Overview:
Tufts University is building a bold, university-wide vision for wellness and wellbeing — and we are seeking a collaborative leader to help shape and advance that work across our campuses and communities.
The Director of University Wellness will lead efforts to strengthen a connected approach to wellbeing that supports students, faculty, and staff through strategic partnership, cross-campus collaboration, and organizational alignment. This inaugural role offers the opportunity to serve as a strategic architect of Tufts’ long-term wellness framework by connecting and elevating existing wellness, prevention, mental health, and support initiatives across a highly decentralized university environment.
Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Health Services, the Director will serve as a strategic advisor and campus partner across a highly collaborative and decentralized university environment. The role requires strong relationship-building skills, the ability to influence across stakeholder groups without direct authority, and a thoughtful approach to organizational change and culture-building.
This position is part of Tufts University Health Services, a university-wide division that includes student health, counseling, and mental health services and supports a broader institutional commitment to holistic wellbeing.
Success in this role will depend on sustained in-person engagement across Tufts’ campuses and stakeholder communities, particularly during the first year as the Director builds partnerships, strengthens alignment, and helps advance university-wide wellness initiatives.
As the founding Director, you will have the unique opportunity to help shape an enduring institutional approach to wellbeing that supports how the Tufts community learns, works, and thrives together. This role is not only about advancing wellness initiatives — it is about reimagining how a university lives, learns, and works well together.
Please review the Application Instructions under “What We’re Looking For” for specific details on submitting your cover letter.
What You'll Do:
The Director of University Wellness will lead the development and advancement of a university-wide wellness and wellbeing strategy that supports students, faculty, and staff across Tufts University. This role will create a unifying framework that embeds wellbeing into the culture, operations, and daily practices of the university while strengthening alignment across existing wellness, prevention, mental health, and support initiatives.
Serving as a strategic advisor, educator, collaborator, and catalyst for organizational change, the Director will help position wellbeing as a foundation for academic excellence, workplace effectiveness, and community vitality. This is a rare opportunity to help shape Tufts’ long-term vision for wellness by building partnerships across schools and campuses, convening collaborative communities of practice, and advancing initiatives that strengthen the health, resilience, and connectedness of the university community.
Essential Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership & Institutional Partnership
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Lead the continued development, implementation, and advancement of a university-wide wellness and wellbeing strategy in collaboration with stakeholders across the institution.
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Serve as a strategic advisor to university leadership on wellness initiatives, emerging trends, and institutional priorities.
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Foster a collaborative culture that integrates wellbeing into academic, professional, and community life.
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Build strong partnerships across schools, campuses, administrative units, and university leadership to support shared wellness goals.
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Use assessment, institutional data, and emerging trends to help guide strategic priorities, resource alignment, and long-term wellness planning.
Program Development & Integration
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Assess existing wellness initiatives and identify opportunities to strengthen alignment, coordination, and shared strategy across the university.
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Support the development and implementation of initiatives related to mental health, physical wellbeing, resilience, prevention, and community wellness.
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Partner with Human Resources, Faculty Affairs, Student Success, and other campus leaders to integrate wellness practices into institutional programs and initiatives.
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Ensure wellness efforts reflect the diverse needs and experiences of the university community.
Education, Engagement & Culture Change
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Lead wellness education, awareness, and engagement efforts across the university community.
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Develop professional development and learning opportunities related to wellbeing for faculty and staff.
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Support the creation of wellness-related resources, guidance, and best practices.
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Foster shared understanding and engagement around wellbeing through collaboration, communication, and community partnership.
Cross-Campus Collaboration & Community Building
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Convene and lead a university-wide Wellness Community of Practice focused on strengthening collaboration, shared learning, coordinated initiatives, and institutional alignment across schools and campuses.
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Facilitate dialogue and partnership-building across schools, campuses, and stakeholder groups.
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Identify opportunities to strengthen wellness practices through innovation, research, and emerging best practices.
Assessment & Continuous Improvement
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Use assessment practices and institutional data to inform program development and measure effectiveness.
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Support the development and tracking of wellness metrics, outcomes, and impact measures.
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Identify trends, opportunities, and gaps to strengthen institutional wellness efforts over time.
