Associate Director of Outreach and Engagement (Senior Educational Program Administrator)

JOB SUMMARY

The Office of Outreach and Engagement (O&E) at the University of Connecticut (UConn) centrally oversees and supports public engagement initiatives at UConn. Public engagement efforts encompass a wide range of activities including scholarship, community-based teaching and learning, and outreach in mutually beneficial partnerships with communities.

Reporting to the Director of Outreach and Engagement, the Associate Director is responsible for key programmatic initiatives on behalf of the director and O&E, serving as the lead on several program services and activities across the university. The Associate Director contributes to a broad portfolio of initiatives including awareness and recognition of campus-wide engaged service efforts, cultivation of partnerships across the campus and with external partner organizations, faculty development, and contributes to the advancement and promotion of a robust outreach and engagement program at UConn.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Facilitates guidance, supervision, and training for the University community in creating and sustaining community partnerships that are ethical, mutually beneficial, and reciprocal while supporting UConn's strategic goals of promoting student holistic success, expanding research impact, and powering a thriving Connecticut.
• Engages with faculty to build capacity on engaged scholarship, community-based teaching, community outreach, and partnership creation.
• Participates in planning, development, design, and evaluation of outreach and engagement programs and activities. Collects, analyzes, and synthesizes program data and participates in evaluating program effectiveness.
• Leads or supports applications for funding or national designations that advance institutional capacity in public engagement.
• Convenes a team of staff that lead community engagement efforts in different units to maximize resources and collaborations.
• Assesses programmatic needs and creates and delivers program services and activities in accordance with initiative goals and objectives while aligning with the University’s academic vision.
• Provides direction and oversight to the University community regarding outreach and engagement initiatives, including, but not limited to, providing oversight for University-wide procedural codification of best practices for outreach and engagement, including engaged scholarship and community-based teaching and learning; working closely with O&E stakeholders via affiliated committees, advisory boards, and established partnerships; and participating in designing and evaluating program activities in partnership with the director, division staff, and O&E committees.
• Provides assistance to constituents by interpreting policies and procedures, exercising decision making and judgement under prescribed procedures.
• Serves as a project manager for outreach and engagement projects, timing tasks for completion, setting deadlines, determining and working with the directors to obtain and align necessary resources, including funding, as necessary, and contributing subject matter knowledge toward the completion of program objectives.
• Writes annual reports about university-wide community engagement work.
• Develops and optimizes practices and procedures to improve efficiency and quality, directly affecting the division's operation.
• Works independently to analyze available information, draws conclusions and understandings, and presents such conclusions effectively to senior management. Serves as a primary resource to students, staff, faculty, and others on programmatic policies, procedures, and activities.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

1. Master’s in Public Administration, Public Policy, Higher Education, or related areas.
2. Three years of professional experience in community engagement including, but not limited to, demonstrated ability to design, implement, and assess community-oriented projects.
3. Two years of experience serving as an advanced/senior team member or working as a project lead.
4. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
5. Experience building collaborative relationships, working independently, and prioritizing routine and high-level tasks and projects.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

1. Ph.D. in Public Administration, Public Policy, Higher Education, or related areas.
2. Professional experience in engaged scholarship, community outreach, or community-based teaching.
3. Proven experience in understanding and adapting communication and work efforts to the needs and preferences of diverse audiences.
4. Knowledge and experience in quantitative and/or qualitative data analysis and visualizati