively and sensitively with vulnerable and structurally oppressed populations and their intersecting identities — such as youth/students, people of color, low-income, first generation college students, people with disabilities, immigrant/undocumented, etc.

What You Will Get:

You’ll work at one of the world's most renowned liberal arts Colleges, with incredible benefits, a stunning 420-acre campus and collaborative work environment. And you will join a team of passionate, creative, and supportive people who work hard and have fun supporting the College community.

Review the Swarthmore Benefits Guidebook , we offer benefit plans starting at $0 per month! Upon benefit eligibility, the College contributes 10% of an employee’s salary to their retirement account. Employees are 100% vested in their accounts on the date participation begins.

Swarthmore Benefits Flyer

Paid Time Off (Staff)

Holiday Schedule

For full consideration, submit applications including resume and cover letter with pay expectations by April 7, 2023. If you are excited about this role, we want to hear from you!

Swarthmore College actively seeks and welcomes applications from candidates with exceptional qualifications, particularly those with demonstrable commitments to a more inclusive society and world. Swarthmore College is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply.

Advertised: Mar 31 2023 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: