Oakland University Jobs: Opportunities and How to Apply

Oakland University provides a wide array of job opportunities for students, graduates, and professionals. These positions offer a chance to grow, develop skills, and contribute to the university community. Oakland University cultivates the full potential of a diverse and inclusive community. The university offers excellent benefits, including health care and retirement plans, tuition assistance for employees and dependents, and generous time off with pay. Whether you're a current student looking for part-time work or a graduate seeking a research position, understanding the available roles and application process is crucial.

Student Employment Opportunities

Oakland University employs students in various capacities, providing opportunities to develop leadership skills and gain valuable experience. University Recreation and Well-Being employs OU students in virtually every capacity, allowing our student staff to grow, develop, and refine leadership skills. Additionally, we provide all student employees with competitive salaries, a fun environment, and the opportunity to expand the transferable skills all employers seek, no matter what their major may be.

Admissions Ambassador

The Oakland University Admissions Ambassadors are students who represent Oakland University to prospective students and their families. Admissions Ambassadors work closely with the Undergraduate Admissions staff to offer a current student’s perspective of the academic, extracurricular, and social life at OU. As a student Admissions Ambassador, students develop communication and presentation skills, learn about the institution, and take an active part in ensuring the future of Oakland University. Student Admissions Ambassadors are supervised by Graduate Assistants and the Assistant Director of Campus Visits.

Duties Performed:

Lead daily & individual tours and provide information about OU from a student perspective
Participate in Undergraduate Admissions & University events including large and small scale open houses, tours, and visit days which may take place on weeknights and weekends
Attend required Admissions Ambassador meetings, run-throughs, professional developments and trainings
Assist with the preparation and staging of materials for recruitment and yield programs
Assist with Undergraduate Admissions social media presence and strategy
Perform office tasks including filing, answering phones, tallying evaluations, data entry, etc.
Staff the telecenter calling prospective students
Other duties as assigned

Requirements:

Current student at Oakland University in good academic and judicial standing
Minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA; must also maintain this grade point average for the duration of employment
Previous leadership experiences and an understanding of the university
Strong communication and public speaking skills
Desire to assist prospective students in understanding what Oakland is all about
Adhere to dress code
Must be available to attend required training throughout fall and winter semesters
Shadow tours and be approved for tours before being scheduled for tours & events
Attendance at admissions events is mandatory unless class or another approved obligation
Overall the commitment between 4 and 25 hours per week, depending on students’ availability and admissions’ needs.

University Recreation and Well-Being Positions

University Recreation and Well-Being offers various positions for students, focusing on fitness, wellness, and recreation.

