Director for Hospitality Center of Excellence

Description

Columbia Basin College (CBC) is committed to our vision to be the educational home that transforms students' lives through economic and social mobility. We are one of eight Hispanic-Serving Institutions in Washington state with Hispanic students representing just under half of our student population. As such, CBC is committed to discovering and enacting innovative ways to intentionally serve Hispanic students while serving all. We center equity in all that we do and seek to attract and retain engaged individuals committed to helping all students be successful in accomplishing their goals.

Washington State’s Centers of Excellence exist at the intersection of education, business, industry and organized labor. With funding from the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, the Centers are the connection point between knowledge, activity and potential, inspiring and supporting collaboration. Columbia Basin College is excited to have been selected to house the Hospitality Center of Excellence for Washington State Community and Technical Colleges.

The inaugural Director for Hospitality Center of Excellence will develop the Center as a recognizable and highly valuable contributor to Washington’s workforce education and training instructional programs. The Director is tasked with creating a Center that will provide statewide resources and represent the education and training needs and interests of the Hospitality industry. The Director must focus the Center’s work on narrowing the gap between employer workforce needs and the community and technical colleges’ supply of work-ready graduates. They are a critical component of the state’s strategy of sustaining an innovative and vibrant economy.

The Director for Hospitality Center of Excellence reports to the Vice President for Instruction.

This position closes on September 22 , 2024 at 11:59 PM PST . The College will conduct initial interviews with selected candidates via Zoom and will conduct on-campus interviews with finalists.

If you have questions or need assistance during the application or search process, please contact the recruiter for this position, Ashley Jordan at ajordan@columbiabasin.edu or (509) 542-4567.

Primary Responsibilities

• Center Operations Leadership : Inspire and lead all aspects of Center operations from strategic visioning and goal setting to resource management and staff development and use of technology and data systems. Assure Center compliance and accountability through timely submission of reports, data, and work products to stakeholders.
• Program Development and Initiatives : Oversee all aspects of Center and academic program development and initiatives in response to the needs of industry partners and the Washington State Community and Technical College system in the context of current and future workforce trends.
• Market Research and Data Analysis : Implement rigorous and systematized approaches to market research, data collection, and analysis in service of resource development and Center financial health. Identify and validate industry and occupation skills trends and the key workforce needs of the Hospitality industry for use in decision-making by the colleges.
• Build and Maintain Partnerships : Establish and maintain essential partnership and stakeholder relationships in industry and workforce at the national, state, regional, local, industry and CTC system levels in the interests of the community and technical college system.
  • Serve as the primary liaison between business and industry, labor, the community and technical college system, and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. Frequently engage with Washington’s economic and workforce development systems. Establish and maintain a strong and productive industry advisory committee to help guide the work of the Center.
• Entrepreneurial Innovation : Possess and nurture entrepreneurial, creative, innovation-driven approaches to serving the WA CTC system, industry, and labor.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management, Business Administration, or a related field from an institutionally accredited college or university; and
• Five years of progressive leadership experience in the hospitality industry, closely related experience in business/workforce development, workforce training, higher education or in a related educational field;
  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or higher from an institutionally accredited college or university in Hospitality, Education, Business, Public Administration, or a related field;
• Proven experience in programmatic curriculum development or instructional design; and
• Experience in program development, strategic planning, and partnership building within the hospitality sector or higher education.

Competencies
Leadership: Lead through influence, rather than authority, and take ownership and accountability for the area of responsibility and decisions made. Demonstrate confidence within area of expertise – promote a cooperative work environment. Ability to appropriately apply leadership techniques to motivate, develop and guide employees.

Stakeholder Engagement: Convenes critical stakeholders in partnership and acts as the ‘hub’ for information, meetings, best practices and advising.

Analytical Skills: Identifies industry sector workforce needs including current and emerging skills, workforce volume requirements, education and training.

Policy Analytics: Understands and leverages national and state policy as it relates to workforce development within a given sector.

Curriculum Development: Design and develop new academic programs and courses. Align curriculum with accreditation standards and industry requirements. Strong understanding of pedagogical principles and learning theories.

Oral & Written Communication: Speak clearly and persuasively in positive and negative situations. Listen and get clarification. Respond well to questions. Demonstrate group presentation skills. Participate in meetings. Structure and convey information clearly and effectively through both formal and informal documents. Review and edit written work constructively. Ability to tailor to audience in mind.

Communications and Marketing: Oversees a robust communications and marketing strategy, including maintaining a website, social media presence, marketing and outreach materials.

Adaptability: Adapts quickly to changing market conditions, workforce needs and educational demand, while juggling multiple projects and stakeholders simultaneously.

Project Management: Manage projects by focusing attention on key priorities. Evaluate approaches, determine feasibility, and adjust plan as needed. Develop plans, coordinate projects and teams. Communicate changes and progress. Complete projects on time and on budget. Perform well without direct supervision. Do complex work independently. Follow tasks through to completion.

Grants Management: Identifies grant and funding opportunities to support Center initiatives, oversees proposal writing and ensures contractual obligations are met.

Support for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Reflecting CBC’s mission, vision and values, demonstrate a commitment to growing an inclusive workforce through leadership that contributes to diverse and equitable working environments for students, colleagues, and industry stakeholders. Demonstrate and advocate an understanding of differences, open mindedness, compassion, sensitivity, and interest in differing viewpoints given the diverse population and show a deep commitment to the success of all.

Teamwork : Demonstrate a willingness to work with, and help others in completing job assignments, the ability to accept constructive criticism, and to cooperate with fellow employees and supervisors; demonstrate alignment with the 'Yes And' culture, (e.g., being present and listening, making each other look good, embracing change and failure and choosing positivity).

Terms of Employment

This position is initially funded for one year, with the possibility of extension.

This is a full-time exempt staff position. The typical work hours for this position are Monday through Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Friday 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.; however, work hours will vary due to work demands (this will include evening and weekend work as required).

CBC is an equal opportunity employer and complies with the letter and spirit of all federal and state laws. CBC encourages applications from qualified candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or other legal protected characteristics. Candidates who need any accommodation in the application process or in employment should contact the Office of Human Resources.

CBC offers excellent medical/dental insurance, life insurance, long-term disability, paid leave, retirement plans, and a variety of benefit options. Please view the “Benefits” tab for comprehensive benefits information.

Successful candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Provide proof of lawful permanent residency or other appropriate work authorization as required by the Immigration Reform Control Act of 1986.
• Disclose any substantiated findings or any ongoing investigations related to sexual misconduct as required by RCW28B.112.080.
• Pass a criminal background check. Note: information learned during the criminal background check will not necessarily preclude employment but may be a factor in eligibility for the position.
• Verify education at time of hire.
• Maintain an alcohol-free and drug-free workplace during employment.

OTHER JOB ELEMENTS
The working conditions listed below represent those that must be met by an incumbent to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with qualified disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORKING CONDITIONS
While performing the duties of this position, the employee is frequently required to sit, stand, bend, kneel, stoop, communicate, reach and manipulate objects. The position requires mobility including having the ability to move materials on a regular basis such as files, books, office equipment, etc. and travel between buildings on campus. Manual dexterity and coordination are required to operate equipment such as computer keyboard, calculator, and standard office equipment.

Work environment includes office and other settings as appropriate. It is a fast paced and sometimes stressful service environment. The noise level in the work area is typical of most office environments with telephones, personal interruptions, and background noises. This position has an occasional need for travel.