Student Orientation & Transition Programs Coordinator

Penn State University • Harrisburg, PA

22h • $51,000 - $74,000

About The Position

Penn State Harrisburg, a comprehensive College of The Pennsylvania State University, is excited to welcome applications and nominations for the position of Student Orientation & Transition Programs Coordinator– Student Orientation Specialist – Intermediate Professional. The Student Orientation & Transition Programs (SOTP) Coordinator at Penn State Harrisburg is a full-time, professional staff member who plans, coordinates, and executes large-scale welcome and transition initiatives for incoming students (and their families) at Penn State Harrisburg. In partnership with campus offices across Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Advising, Admissions, and other stakeholder units, this role supports new student orientation, welcome week activities, and ongoing transition programming designed to foster student belonging, connection, and success at Penn State Harrisburg. This position jointly reports to the Associate Director of Student Engagement and the Director of Academic Support and Advising Services at Penn State Harrisburg. The role collaborates closely with partners across Academic Affairs and Student Affairs, including Academic Advising, Admissions, Financial Aid, Human Resources, the Office of Research and Outreach, and Parent and Family Relations. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on students’ transition to college, collaborate across campus, and contribute to a driven team committed to access, inclusion, and student success. The SOTP coordinator plays a critical role in shaping welcoming experiences that support persistence, belonging, and academic engagement from a student’s first connection to campus. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply and join a community dedicated to supporting students at every step of their Penn State Harrisburg journey. Penn State Harrisburg is located in Middletown, near the city of Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania. The college is easily accessible via interstate and rail routes from Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington DC, and New York, and Harrisburg International Airport is located within minutes from campus. The college is the largest and most comprehensive of Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses. An undergraduate college and graduate school, Penn State Harrisburg offers more than 75 associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs and is the only campus, along with University Park, to offer programs from the associate to doctoral levels. The college also offers the first two years of study leading to more than 160 baccalaureate majors offered throughout Penn State. At the transfer level, Penn State Harrisburg serves students from all Penn State campuses and from community colleges and other accredited colleges and universities. The college enrolls 5,000 students in residence. Reputation is Penn State Harrisburg’s hallmark – nationally accredited programs, award-winning faculty, and the resources of a world-class research university. We are Penn State in the Capital Region. The college’s academic units are divided into five schools: Behavioral Sciences and Education; Business Administration; Humanities; Public Affairs; and Science, Engineering, and Technology. The college employs approximately 500 full-time faculty and staff, and roughly 500 part-time employees to carry out its mission to be a premier college of The Pennsylvania State University. To learn more about the college please visit http://harrisburg.psu.edu

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Demonstrated experience in event/program planning and execution in a higher education or student-facing setting.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to convey information clearly to diverse audiences (students, families, campus colleagues).
• Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple concurrently occurring projects, deadlines, and stakeholders.
• Ability to work on a flexible schedule including evenings and weekends (summer and early fall).
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in teams and collaborate across units.
• Commitment to student-centered practice and supporting inclusive environments; familiarity or willingness to develop practice in first-generation student support, transfer student transition, and family engagement.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Student Affairs, College Student Personnel, Educational Leadership or related field.
• Previous experience coordinating orientation/welcome/transition programs for a higher education institution (especially for first-generation, underrepresented, or commuter populations).
• Experience with program assessment, data collection/analysis for student success metrics.
• Familiarity with student development theory, family engagement frameworks, and culturally responsive pedagogy.
• Experience supervising student staff and/or part-time professional staff.
• Familiarity with web/social media platforms, registration/event systems, and budget/contract management.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, coordination, and execution of transition events for new students at Penn State Harrisburg, such as campus welcome, “first 100 days” programming, transfer/commuter welcome, and orientation sessions.
• Support and coordinate aspects of New Student Orientation (NSO) for Penn State Harrisburg including outreach to admitted students, set up and monitoring of NSO registration system, check-in logistics, student/family engagement, session scheduling, and New Student Orientation Committee.
• Manage transition logistics (space reservations, vendor coordination, signage, AV, food/beverage as appropriate).
• Serve as a visible presence during welcome and orientation events, interacting with new students and families to answer questions, facilitate connections, and model Penn State Harrisburg values of community, engagement, diversity, respect, integrity, and discovery.
• Work with commencement staff and planning on student engagement and participation.
• Create and sustain intentional student development pathways for entering students to participate in high impact practices (campus employment, project-based learning, student research, and internships).
• Sustain knowledge of best practices in student transition, orientation, family engagement, and first-generation student success.
• Coordinate communications and marketing for transition and orientation programs including emails, webpages, social media posts, and print/digital materials.
• Work collaboratively with Admissions, Advising Center, Strategic Communications, Student Affairs, and other campus units.
• Recruit, hire, train, and supervise student staff for New Student Orientation, welcome programs, and other transition programs.
• Supervise and collaborate with student employees, or part-time staff engaged in transition programming.
• Maintain records and data related to program attendance, student feedback, assessment outcomes, and contribute to reporting on retention/continuation of new students.
• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the mission of Student Orientation & Transition to Penn State Harrisburg.

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.
• For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level