Wellness Ambassador: Wellness Ambassadors collaborate with campus partners, student organizations, campus departments, academic classes and community organizations to deliver high quality health education. The wellness ambassadors implement a bunch of different types of wellness into our programming, whether that be physical wellness, emotional wellness, social wellness. When it comes to the implementation of these dimensions of wellness, one of the ones that we focus on is emotional wellness. And some of our programs include pet therapy, rock painting for students, just things to improve the emotional well-being of the OU community. When it comes to our physical wellness dimension, we do a lot of nutrition coaching as well as just some sleep habit coaching. Oftentimes we work to promote the group X classes that the Rec Center has to offer as well. One thing that I love to focus on is public speaking and my boss granted me that opportunity to speak to some classes and talk about the Green Bandana Project and other mental health initiatives that the Rec Center has to offer. The Green Bandana Project really does a great job of bridging that gap between the OU community and OU services that are focused towards mental health.
Graphic Design Intern: This is an exciting opportunity for an undergraduate student looking to gain hands-on experience designing promotional pieces for the Rec Center and to work as part of a marketing team. The Graphic Design Intern will assist the Marketing Graduate Assistant with the creation of any print and digital media for University Recreation and Well-Being. Day to Day is back in the office I would say. I work on my laptop a lot but it's all creative work. So any posters, flyers, handouts that the Rec Center you see on campus and in the Rec Center, anything print and then also on social media, all those posts that you see on OU Rec Well's Instagram that comes from me. So we use Adobe Illustrator a lot, Photoshop, InDesign. We use all the Adobe Cloud. I have a great mentor who works with me as well on design guidelines and what we're kind of looking for for the project. Definitely you have direct one-on-ones with your mentor or supervisor and I've learned so much about the graphic design field. In my opinion this is more of a professional setting so I've gotten things to put on my resume and I've gained so much experience firsthand seeing and hearing from them and their advice. You will grow so much as a graphic designer working in this position. Having a portfolio of prior work is required to apply. Interns are expected to make a one semester commitment. Two semesters are preferred (fall/winter, winter/summer, summer/fall). Each experience is tailored to best fit each student’s personal interest in fitness, wellness, and health promotion.
Outdoor Complex Supervisor: This is a leadership role, responsible for the general oversight and usage of the Recreation and Athletic Outdoor Complex by community rentals, club sports, and student organization user groups. Outdoor Complex Supervisors are also responsible for responding to emergency situations and patron complaints. Outdoor Complex Supervisors lead by example and are responsible for excellent customer service, enforce all departmental policies, procedures, rules, and regulations to ensure a safe and enjoyable environment, direct timely and proper use of fields per the RAOC daily schedule and, walk the grounds doing risk management checks, ensure nets and equipment is ready for play, and keep the complex clean and orderly. So typical day to day for me while I'm working on shift is about every every hour I have to do a shift count where I go around and I check to see how many people are on the south fields, the north fields, the stadium fields, tennis courts and the fire pit. I also have to make sure I'm monitoring the trashes, make sure everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing on the fields, making sure that everyone on the fields is supposed to be on the fields with a reservation. Currently now since in the fall we're doing a drop-in times on weekdays I have to make sure on weekdays that people who do not have reservations are on the specific field for the drop time. They allow for you to do school work but also when you're at work you still have to do your job. But the thing is that everything's all good and you have some downtime either like you already checked everything's all clean everything. You have the opportunity to do school work which I think is great because the fact that allows you to keep track of what you're doing in school and not fall behind. So for this job I would say leadership is a huge one. You have to be able to do things on your own. That is part of the job is actually being out here is resolving situations and conflicts by yourself unless they get to the extreme point then you have to call somebody else.
Intramural Sports Official: So whenever I come into work I set up the courts or the fields or whatever and then we get into just officiating the sport that we are doing. Soccer, basketball, flag football, volleyball are big ones. Being official has taught me a lot about the kinds of things that I value but it's also kind of trained me for anything that I want in my career because it really highlights your communication skills. You have to know how to communicate with your co-workers in explaining a call that you made so that they can understand your perspective. You have to be able to communicate with participants to explain the call because they don't always agree with it. The entire Rec Well Sports department is a very collaborative group between all the supervisors. We're all friends. We all feel comfortable coming to each other with questions or asking advice or giving advice. Implement Rec Well Sports policies and rules in order to maintain a level of control, fairness, and safety during competition.
Member Services Staff: So at member services pretty much there's two positions. ID check-in, memberships. On memberships you sell products or memberships or day passes and on ID check you check people in make sure nobody's getting in without a valid membership or day pass. Also you have to answer customer questions if they have any questions about memberships or about the facility or anything related to the facility or even outside of the facility if they're related asking questions related to athletics you can help them with that as well. Responsible for providing a welcoming atmosphere and excellent customer service to all patrons. Duties include controlling access to the Recreation Center, enforcing all departmental policies and procedures, handing out and collecting rental equipment, performing monetary transactions for locker rentals and pro-shop items. Delivering information about departmental services, programs, memberships, and carrying out transactions for all departmental programs and services. Conduct membership intake and occasional facility tours. Previous cash handling and customer service experience preferred.
Fitness Center Supervisor: Supervise activity within the Fitness Center and Fitness Annex. Enforce rules and policies throughout all fitness areas and programs. Provide customer service by assisting members with exercises and form as requested, answer questions related to fitness, perform preventative maintenance on fitness related equipment, and instruct various fitness programs and services like Fitness Center Orientations, Fitness Assessments, and Drop-In Body Compositions. Must be able to lift at least 45lbs. I get mentored by my supervisors. I'm able to learn a lot. There was something that I was working on like patience. Typically as a manager we go around we do occupancy counts so people know who's in the building. We also do spot cleaning to make sure that the building remains intact and presentable for our patrons. We also respond to necessary codes on a walkie. This position helps me develop more people skills. I have to talk to pretty much everybody in the building. The rec works around my class schedule and school is very important. It's a lot of scheduling with clients. So usually it'll just be a couple hours a day and the very nice part about it is it's really easy to fit that in between classes and stuff so in any given day I might go to two or three classes and then have a different job or something and then still be able to fit in during my little bit of free time like a client or two and that's really nice. It's giving me a lot of extra leadership skills. Well I'm very passionate about fitness. I love the environment here so it was very easy for me to like you know get accustomed to this job. Cleaning, monitoring the fitness center, spotting people whoever needs spotting, just being out there for people you know being helpful. Communication is probably the biggest one that I've developed and getting out of my comfort zone. For example I will not be willing to be interviewed, answer questions in front of a camera but now it's easy for me.
Lifeguard: So when I'm working it's nothing too serious. You're just up on the stand for 30 minutes and then you're down in the guard office for 30 minutes and you just have to keep watch over the pool and then at the end of a shift do checks of the chemicals and just pick up anything that's laying around the pool deck. I definitely think that being a lifeguard you develop a lot of interpersonal skills. We have our regular people that come in every day and they do their swims so you get to build relationships with people that you wouldn't build a relationship with outside of work. In terms of getting a job while you're in school this is probably the best possible option you could do because it pays well. I love working at the rec center. Responsible for ensuring the safety of all patrons using the Aquatic Center facilities and to enforce all facility rules and regulations. Provides excellent customer service to all patrons, and performs light cleaning duties around the pool deck.
Group X Instructor: Provide members with fun, safe and effective Group X classes that cater to all levels of fitness and abilities. Instruction of specialized classes such as Cardio/Strength, Dance, Yoga/Pilates, Kickboxing, and Cycle are offered. Must be able to think quickly, creatively, and without judgment.
Building Manager: This is a leadership position, responsible for the general oversight of the Recreation Center and its usage by patrons and user groups. Building Managers enforce all departmental policies, procedures, rules, and regulations to ensure a safe and enjoyable recreational environment. Managers provide leadership and assistance to part time staff, quality customer service, and appropriate care in emergency situations.

