Director, American Democracy Project

AASCU represents over 350 public colleges, universities, and systems united in the mission to expand student access and success, promote experiential learning, and advance economic and community development. Our member institutions are at the forefront of academic innovation, serving a diverse student population committed to excellence in public higher education.

ABOUT THE DIVISION

The Division of Academic Innovation and Transformation (AIT) provides programming, services, and expertise to assist members in their academic missions. Through grant-funded scaling initiatives, leadership development programs, and large and small convenings, the Division supports institutional transformation in the areas of civic and global engagement, student success, teacher education, and other career preparation for workforce development. Through innovative programming and strategic partnerships, the Division is dedicated to preparing students who are responsible and engaged global citizens.

EXPECTATIONS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES

Supports the organization’s mission, vision, and values by exhibiting the following behaviors : commitment to diversity and equity, excellence and competence, collaboration, innovation, accountability, ownership, and adherence to policies and procedures.

SUMMARY OF POSITION

The Director’s core responsibilities are primary leadership of AASCU’s American Democracy Project (ADP). For over 20 years, AASCU’s nonpartisan American Democracy Project has helped state colleges and universities prepare informed, active citizens who engage different viewpoints and perspectives.

The Director will have responsibility for the planning, coordination, and implementation of ADP. The Director works as part of a team of professionals in the Division of Academic Innovation and Transformation, providing support to help members achieve their goals to prepare globally engaged citizens. As such, the Director works collaboratively across the division and organization.

The Director oversees civic engagement programming for AASCU and ADP campuses and supports the Assistant Vice President in building civic engagement strategy for the AIT division and the ADP network. The Director is also responsible for outreach to AASCU campuses to build awareness and support continued ADP network growth, as well as for building and maintaining relationships with campuses. In collaboration with the Assistant Vice President, the Director develops and manages relevant external partnerships and cultivates and maintains the relationships with ADP funders and sponsors. The Director also manages all aspects of ADP convenings in close coordination with internal and external meeting partners.

Additionally, the Director is responsible for project management and the execution of AASCU’s ADP webinars, in-person and virtual meetings, ADP newsletters, and events. This may include designing the project workflow and collaborating across AASCU divisions to ensure program objectives are met.

The Director is responsible for supervising external contractors and indirectly supervising colleagues on a project-by-project basis. This is a full-time position that reports to the Assistant Vice President of Civic and Global Engagement.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Director provides the primary leadership for the planning, coordination, and implementation of the American Democracy Project. Duties include, but are not limited to, the following activities.

Program Management : Serves as the Director of all ADP activities, collaborating with members, external partners, and others to maintain and support the variety of initiatives and projects that are carried out as part of ADP programming. This includes management of bridgebuilding, civic learning and inquiry, voter engagement, stewardship of place, sustainability, and leadership programs and services.

Partnership Engagement : The Director will be responsible for managing and cultivating strategic partnerships with nonprofit organizations, foundations, businesses, and civic leaders to advance ADP’s mission. This includes strengthening existing collaborations, identifying new opportunities for engagement, and developing initiatives that leverage partner expertise and resources. The Director will serve as a primary liaison to partners, ensuring alignment with AASCU’s goals, expanding ADP’s national network, and fostering collaborative projects that enhance ADP’s mission.

Communications : Serve as the principal point of contact for institutional members for American Democracy Project (ADP)-related matters. In collaboration with the Communications Division, designing and managing communications processes and products, including maintaining email listservs; assisting in the creation of division-specific presentations, managing the strategy for the ADP website, and working collaboratively to coordinate member updates. The Director develops and manages online communications for ADP's focus / interest groups and collaborates with Communications on social media content. Other duties include writing and editing the monthly ADP e-newsletter.

Fundraising Support : Supports the Assistant Vice President in identifying and cultivating funders and maintains relations that support ADP programming and the annual conference. The Director helps identify aligned funding sources to support ADP programming and contractors through gifts and grants.

Special Projects : The incumbent is responsible for managing current programming and developing new programming, collaborating with subject matter experts from the campuses and partner associations, and coordinating and implementing new civic engagement and academic leadership projects as assigned. The Director also works across the Civic and Global Engagement team and the AIT division to envision and enact strategic collaborative projects and programs.

Convenings : The Director is responsible for planning and executing regional and national convenings for ADP initiatives, and the annual ADP conference in coordination with internal and external partners. The Director has primary responsibility for assisting in the planning of the meetings for the American Democracy Project, including regular executive and steering committee meetings, and for representing AASCU at external civic engagement meetings and conferences. The Director also participates in program development and management as required for all other AIT meetings.

