POSITION OBJECTIVE
The Director of Strategic Initiatives will contribute to the president’s priority to enhance community engagement and the institution's reputation as a leader in K-12 education through their dedication to academic excellence, innovation, research, and student success. As a member of the office of Pre-Collegiate Programs leadership team, the Director of Strategic Initiatives heads diverse and complex programs and functions that require high accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality. Working with a high degree of independence and under the general direction of the Executive Director, the director of strategic initiatives develops and leads youth programs, special projects, initiatives, and co-leads in strategic planning for the office. The Director of Strategic Initiatives performs business-related functions including finance, plan office budget needs, maintain and monitor externally funded budgets and expense accounts, grant administration, human resources, purchasing, and space and facilities planning. The director of strategic initiatives has authority to accomplish major objectives, investigate and resolve matters on behalf of the Executive Director, and has the authority to formulate, affect, interpret, or implement management policies or operating practices. The director of strategic initiatives has the authority to respond to a wide variety of matters, situations, and conflicts involving all levels of administration and relies on experience, independent judgment, and decision making to plan and accomplish goals. Works effectively with colleagues across sectors, disciplines, and academic units both within and outside of Case Western Reserve University. The Office of Pre-Collegiate Programs sits within the Office of Local Government and Community Relations.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Serve in an active role on the leadership team in developing long-and short-term department strategic planning to drive innovation, foster growth, and maximize the impact of university-wide K-12 programs. Conduct thorough analysis of educational trends, policies, and best practices to inform strategic decision-making. Identify opportunities for program growth and improvement through market research and stakeholder feedback. Identify risk inefficiencies and missed opportunities to achieve meaningful impact in the education sector and communities served. Collaborate with internal teams to prioritize initiatives and allocate resources effectively. Monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of programs and strategic initiatives, making adjustments as necessary to ensure success. Collaborate with stakeholders to gather input and feedback on program strategies, ensuring alignment with their needs and priorities. Communicate regularly with stakeholders to provide updates on program progress and solicit feedback for continuous improvement. Develop evaluation instruments and conduct evaluation and assessment of programs to measure impact. Lead strategic workgroups comprised of university-wide K-12 program directors to inform the development of and implementation of the Pre-Collegiate Programs strategic plan for university-wide youth programs. Conduct SWOT analyses and asset-mapping. Chart out yearly plans, monthly work plans and determine measurable targets for the programs. Develop a work plan with key activities, deliverables, and milestones for the Office’s signature programs (NYSP, TRiO Talent Search and Upward Bound, Provost Scholars, and Project Step-Up) and initiatives in collaboration with the pre-collegiate programs directors. Provide the expected results and key performance indicators from each key activity or strategic initiative. Write proposals and establish data sharing MOUs with school districts to track and measure program outcomes and effectiveness. Develop presentations to increase awareness of pre-collegiate programs and report outcomes. Analyze milestones achieved and prepare and submit reports on program performance, including key metrics and outcomes, to leadership and internal and external stakeholders. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and guidelines governing K-12 education programs. Stay abreast of changes in regulatory requirements and industry standards to ensure ongoing compliance. Represent Executive Director in administrative meetings and/or conferences to achieve cooperation between functions. (30%) Provide leadership and guidance to team members to foster a collaborative and productive work environment. Advise and direct K-12 program directors in the preparation of grant proposals and applications to include compilation of data and preparation of estimated budget expenditures; monitor and verify expenditures; ensure compliance with university and sponsoring agency policies and procedures; prepare administrative reports for submission to sponsoring agencies. Create department policies and procedures, making decisions on specific operating problems and issuing instructions in the name of the Executive Director in accordance with departmental precedents and policies. Interpret school/management center and university policies and procedures and ensure compliance by all staff. Communicate any changes to policies and procedures to appropriate staff to ensure implementation. Develop Program Playbooks (formal documentation and guiding principles for running each signature program). Function as a technical resource and advisor exercising discretion and independent judgment. (25%) Oversee the implementation of innovative and complex university-wide K-12 programs. Directly responsible for the administration, management, and evaluation of the CWRU think[STEM] Camp hosted at Sears think[box]. Recruit, hire, onboard, and supervise the think[STEM] Camp Director and camp counselors. Recruit rising 7th , 8th , and 9th grade youth for participation. Develop and employ marketing and recruitment strategies. Develop application and registration content and manage elements in collaboration with vendor supplying online platform. Lead the selection of participants for the think[STEM] camp. Develop project plan and timeline and facilitate planning team meetings. Assess program to ensure alignment with university, Youth Compliance, and think[box] policies and procedures. Evaluate the program in collaboration with the Camp Director and recommend continuous improvement. Connect individuals and partners across K-12 university-wide programs to build a cohesive brand and strong support base to produce program deliverables that are engaging and unique for targeted audiences. Provide strategic direction for the successful implementation of youth programs to include adherence to Youth Compliance and university policies and procedures. Facilitate connections with school districts and community partners to recruit elementary, middle, and high school students for university-wide K-12 programs and special programs and events (e.g., Math Corps Super Saturdays, The Math Movement, Convocations, university-wide pipeline programs and summer camps, and community-based youth-serving organizations). Leverage community partner portals and other media to promote K-12 university-wide program opportunities. Develop a strategy to market programs and opportunities on social media. Identify synergies and opportunities to streamline resources. (15%) Manage human resource activities within the department. Directly supervise designated employees. Advise the Executive Director on pay issues, affirmative action requirements, job classification issues, performance appraisals, employee relations and employee training and development. Maintain liaisons with appropriate department and central human resources staff to proactively respond to human resources problems, issues, and special requests. Ensure all paperwork for employment, terminations, and leaves of absence are processed correctly and in a timely manner. Has authority to sign off on