Other Student Positions

Classroom Support: Classroom Support is looking to hire a student who has an interest in live event production and audio-visual work. Our department provides technical support for events and meetings on campus, such as Commencement, lectures, Board of Trustees meetings, etc.
Service Aide (Oakland University Police Department): OAKLAND UNIVERSITY POLICE DEPARTMENTSERVICE AIDE MUST HAVE A VALID DRIVER’S LICENSE AND PASS A CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECK! Duties: Check the interior and exterior of campus buildings for hazards i.e.
PUB Academy Tutor: You must be voted into the OUSC Legislature during an election or by the Congress before applying for this role. with possible morning hours at select locations REPORTS TO: Saturdays -Academic Coordinator and Weekdays - College Club SupervisorPOSITIONS AVAILABLE: Varies SUBJECTS: High school math, science, & EnglishPURPOSE: Assist high school participants in the PUB Academy to improve their high school academic performance and standardized test performance. Sessions are held at the high schools with some virtual options.
Pedagogical Program Coordinator: Pedagogical Program Coordinator Position Overview The Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) is seeking a detail-oriented and collaborative student employee to support the Pedagogical Partnerships Program, a high-impact initiative that strengthens teaching and learning through student-faculty partnerships.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships are available for students pursuing graduate degrees at Oakland University.

Graduate Research Assistant (RA)

Graduate Research Assistants(RAs) are selected for excellence in scholarship and potential as researchers. Graduate Research Assistants provide approximately 20 hours of service per week, over the course of a semester and under the supervision of faculty members. Research activities should relate directly to the student’s degree requirements and should be reasonably expected to contribute to the student’s academic program. You should not consider that all Research is done in a lab.

Qualifications:

Graduate Assistants must be fully admitted and enrolled for at least 8 credits for the academic year in a graduate program. Graduate course work and/or research must contribute directly to the satisfaction of Oakland's degree requirements. Graduate assistants must have and maintain good academic standing (3.0 grade point average).

Tuition:

Tuition (eight credits per semester or a total of 8 credits) will be compensated.

How to Apply

If we have any available positions, they will be posted on Handshake, where students can easily browse and submit their applications. We understand that applying for a job can sometimes feel overwhelming. To apply for a job, click the Create Account link on the navigation bar, then search jobs.

University Policies

Oakland University is committed to equal opportunity and non-discrimination. Oakland university, as an equal opportunity institution, is committed to compliance with federal and state laws prohibiting discrimination, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. It is the policy of Oakland University that there shall be no discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, height, weight, familial status, marital status, disability, creed, sexual orientation, veteran status or other prohibited factors as in employment, admissions, educational programs or activities.

M.S. Oakland City University is committed to the achievement of equal opportunity within OCU. In this regard, OCU will recruit, hire, promote, educate, and provide services to persons based upon their individual qualifications. In the employment of personnel, the University does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, gender, veteran or other status or condition protected by applicable state or federal laws. This policy applies to all conditions of employment, including but not limited to hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, demotion, selection, recruitment, employment, advertising, layoff and termination, compensation, and all other terms and conditions of employment.

Campus Safety and Security

Oakland University prioritizes the safety and security of its community. This report is required by federal law and contains policy statements and crime statistics for the University. The policy statements address the school’s policies, procedures and programs concerning safety and security and include topics such as: crime prevention, fire safety, university police law enforcement authority, crime reporting policies, disciplinary procedures and other matters of importance related to security and safety on campus. Key contact points include: 10 Police and Support Services Building; Human Resources, 413 Wilson Hall; Academic Human Resources, 417 Wilson Hall; and the Office of the Dean of Students, 144 Oakland Center.

Acknowledgment of Indigenous Land

We respectfully acknowledge Oakland University is on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples. Our main campus is on the Land of the three Alqonquian Nations: the Ojibwa, Ottawa, and the Potawatami. I acknowledge the Traditional Owners, past and present, of the land on which I work.

Read also: Meet the OCC Trustee Candidates

tags: #oakland #university #jobs