EXEC DIR-ACADEMIC STRATEGY (SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING)

Since 1911, City Colleges of Chicago has been connecting students from across Chicago’s neighborhoods to economic opportunity. By offering a quality education at an unprecedented value, City Colleges provides our students and alumni with a pathway to upward mobility. City Colleges of Chicago is the city’s most accessible higher education engine of socioeconomic mobility and racial equity—empowering its students to take part in building a stronger and more just city. As Illinois’ largest community college system, City Colleges is comprised of seven colleges and five satellite sites across Chicago.

City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) School of Engineering provides access to high quality and equitable community college pathways leading to an associate degree and transfer opportunities to four-year colleges or universities in engineering or computer science for racially and socio-economically diverse engineering students.

Headquartered at Harold Washington College with sites at various campuses across the district, the School of Engineering aspires to become the nation’s premier community college pipeline for producing diverse engineering leaders. CCC challenges the traditional model of high-cost education by offering affordable, accessible, and high-quality programs with the rigor and standards aligned with our partner institutions of higher education.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE

Reporting to the Districtwide Dean and Head of the School of Engineering, the Executive Director-Academic Strategy (School of Engineering) serves as a member of the School of Engineering (SOE) District Leadership Team , providing districtwide academic leadership to advance the mission, and vision of the School of Engineering.

The Executive Director is responsible for promoting consistency, quality, and continuous improvement across all School of Engineering academic programs and pathways districtwide. The position provides leadership in academic planning, curriculum implementation, pathway alignment, student success initiatives, assessment, and data-informed decision-making. Collaborating closely with college academic deans, department chairs, faculty, student support services and institutional research, the Executive Director develops and implements strategies to strengthen engineering education and improve student retention, completion, transfer, and workforce outcomes.

The Executive Director provides leadership for evaluating academic initiatives, monitoring program effectiveness, and recommending evidence-based improvements that support the long-term growth and sustainability of the School of Engineering.

The primary work location for this position is Wright College; however, the position provides districtwide leadership and support to all School of Engineering locations and requires regular travel throughout the City Colleges of Chicago district.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

· Leads the development and implementation of academic strategies and initiatives that strengthen engineering pathways; support student success; and improve academic outcomes across the School of Engineering.

· Collaborates with the School of Engineering team to provide strategic academic leadership for all School of Engineering locations.

· Supports the creation, development, and implementation of cohort-based course models that promote instructional consistency, academic quality, student engagement, , persistence, and completion.

· Partners with faculty and academic administrators to ensure curriculum alignment across campuses and improve student retention, persistence, graduation, and transfer outcomes for the School of Engineering.

· Develops and implements districtwide processes to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of academic initiatives.

· Monitors and evaluates academic performance indicators and recommend strategic, continuous improvement strategies.

· Establishes and maintains consistency in academic standards, instructional quality, student learning outcomes, and pathway implementation across School of Engineering locations.

· Utilizes assessment findings to guide evidence-based decision-making, establish improvement priorities, and strengthen academic outcomes.

· Leads the implementation and evaluation of academic interventions designed to improve persistence, degree completion, and transfer outcomes.

· Partners with District Decision Support and Institutional Research to establish data requirements and collect, analyze, and interpret student-success data.

· Monitors and analyzes districtwide engineering enrollment, student progression, retention, completion, transfer, and academic performance metrics to identify trends and opportunities for improvement.

· Prepares executive reports, dashboards, and presentations that inform strategic planning and leadership decision-making.

· Develops and implements procedures and best practices supporting SOE districtwide academic operations.

· Prepares reports, documentation, and other materials required by district leadership, funding agencies, accrediting bodies, and external partners.

· Develops and oversees districtwide academic policies, standards, and procedures for the School of Engineering.

· Lead strategic academic initiatives that support university partnerships and transfer pathways.

· Partners with student support teams to ensure students have access to effective academic pathways, transfer, and success resources.

· Provides executive leadership for grant-funded academic initiatives, including planning, implementation, evaluation, and new program development.

· Performs other related duties as assigned.

REPORTING RELATIONSHIPS

Reports To Districtwide Dean-School of Engineering

Direct Supervision TBD

QUALIFICATIONS

· Master's degree in Engineering, STEM, or a closely related STEM discipline from an accredited college or university is required. A doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) in Engineering or a related field is preferred.

· Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in engineering education, academic leadership, higher education administration, or a related field.

· Demonstrated experience leading academic planning, program development, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement initiatives.

· Demonstrated commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive learning and working environment.

· Experience supporting strategic planning, program assessment, and resource management.

· Previous teaching or instructional experience at the postsecondary level is preferred.

· Comprehensive knowledge of academic planning, curriculum development, transfer pathway design, program implementation, and continuous improvement practices.

· Knowledge of academic assessment practices, articulation agreements, transfer pathways, and program review processes.

· Knowledge of student learning assessment methodologies and data-informed decision-making practices.

· Knowledge of community college systems and understanding of regional workforce trends and labor market needs.

· Excellent leadership, interpersonal, facilitation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively across multiple campuses and organizational levels.

· Exceptional verbal, written, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.

· Strong analytical, organizational, strategic planning, and critical thinking skills.

· Demonstrated ability to develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate programs and effectively manage organizational resources.

· Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and achieve measurable results.

· Ability to build consensus and influence faculty, administrators, and staff in support of School of Engineering and districtwide goals.

· Ability to travel throughout the City Colleges of Chicago district.

· Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams) and the ability to utilize technology to support data analysis, reporting, and administrative operations.

WE OFFER: Excellent health and welfare benefit package and long-term savings and investment programs including 403(b) & 457(b) Investment Plans and a pension plan with the State University Retirement System (SURS) Plan. Generous vacation, holiday, personal and sick days, and tuition reimbursement. For a more detailed overview of benefits, please visit the benefits page of our website.

We are an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. Chicago residency is required for all full-time employees within 6 months of hire. Thank you for your interest in CCC!

Offered salary will be determined by the respective collective bargaining agreement and applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities.        

Benefits information is found at https://www.ccc.edu/departments/Benefits/

Salary Range 

$104,775 - $115,000