At the University of Denver, Student Affairs is at the heart of the student journey—empowering every student to thrive academically, personally, and professionally. Rooted in DU’s signature 4D Experience, our division is committed to fostering holistic development through four dimensions: deepen intellect, develop wellbeing, discover character, and design careers and lives of purpose.

Our work reaches far beyond the classroom. Through dynamic, high-impact programs, services, and experiences offered at both the Denver Campus and the Kennedy Mountain Campus, we foster inclusive communities, promote health and wellness, cultivate exploration, engagement, and leadership, and develop a deep sense of belonging. We are committed to creating a high-touch environment where students and participants connect meaningfully, grow confidently, and thrive personally and collectively.

As a division, we serve the broader DU and Denver community which includes:

• Current DU Students & Families
• Prospective Students & Families
• Faculty & Staff
• Alumni & Donors
• Local Community
• Companies & Organizations
• National Peers & Media

Together, we are shaping a vibrant, supportive, and dynamic campus culture where every student and participant can discover their potential and make a meaningful impact.

The Student Affairs division includes the following units:

• 4D Experience
• Office of External Relations (OER) 
• Housing, Residential Education and Dining Services 
• Driscoll & Community Commons 
• Business and Planning  
• Student Engagement 
• New Student & Family Programs 
• Kennedy Mountain Campus 
• DU Outdoors 
• Wellness & Recreation 
• Health & Counseling Center 
• First@DU 
• Learning Effectiveness Program 
• Student Disability Services 
• Student Outreach & Support 
• Student Rights & Responsibilities 
• Veteran & Military Resources
• Office of the Dean of Students 

Position Summary

In consultation with the 4D Director of Faculty Initiatives and 4D leadership team, the 4D Experience Executive Director will serve as the campus leader for embedding and scaling the 4D model and the 4D Experience dedicated to advancing intellectual growth, exploring character, promoting well-being, and pursuing careers and lives of purpose for all students.

The 4D Executive Director will oversee strategic, organizational, and programmatic initiatives and activities related to 4D, setting broader 4D vision and priorities around relevant goals and outcomes and advancing the integration of 4D across campus. They will manage planning and operations related to the 4D’s priorities and pillars, most notably the 4D co-curriculum and the 4D constellation of mentors and advisors.

The 4D Executive Director supervises all full-time 4D staff as well as 4D Life Design Fellows. They will also support the supervision of graduate and undergraduate student interns and/or fellows.

The 4D Executive Director reports jointly to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Inclusive Excellence (SAIE) and the Provost. The Executive Director provides counsel to the Chancellor and other university leaders in furthering the vision of the 4D model and the 4D Experience. To that end, the Executive Director will regularly join meetings with the Provost, the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, and the Chancellor to discuss progress and provide planning updates on 4D initiatives and programmatic implementation.

This position summary is not designed to capture all activities, duties, or responsibilities required for this position. Responsibilities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time. 

Essential Functions

Strategic Leadership

• Set the broader 4D vision and priorities around relevant goals and outcomes, developing innovative approaches to delivering a holistic student experience.
• Shape the 4D institutional ecosystem through organizing resources and relationships, identifying value potential of new resource linkages and mobilizing and forging new connections and stakeholder relationships.
• Build institutional creative capacity in order to deliver innovative educational experiences in line with literature on student learning, development, and thriving.
• Connect an interdependent network of campus partners to align goals and co-create value by bringing together individual offerings into a more coherent solution (Adner, 2017).
• Improve understanding of strategic imperatives through alleviating ambiguity and increasing transparency and trust across the institutional ecosystem.
• Determine local needs and how the broader priorities may be contextualized locally, creating both localized and university-wide solutions to facilitate institutionalization.

Program Execution and Management

• Oversee the execution of the achievement of 4D goals centered on the three 4D pillars, identifying objectives and managing the development and operationalization of related programs and initiatives (most notably the 4D Experience by Design co-curriculum and the 4D constellation of mentors and advisors).
• Develop and implement a detailed plan for broad deployment of the 4D initiative including scaling to all students, developing timelines, and meeting deliverables.
• Supervise 4D staff in the development and management of 4D programs and events, including symposia, workshops, labs, and professional development.
• Lead the design and implementation of the 4D Experience by Design co-curricular offerings, organizing and coordinating related programs by units across campus and supporting the work of the 4D Life Design Fellows.
• Collaborate with campus partners and the 4D Director of Faculty Initiatives to build out and implement not only immersive student experiences (e.g. peer leader training, Orientation and KMC experiences) but also faculty and staff trainings (e.g. FSem training).

