Consulting Program Director, Career Skills Academy

ABOUT CUNY SPH

The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) is committed to excellence in teaching, research, and service. We work collaboratively toward creating a healthier New York City and healthier populations across the globe, living on a healthier planet. We are leaders in promoting equitable and evidence-based solutions to build healthy cities everywhere. Located in the vibrant Harlem neighborhood within the global metropolis of New York, and a vital part of the City University of New York, the world’s largest and most diverse urban public university, CUNY SPH is known for our innovative programs and our inclusive culture. As New York City’s public school of public health, CUNY SPH is committed to advancing health equity and social justice locally and globally; creating excellent, affordable, and accessible educational opportunities for all, including students from underrepresented communities, working adults, and first-generation scholars; and preparing public health professionals for the challenges of tomorrow.

ABOUT THE CAREER SKILLS ACADEMY

In a recent CUNY SPH student and alumni survey and series of focus groups, we learned that students felt prepared for work in terms of their public health discipline-specific knowledge. However, many did not feel as if they had the strategic knowledge and soft skills needed to secure a job and build a clear career path including advancement after being hired. This insight reinforced our belief that our students could benefit from additional support and training to be competitive in the workforce and thrive in their careers. CUNY SPH is launching the Career Skills Academy (“CSA”) to address issues raised in our survey and focus groups by developing a multi-pronged approach to bolster career skills of students. CSA will target students who did not have access to professional development opportunities earlier in their educational careers, and who are under or un-employed over a two-year period. CSA will train 112 students over two years with a focus on career preparation through a skills building curriculum. The curriculum will feature a dual module program – “Secure the Job” and “Thrive in the Job’ – and will pair trainings with a speaker series for discussion of real-world applications of their recent learnings through the lens of senior executives in a variety of industries and sectors that our students aspire to enter.

POSITION OVERVIEW

As the Program Consultant of the Career Skills Academy (“Consultant”), you will be joining CUNY SPH at a critical moment in the school’s history as the need for workforce-ready employees with public health backgrounds continues to grow in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The position calls for a committed individual with a record of accomplishment in program development and implementation in the area of career skills development. This individual should be capable of managing multiple large-scale projects in a high demand, remote, and fast-paced environment. They should have the ability to speak publicly and not be afraid to roll their sleeves up to get the work done.

The Consultant will lead the Career Skills Academy as the Director of the program, and will work collaboratively with and report directly to the Community Outreach Program Director to successfully build and run the Career Skills Academy. In each of the two years of CSA, the Consultant will aim to enroll 56 students through an open application process as a representative body of the four main departments within the school, and both the master’s and doctoral programs. As a cohort, this group of students will embark in a cluster-based learning program with opportunities for peer-to-peer skills building and engagement with leading executives in the non-profit, government, and private sectors in between skills-building sessions. The Consultant will lead course sessions and will also identify CUNY SPH staff, faculty, and experts in the field of career preparedness to participate in and lead sessions. In the second year of the program, students or alumni who were successful in completing the first cohort will be recruited to serve as student liaisons/mentors to further support the development of skills among students and enhance the peer-to-peer learning component of the program.

This position is grant-funded and is currently limited to two years. There is potential for an extension should funding become available. If funding is available, the Consultant will participate in the search for additional support in executing and implementing the Career Skills Academy. Further, the Consultant will have access to administrative and operational supports, as well as faculty and students to support thought leadership and partnership introductions.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Program and Curriculum Development:

• Collaborating with the Student Career Program Manager and Community Outreach Program Director, take the lead in developing a curriculum of lessons and activities for two semester-long complimentary modules under the themes of “Secure the Job” and “Thrive in the Job” to train students with the core career readiness competencies needed to excel in their careers.

• Engage faculty and staff in the creation and promotion of an application process for participants, and rubric to determine eligibility and admittance into the program.

Implementation:

• Partner with the Office of Marketing and Communications to develop an initial recruitment campaign and ongoing messaging to participants to build a network of trust and engagement.

• Act as the Lead Trainer for all sessions and where appropriate, recruit staff or faculty to participate in or lead sessions.

• Along with Career Services Manager and Community Outreach Program Director, engage the Executive Director of the CUNY SPH Foundation to identify leaders from government, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors to serve as speakers in “Public Health Master Class” sessions where student participants engage with speakers in an intimate fireside chat or panel discussion to understand real-world implementation of recent learnings.

• Pair students with one another to practice their recently developed skills during and between sessions through structured assignments and activities.

• Act as the lead to address any issues in program implementation and student engagement. Management and Reporting:

• Oversee budget related to the program in a timely and thorough manner.

• Create all systems needed to monitor student participants and progress for reporting purposes.

• At the conclusion of the first year, identify 10 students to serve as paid peer mentors in the second year of the program. Draft peer mentor job descriptions and supervise as needed to ensure proper support is offered to second year student participants.

• Participate in quarterly updates to Executive Director, CUNY SPH Foundation, or appointed representative to review progress for reporting purposes to funder(s).

REQUIREMENTS

• Master’s degree in public health, business administration, higher & post-secondary education, public administration, counseling, or related field required

• Eight years related experience required

• Proven success in developing, implementing, and managing career skills development programming required • Experience in business development, marketing, and data analysis preferred

• Willingness to participate in the fundraising process preferred

• Deep commitment to health equity and social justice with an understanding of the needs of communities facing health disparities

• Skilled in project management with a proactive and analytical approach to facilitating and leading teamwork; flexible and adaptive to changes in plans

• Expert in facilitating meetings and workshops with a strong ability to develop effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders

• High degree of commitment to the mission of the school, work and team, sound judgement, collaborative spirit, flexible, creative, hard-working, self-motivated and unafraid of challenges

• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint and relevant software and applications

• Ability to work evening hours, as needed (as a graduate school, many programs and services are delivered evenings)

PROJECT LENGTH AND BUDGET

This position shall be under contract for a period of two years. Applicants should indicate a contract budget of $75,000-$90,000 per year (total value of contract to be commensurate with experience) in their cover letter. The CUNY SPH Foundation will not welcome subcontractors for this RFP. Consultant is expected to dedicate 35-40 hours per week to the project.

HOW TO SUBMIT AN RFP

Applicants should submit a PDF document including cover letter outlining interest and vision for the program, résumé and three references. Please indicate any contract budget requirements you may have in your cover letter. Email documents to Funds@sph.cuny.edu with “Career Skills Academy Application” as the subject line to be included in consideration. No phone calls or other inquiries, please. Only applicants selected for interviews will be contacted.