paperwork such as requisitions and performance reviews. Provide department onboarding and orientation for all new staff. Direct student employment efforts for the pre-collegiate programs with responsibility for recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, and developing undergraduate, graduate, post-doctoral, and MSW practicum field study students to achieve program goals and objectives. Recruit, hire (if applicable), and manage support staff as needed to ensure the successful implementation of special programs and events. (10%) Plan departmental budget needs by analyzing program plans on both a short and long-range basis by considering past requirements and expenditures and current programs, and future goals. Provide overall administrative expertise for a variety of business-related functions, including finance, budget, grant sourcing and administration (to sustain and scale youth programs), human resources, purchasing, and space and facilities planning. Director of Strategic Initiatives is authorized to initiate and approve routine program expenditures, reconcile monthly expense statements; participate in preparing budgets (forecasting), year-end close and financial reports in partnership with the executive director, directors, and operations manager as requested by the university and/or potential funding agencies. (6%) Lead local and regional initiatives and sits committees and task force workgroups focused on solving complex educational and multi-systemic problems [e.g., Social Determinants of Health (SDoH)] through innovative models of education and outreach. Conduct best practice research and benchmarking and identify and apply evidence-based programming and interventions to university youth programs in partnership with the Executive Director, CWRU stakeholders, school administrators, educators, and district-wide staff, colleges and universities (e.g., University of Pittsburgh STEM Push Initiative), health systems, policy-makers, youth-serving organizations, and community leaders. Develop and maintain a comprehensive resource guide to address the SDoH needs of underserved youth/communities engaged through university-wide youth programs. (6%) Forge collaborative relations between pre-collegiate programs and university-wide youth programs and Undergraduate Admissions. Partner with admissions team to bolster CWRU recruitment efforts (especially from under-resourced communities that could benefit from the Cleveland/ East Cleveland Scholarship); coordinate efforts to increase exposure of the university and scholarships with K-12 youth and families; and manage program alumni efforts to track and report program outcomes including multi-year/multi-program participation, and matriculation to CWRU/ higher education, certificate and trades programs, military, and employment. (6%)
NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Develop and manage key stakeholders’ database. (1%) Perform other responsibilities as assigned. (<1%)
CONTACTS
Department: Daily contact with executive director of pre-collegiate programs. Frequent contact with the operations manager and leadership team responsible for pre-collegiate programs.
University: Regular contact with faculty and staff; the Compliance Office and Human Resources for programs and/or university policy changes and updates; University Development Team for grants and funding; financial offices for procurement and budgetary maintenance; the think[box] staff and School of Engineering for summer programming; Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences for MSW practicum field experience students; and the Office of Admissions team to facilitate community engagement and recruitment efforts aligned with the Cleveland/East Cleveland Scholarship. Other university contacts include, not limited to: Center for Civic Engagement and Learning (CCEL), Office of Equity, Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusive Engagement, Office of Multicultural Affairs, and School of Medicine.
External: Frequent contact with school districts, local colleges and universities, youth-serving organizations, city leaders and elected officials, local, county, and federal government agencies, community organizers/advocates, health system leadership, potential funders/donors, and other stakeholders as required to perform essential functions.
Students: Regular contact with undergraduate, graduate, and professional students as required.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY
Direct supervision of the think[STEM] Camp Director. Expansion of direct supervisory responsibility anticipated. Supervision of field experience students, camp counselors, student worker(s), volunteers, and other persons as needed.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education, Experience and Licensing: Bachelor’s degree in management or relevant field of study and 5 or more years of experience in developing and delivering youth programs and internships required; -OR- Master’s degree in business administration or relevant field and 3 years of related experience. Valid Ohio driver’s license.
REQUIRED SKILLS
Experience in administering youth programs in a higher education and/or academic research environment a plus. Project management required; demonstrated experience in community outreach and working with underserved youth and communities; experience securing funds and writing grants; previous supervisory experience. Must exhibit professionalism via in-person, virtual, and electronic communications. Must demonstrate a high level of integrity with the ability to appropriately manage confidential and sensitive information. Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects with accuracy and attention to detail, meet multiple competing deadlines, work independently with limited supervision and guidance, with a track record of driving results in a collaborative team environment. Strategic, innovative future thinker. Demonstrated effective leadership, decision-making, and superior interpersonal skills, including negotiation, problem-solving and conflict-resolution, and crisis management capabilities with diverse populations and faculty/staff. Ability to thrive in an ever-changing environment. Employee management skills and teambuilding; ability to educate/train staff, delegate and supervise effectively required. Experience working with underserved/under-resourced youth, college students, families, and communities in a variety of settings. Working knowledge of Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) with ability to apply appropriate interventions and resources. Knowledge of City of Cleveland and Greater Cleveland neighborhoods and inner-ring communities, schools, organizations, and assets. Experience in resource identification, program development, evaluation and implementation, and operations. Knowledge of K-12 education policies, trends, and best practices. Experience with project and budget management tools and techniques. Strong writing skills are required for grant writing and editing, policy development, outcomes reports and presentations, and budget proposal submission. Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, the Internet, and commonly used software. Knowledge of and experience with website maintenance, CampusGroups, Box, PeopleSoft, SPARTA, and social media platforms a plus. Ability to effectively interact with colleagues, supervisors, youth and families, community partners, and other stakeholders and customers face to face. Ability to meet consistent attendance.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Office-based environment with regular engagement throughout campus and in the community. Ability to work flexible hours during programming and special events. During summer programming, may require a lot of walking in summer weather. Some evening and weekend work hours will be required. Ability to travel occasionally as needed. Must have an Ohio Driver’s License and take university driver’s training.