Senior Programs Specialist

Position Title:

Senior Programs Specialist

Job Group:

Professional & Scientific

Required Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of related experience

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience managing or overseeing a team.
Exceptional experience with managing budgets.
Experience in program management and assessment in higher education or corporate setting.
Experience in one or more relevant areas: innovation/entrepreneurship education, instructional design, marketing, event planning.
Experience working with internal and external stakeholders.

Job Description:

The Student Innovation Center at Iowa State University is seeking an experienced and dynamic Program Specialist III to manage and grow our diverse portfolio of programs. In this position, you will collaborate closely with the Associate Director of the Student Innovation Center to strategically plan, develop, execute and assess programs that foster innovation and creativity. This position will coordinate the day-to-day operations of the Innovation programs including budgeting, marketing, and project management. You will also lead a small but highly capable team supporting learning development and communications and provide mentorship to our talented student workers.

The successful candidate is a collaborative leader with exceptional professional and interpersonal skills. This individual will engage with stakeholders across campus- from students to faculty to college deans and program directors- building relationships to advance the Center’s mission.

At the Student Innovation Center, our mission is to empower every Iowa State student with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to turn their ideas into action, contributing to a culture of innovation at Iowa State and beyond. ​​We are dedicated to promoting engagement with our technology-driven makerspaces and program resources, fostering student innovation capacities, showcasing exemplary student work, and facilitating academic innovation in collaboration with our network of internal and external stakeholders.

Our current programs include:

• Making 101 Workshops for hands-on training with the latest technologies
• Innovation Workshops to build creative problem-solving and leadership skills
• The Innovation Challenge Program providing seed funding and support for innovative student ventures
• IGNITE, our annual innovation showcase and celebration
• A packed calendar of creative and engaging events for students, faculty, and the community

We empower students with the mindset and skillset to turn ideas into impact. If you share our passion for fostering the next generation of innovators, join our team and help us inspire innovation campus-wide.

Example of Duties
• Offers comprehensive and complex programming to support long-term changes in nutrition and wellness.
• Conducts needs assessment to identify and implement innovative ways to meet targeted under-served ad under-represented audiences.
• Functions as an effective educator using innovative and creative approaches.
• Establishes, organizes and facilitates networks and coalitions at the local and area level to build community capacity.
• Secures resources to support identified needs at the county and area levels.

Level Guidelines
• Senior-level position possessing high-level professional and/or technical skills working independently under minimal supervision to support ISU’s mission and department or work unit goals
• Applies senior-level professional knowledge and expertise to work requiring greater latitude
• Solves moderately complex problems and regularly exercises judgment to determine appropriate action
• Regularly exercises judgment to resolve problems and determine appropriate action on a broad set of issue and problems. May provide recommendations regarding problems/issues outside the bounds of defined procedures and practices
• Responds to complicated inquiries, provides training, and provides direction to lower-level staff
• May provide supervision for one to two other staff (i.e., leads a small work team)
• May lead projects for which well-defined practices and procedures may not exist
• Provides guidance to students

Appointment Type:

Regular

Number of Months Employed Per Year:

12 Month Work Period

Time Type:

Full time

Pay Grade:

PS809

Application Instructions:

To apply for this position, please click on “Apply” and complete the Employment Application. Please be prepared to enter or attach the following: 1) Resume/Curriculum Vitae 2) Letter of Application/Cover Letter If you have questions regarding this application process, please email