Campus & External Engagement
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Build relationships with campus and external partners to strengthen wellness resources and collaborative opportunities.
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Serve as a visible advocate for wellness through campus engagement, university events, communications, and select professional activities.
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Represent and help elevate Tufts’ wellness initiatives through strategic relationship-building and external engagement aligned with institutional priorities.
What We're Looking For:
Application Instructions: To receive full consideration, applicants should apply online and include: 1.) A resume 2.) A cover letter (two pages max) that addresses the following:
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Vision for Wellness in Higher Education: How you would design and advance a university-wide wellness strategy that bridges across schools and campuses and supports student, faculty, and staff success within Tufts’ uniquely complex environment.
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Influence and Change Leadership: Examples of how you have successfully navigated institutional complexity, built consensus, and advanced change initiatives within higher education or similarly decentralized organizations.
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Experience in Complex Environments: How your background has prepared you to work across diverse academic communities, professional schools, and stakeholder groups within decentralized institutional environments.
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Measurement and Impact: How you would define success and use data and assessment to evaluate the impact of wellness initiatives.
Basic Requirements:
Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Promotion, Psychology, Counseling, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.
Minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in wellness, mental health, public health, student affairs, or related areas within higher education, healthcare, or similarly complex organizations.
Demonstrated experience leading, building, or advancing wellness, wellbeing, public health, mental health, or student support initiatives within complex institutions.
Proven ability to influence institutional culture and collaborate across academic and administrative units.
Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
Knowledge of applicable federal and state regulations related to wellbeing.
Preferred Qualifications:
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Doctoral degree in a related field.
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Supervisory experience.
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Experience developing and implementing metrics to assess program effectiveness.
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Familiarity with tools and techniques for conducting community surveys, institutional assessment, and data gathering.
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Experience leading or advancing wellness strategy within a complex, research-focused university, academic medical center, healthcare system, or similarly decentralized institution with multiple schools, campuses, and stakeholder groups.
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Experience working across varied academic populations, including undergraduate, graduate, medical, dental, veterinary, research, and other professional school environments.
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Demonstrated success aligning decentralized wellness, wellbeing, prevention, or support initiatives into a cohesive institutional strategy or shared framework.
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Proven ability to influence organizational culture and drive institutional change through collaboration, coalition-building, and consensus-building without direct authority.
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Familiarity with integrating wellness initiatives into broader student success, faculty support, workforce wellbeing, or organizational effectiveness strategies.
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Experience representing an institution through national higher education, wellness, public health, student affairs, or professional organizations, including conference presentations, speaking engagements, collaborative initiatives, or thought leadership activities preferred.
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Demonstrated ability to balance strategic external engagement with the relationship-driven and operational priorities of a highly collaborative campus environment.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
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Expertise in best practices related to college health and wellness, including prevention and intervention strategies.
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Demonstrated ability to lead large-scale organizational and culture-change initiatives through collaboration, strategic influence, and consensus-building across complex environments.
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Strong facilitation, communication, and partnership-building skills across varied stakeholder groups.
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Ability to navigate institutional complexity, build stakeholder buy-in, and advance strategic priorities in decentralized organizations.
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Proficiency in data analysis, assessment, and program evaluation.
Key Leadership Competencies:
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Strategic Builder: Develops frameworks, partnerships, institutional structures, and collaborative approaches that strengthen and sustain university-wide wellness efforts.
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Collaborative Influencer: Builds coalitions and fosters alignment across diverse schools, campuses, disciplines, and stakeholder groups.
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Visible Relationship Builder: Develops trust, credibility, and institutional partnerships through sustained engagement with students, faculty, staff, and university leadership.
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Innovative Thinker & Institutional Ambassador: Designs forward-looking, evidence-based approaches to emerging wellness challenges while elevating the university’s presence within higher education and national wellness communities through strategic engagement and thought leadership.
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Inclusive Leader: Champions equity, accessibility, belonging, and community-centered wellness practices across the institution.
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Results-Driven: Uses assessment, data, and measurable outcomes to evaluate effectiveness, strengthen impact, and inform long-term institutional strategy.
Salary Range: Minimum $158,200.00, Midpoint $197,800.00, Maximum $237,400.00
