Assistant Director of Interdisciplinary Connections

Job Summary:

Are you looking to continue or grow your career in educational development? Are you enthusiastic about building connections across instructors who foster pedagogical and curricular change that is evidence-based, inclusive and equitable? The Searle Center for Advancing Learning and Teaching at Northwestern University is looking for an inquisitive and motivated individual to support the university’s initiatives to cultivate belonging and promote the success of all students, especially those who come from historically underrepresented communities and those who hold marginalized identities. This job would be great for a detail-oriented individual who is interested in providing strategic direction and programming for interdisciplinary learning communities and knowledge-sharing networks among early-career instructors. The ideal candidate will demonstrate deep curiosity and cultural humility, have exceptional interpersonal skills, and desire for continued professional growth in group facilitation and program evaluation. Familiarity with inclusive teaching principles and course design is a plus! In addition to joining a collaborative team that values strong relationships and social justice, Northwestern employees take advantage of excellent healthcare and retirement benefits as well as generous paid time off. If you feel this could be a great career match, please apply today! 

The Assistant Director contributes to the expansion of educational development opportunities to deepen Northwestern’s Principles of Inclusive Teaching. Oversees the strategic direction, effective implementation, and evaluation of The Graduate Teaching Certificate Program and other campus-wide, interdisciplinary learning communities for future faculty. As the institutional co-lead for CIRTL (The Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning) at Northwestern, facilitates connections to cross-institutional knowledge sharing networks that advance educational equity and/or fortify the resilience of BIPOC instructors and social justice practitioners. Supports the work of the Associate Director of Inclusive Learning Communities. Serves as a resource for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, faculty, academic units.

Specific Responsibilities:

Administration

• Directs and leads development of program/project strategic plans.
• Oversees & ensures that day-to-day operations are appropriately managed, efficient and effective.
• Operationalizes goals & objectives; ensures that resources are created or obtained.
• Analyzes data & recommends & implements changes & improvement to better ensure attainment of mission.
• Manages logistics requirements, including facilities, venue, scheduling, technology, instruction, catering, etc;

Budgets & Financial

• Ensures that the program/project meets associated revenue & expense goals.
• Oversees all daily, monthly & annual financial activities including transactions, analysis, & reporting.
• Approves funds reallocation within budget as necessary & appropriate.    

Communication, Outreach & Recruitment

• Directs program/project marketing/branding efforts.
• Identifies and implements short- and long-term strategies and plans to meet program/project goals.
• Engages in outreach/field relations serving a number of goals, including recruitment, participation, sponsorship, relationship building, etc. to support continued program/project development & improvement.
• Builds relationships with program/project alumni to develop and cultivate professional networks, financial resources, and sense of community among alumni 

Evaluation

• Oversees development, implementation and analysis of evaluation processes, quantitative & qualitative measurements that ensure that program/project benchmarks are successfully attained and communicated in a timely and efficient manner.
• Manages evaluation processes; recommends & implements changes for enhancement; monitors effectiveness through follow-up evaluation studies.
• Collaborates with internal/external resources to develop meaningful outcome measurements and methods of program/project evaluation that will lead to enhancement.

Events

• Develops a comprehensive program of events such as lectures, symposia, speaker series, workshops, conferences, cultural events etc. in collaboration with internal & external resources.
• Coordinates and manages event details, including communication, venues, facilitators, refreshments, technology, event registration, and dissemination of promotional materials.

Program Development

• Manages the ongoing development, assessment and refinement of the program's/project's current and future curriculum, and course offerings in consultation with subject matter experts;
• Provides leadership for the creation, planning, scheduling, delivering and maintaining program(s)/project(s) to sustain quality instruction in all educational activity.
• Manages for consistently high-quality standards across all partner programs/projects, including admissions, teaching, grading, service levels, and facilities.
• Develops strategy for program/project review to identify target areas for growth/expansion or reducing/cutting as well as sequencing to ensure the greatest return on investment of time and resources.
  • Researches leading edge developments in teaching and learning to enhance, improve and innovate program curricula and learning communities to better meet goals and objectives.
  • Oversees the Graduate Teaching Certificate Program and CIRTL.

Strategic Planning

• Creates & leads a coordinated program of activities designed to increase program/project objectives.

Supervision

• Supervises 1-2 staff.

Miscellaneous

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree; OR appropriate combination of education and experience.
• 4 years program/project administration or other relevant experience. 

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Exhibits deep curiosity, cultural humility, and desire for continued professional growth
• Ability to work in a professional manner as both a self-starter and as a collaborative team member
• Possesses effective organizational and time management skills, with the ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously
• Displays exceptional interpersonal skills and contributes to creating and sustaining an inclusive and collaborative work environment for persons of diverse backgrounds that promotes positive workplace engagement
• Communicates clearly in both oral and written form, including the ability to translate findings for a variety of stakeholders
• Partners effectively with diverse units across a complex organization

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or PhD in education/humanities/social science/science or other relevant field.
• Experience with educational development
• Experience with inclusive teaching practices in higher education and small group facilitation
• Basic knowledge of data collection and management
• 2 years’ experience with inclusive teaching practices in higher education with illustrations of scholarly and innovative approaches to building inclusive learning communities
• Proficient knowledge of data collection and management

For full consideration, applicants should apply by July 22, 2022, job ID 44882. If you have any question please contact Veronica Womack, the Associate Director of Inclusive Learning Communities, at veronica.womack@northwestern.edu

Northwestern requires all staff and faculty to be vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to limited exceptions. For more information, please visit our COVID-19 and Campus Updates website

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law