Research and Publication Dissemination : The Director is responsible for supporting the development and dissemination of reports and research that support the ADP network and AASCU member institutions, including collaborating with dissemination partners, and works with the ADP Civic Fellows to support and amplify their research projects.

Awards : The Director manages all aspects of the Civic Engagement awards presented annually by the American Democracy Project. This includes developing and managing the nomination, review, selection, and communication processes for all ADP-related awards and communicating with nominators, candidates, awardees, and their campuses.

Steering Committee and Civic Fellows : The Director oversees and coordinates the ADP Steering Committee, recruiting members and maintaining a balance of membership, including faculty, staff, and leadership. The Director also coordinates the meetings, develops the agendas in coordination with the executive committee, and manages the meeting calendar. The Director oversees the work of the Civic Fellows and recruits new Fellows who can contribute to the field and provide subject matter expertise and thought leadership in support of ADP.

Assessment : The incumbent assists in developing and implementing program assessment strategies and conducting ongoing assessments of various ADP initiatives, programs, and services. The Director is also responsible for identifying areas for improvement for all ADP programs and assisting in re-designing processes to create greater efficiency and enhance the programs' impact.

Budgetary Oversight : The Director provides fiscal management of project budgets in coordination with AASCU’s Accounting Office. This includes providing regular budget oversight and monitoring, ensuring that all program spending is in conformance with AASCU and / or funded project guidelines.

Committee Management : The Director is responsible for managing and coordinating AASCU’s relevant advisory committee, including the ADP Executive and Steering Committees and the Presidents’ Committee on Sustainability, to engage key stakeholders and inform programs and services.

Qualifications

Required :

Master’s degree or equivalent graduate credential.

Demonstrated subject matter expertise in civic or democratic engagement in higher education or a related field.

8 years in higher education with a minimum of 5 years of experience in civic or democratic engagement.

Proven project management skills, including program support and development, preferably in higher education or the association industry, and direct management and coordination of civic engagement programming at an association or in higher education.

Direct experience collaborating with faculty, developing curriculum and professional development initiatives for faculty and higher education staff, including webinars, institutes, and / or conferences.

Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and strong intercultural communication skills.

Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment and possess excellent project management and problem-solving skills, particularly scheduling and planning workflows cross-departmentally.

Proven success in cultivating relationships with partner universities, organizations, colleagues, and community members to expand collaborative efforts and implement and evaluate progress.

Superior presentation, writing, and verbal communication skills. Strong proofreading and editing skills and experience with academic journals are a plus.

Excellent interpersonal and customer service skills, including cultivating strong relationships cross-departmentally and with high-level external stakeholders (e.g., senior-level higher education administrators).

Ability to work independently, with minimal supervision, as well as work collaboratively as a member of a team.

Ability to stay abreast of trends in higher education and civic engagement fields to design innovative and relevant programming.

Proven success in convening faculty, staff, students, and / or higher education leaders.

Ability to deliver quality work on tight deadlines, with strong organization and priority-setting skills.

Ability to effectively represent AASCU at external events, including clear and consistent communication of the organization’s beliefs, mission, and strategy.

Ability and willingness to travel periodically, when needed, including at off-site meetings.

Commitment to upholding AASCU’s mission, vision, and values.

Preferred :

Experience leading a successful national-level civic or democratic engagement initiative.

Experience leading large-scale programming across multiple higher education institutions.

Some experience leading programs and initiatives that explore civic engagement in a global context.

Experience planning and running large national in-person and virtual conferences, including program planning, coordination, and training for speakers, facilitators, and moderators.

Experience and success in fundraising and sponsorship that support national civic engagement programming and events.

Proven success in cultivating funder and sponsor relationships that contribute directly to funding renewal.

COMPENSATION, BENEFITS, AND LOCATION

The salary range for this exempt position is between $110,000 and $125,000 plus a generous benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision insurance; fifteen paid holidays plus additional annual leave; above market contribution to company sponsored 403(b) retirement plan; on-site fitness facility, 24 / 7 building security, secured bike storage and more. Additionally, available underground public parking is accessible for all employees at their own expense.

This is a full-time position located at AASCU’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. AASCU employees who work within commuting distance to our offices are expected to work on a hybrid in-person work schedule of two days in the office and three days optional remote. This schedule is subject to change based on work and organizational demands.

Application instructions

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