Research and Assessment

• Collaborate with DU Assessment Directors in supporting campus units and partners in operationalizing strategic goals for holistic learning and development (e.g. assessment plan creation, data collection, and analysis, communication of results)
• Build relationships and consult for leadership development (e.g., standing meetings, communications, creating and/or implementing curriculum and models, consensus building).
• Research and benchmark related topics in higher education (e.g. mentoring, reflection, thriving) through developing models, frameworks, and presentations and networking with colleagues at other universities.
• Assist colleagues in analyzing data and results, action planning, and assessing policy and programmatic impact in support of the campus’ priorities.

External Relations

• Raise visibility for DU’s 4D model and 4D Experience through collaborating with University Advancement and MarComm as well as the Senior Content Specialist (SAIE) on communications and fundraising campaigns. 
• Produce and publish original content to raise awareness around the 4D mission and activities, including developing content for the website, crafting briefing documents, and drafting and designing 4D reports. 
• Develop and implement a strategy for publicizing 4D research, initiatives, and events.

Administration

• Directly supervise four full-time 4D staff, including the 4D Senior Project Manager, associate director, project manager, and mentoring coordinator, as well as oversee the work of the 4D Life Design Fellows and 4D Student Design Fellows and interns.
• Perform sensitive or high-level administrative support functions (e.g., team lead on grant writing, planning, editing) needed to advance 4D initiatives.
• Engage administrative support and organize general office duties within the 4D Experience Team (i.e., onboarding new team members and overseeing 4D budget).

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Expertise in strategic vision development and execution
• Demonstrated ability to develop a shared vision
• Expertise in student engagement theory and design
• Excellent communication skills
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Proficiency in developing and maintaining institution-wide collaborations
• Superb organizational skills, with an ability to manage competing priorities
• Ability to navigate fast-paced environment

Required Qualifications

• Bachelors degree degree in higher education or a closely related field
• Experience in developing, managing, and assessing program initiatives related to student thriving
• 7+ years of relevant work experience including management experience, preferably in higher education

Preferred Qualifications

• Terminal degree in higher education or a related field
• 10+ years of relevant work experience including management experience, preferably in higher education.
• Proven leader, thinker, strategist, and manager with demonstrated ability in creating, developing, implementing, and assessing effective student leadership and developmental growth programming
• Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing effective peer and professional (faculty and staff) mentoring programs

Working Environment

• Standard office environment.
• Unexpected interruptions occur often and stress level is moderate to high.
• Noise level is quiet to moderate.

Physical Activities

• Ability to work in front of a computer for extended periods of time.
• Occasionally required to move about the office/campus.

Work Schedule This position requires employees to work onsite 8:00am-4:30pm with occasional evening, weekends, and holiday shifts. (Schedules vary by department and position.) Staff are expected to support student Hallmark, Tradition and other program events throughout the year. The University of Denver and Student Affairs recognize the utilization of flexible work arrangements where these arrangements are operationally appropriate, and supervisor approved.

Application Deadline For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) June 28, 2026.

Special Instructions Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu [https://jobs.du.edu/en-us/listing/] to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Grade Number: The salary grade for the position is 16.

Salary Rate: The salary rate for this position is $140,566.

The University of Denver has provided a compensation range that represents its good faith estimate of what the University may pay for the position at the time of posting. The University may ultimately pay more or less than the posted compensation range. The salary offered to the selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal salary equity considerations, and available market information, but not based on a candidate’s sex or any other protected status.

Benefits: The University of Denver offers excellent benefits [https://www.du.edu/sites/default/files/2026-02/Benefits%20Overview-Benefited%20Employees_FINAL_2.9.2026.pdf], including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference. Learn more about the University of Denver [https://www.du.edu/].

Please include the following documents with your application:

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital, family, or parental status, pregnancy or related conditions, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. The University of Denver does not discriminate and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, age, religion, creed, disability, sex (including sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression), marital family, and parental status, pregnancy, genetic information, military enlistment, or veteran status, and any other class of individuals protected from discrimination under federal, state, or local law, regulation, or ordinance in any of the University’s educational programs and activities, and in the employment (including application for employment) and admissions (including application for admission) context, as required by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Americans with Disabilities Act; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; the Equal Pay Act; the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act; the Colorado Protecting Opportunities and Worker's Rights ("POWR") Act; and any other federal, state, and local laws, regulations, or ordinances that prohibit discrimination, harassment, and/or retaliation. For more information, please see the University of Denver's Non‑Discrimination‑Statement [https://www.du.edu/equalopportunity/non-discrimination-statement].

All offers of employment are based upon satisfactory completion of a criminal history and National Sex Offender Registry background check.