Penn State Job Catalog

The defined natural career progression within or between job profiles.

Student Wellness 

The Health and Wellness Specialist develops, implements, coordinates, delivers, and evaluates comprehensive health promotion, prevention, and wellness initiatives that support student success, well-being, and a healthy campus community; utilizing evidence-based health promotion theory, public health frameworks, and student development principles, the Specialist designs educational programs, prevention strategies, outreach initiatives, and health communication campaigns that encourage healthy decision-making and reduce health risks; collaborates with students, faculty, staff, campus partners, and community organizations to address a broad range of wellness topics, including substance use prevention, hazing prevention, mental and emotional well-being, nutrition, sexual health, recovery support, violence prevention, bystander intervention, and other emerging health concerns; supports assessment, strategic planning, peer education programs, and continuous improvement efforts to advance institutional wellness priorities.

• Develop, implement, coordinate, and evaluate evidence-based health promotion, prevention, and wellness programs, services, and initiatives that support student health, well-being, and academic success
• Design and deliver educational programs, workshops, presentations, outreach activities, and health communication campaigns utilizing public health principles, behavior change theory, and research-based best practices
• Develop and implement prevention strategies addressing topics such as alcohol and drug use, hazing, recovery support, nutrition, sexual health, mental and emotional well-being, tobacco cessation, violence prevention, bystander intervention, and other student wellness priorities
• Apply public health and prevention science frameworks to develop individual, environmental, and system-level strategies that promote healthy behaviors and reduce health risks across diverse student populations
• Provide individual health education, wellness coaching, consultation, and referrals to students while maintaining appropriate documentation and confidentiality in accordance with University policies and applicable regulations
• Lead, coordinate, and assess peer health education programs, including recruitment, selection, training, supervision, scheduling, mentoring, and ongoing professional development of peer educators
• Develop training curricula, educational resources, facilitation guides, and outreach materials that prepare peer educators and student leaders to deliver effective health promotion programming
• Collaborate with academic departments, student organizations, athletics, fraternity and sorority life, residence life, orientation programs, recreation, counseling, healthcare providers, and other campus partners to develop coordinated prevention and wellness initiatives
• Build collaborative partnerships with University departments, community agencies, and external organizations to support comprehensive health promotion and prevention efforts
• Assess student needs and campus health trends through data collection, program evaluation, surveys, and research; utilize findings to improve programs and inform strategic planning
• Develop measurable learning outcomes, evaluate program effectiveness, analyze participation and assessment data, and prepare reports that demonstrate program impact and support continuous improvement
• Contribute to departmental strategic planning, quality improvement initiatives, annual goals, and assessment activities that align with University and Student Affairs priorities
• Develop, maintain, and update departmental procedures, educational materials, program resources, and health communication content to ensure accuracy, accessibility, and alignment with current evidence-based practices
• Monitor emerging public health research, higher education trends, and professional standards to ensure programs remain innovative, inclusive, and responsive to evolving student needs
• Coordinate prevention programming during high-risk periods and support University-wide awareness campaigns, educational requirements, and health promotion initiatives
• Maintain accurate program records, referral documentation, participation data, and required databases while ensuring compliance with applicable University policies and privacy regulations
• May supervise staff, including responsibility for hiring, performance management, coaching, and professional development

Level:

– Supervisor

Base Description:

– Supervises direct reports, but primarily completes activities, tasks, and/or projects of a functional nature.

Level Summary:

– Demonstrates appropriate knowledge to perform own work; spends majority of time on tasks related to own job responsibilities. Demonstrates baseline planning, organizing, directing, and facilitating skills. Reviews completed work of others to verify accuracy and quality. Follows recommended approaches to assigned work. Supervises assigned staff and coordinates routine work activities. Monitors employee interactions and facilitates a productive working environment. Communicates instructions and policies in a consistent, effective and timely manner. Identifies and addresses concerns appropriately. Makes recommendations for possible solutions.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

– Typically oversees at least 2 full–time direct reports or equivalent team of part–time and/or student workers (for Support track, performs work at Senior Support level or higher; for Professional track, performs work at the Advanced Professional level or higher)

Fiscal Responsibilities:

– May validate and pay invoices
– May monitor/track budgets for specific area and/or grant(s)

Problem Solving:

– Encounters generally routine problems with progressively more complex and/or varied problems
– Typically follows standard operating procedures to resolve problems
– May apply specialized knowledge and skills to resolve complex and/or varied problems
– Applies proven and tries new approaches when solving problems

Independence of Action:

– Works with minimal supervision on difficult work assignments, conferring with manager on unusual matters
– Follows precedents and procedures
– Organizes work of direct reports and may set priorities within general guidelines established by manager
– Reviews the work of others to verify accuracy, quality, and conformance to required procedures and special instructions

Communication and Collaboration:

– Communicates internally within working unit and the University
– Communicates with external audiences for scheduling/coordination
– May communicate with external audiences for business purposes
– Collaborates closely with team members; may interact with other staff outside of area
– Utilizes a communication style that is appropriate for a given situation
– Interprets and communicates information, ideas and instructions clearly and accurately both verbally and in written materials

• Comp Grade – 8
• Minimum – $54,060.00
• MidPoint – $66,252.00
• Maximum – $78,444.00

• Consulting
• Curriculum Development
• Data management
• Needs analysis
• Networking
• Operations management
• Program evaluation
• Program management
• Scheduling