Assistant Director of Academics

Position Overview

The Assistant Director of Academics works closely with the Deputy Dean and Dean to manage complex projects that drive the success of strategic academic initiatives. In collaboration with SCC resource development and communication teams, builds and maintains strong relationships for the Deputy Dean and Dean with key alumni, supporters, Common Ground leaders, and students through regular interactions and events.

This role oversees end-to-end partnership coordination, student support, academic scheduling, faculty engagement, financial administration, and logistics across all stages of the program. Responsibilities also include content development for programs such as Expanding Horizons, as well as managing computing degree collaborations across MIT, as well as for the administration of SCC fellowships such as those with Apple, Google, Amazon, and MBZUAI. The Assistant Director additionally supports the College’s partnerships in professional and executive education, including Sloan-SCC joint programs and custom offerings of the MicroMasters potentially in conjunction with executive education programs. Serving as a key liaison, the Assistant Director supports the Deputy Dean and Dean in representing the College to internal and external constituencies.

Works closely with the Deputy Dean to initiate, organize, and implement systems and procedures to efficiently manage special projects, reports, and presentation preparations. Plans, executes, and manages special projects according to deadlines and within budget. Plans, facilitates, and coordinates activities for the Deputy Dean’s and Dean’s meetings on academic programs. Working closely with leadership, course teams, faculty, and staff, the Assistant Director will also serve as a primary point of contact to oversee SCC engagement in the conception, development, processes, delivery, and assessment of executive program education offerings such as those co-offered with Sloan Executive Education or Open Learning; establishing and managing the project deliverables and timelines to facilitate effective delivery of results, sustainability, and growth for the program.  Manages staff responsible for the expansion of learner engagement programs to increase learner networks; oversees the program budget.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Project and Event Management (80%)

Common Ground

• In collaboration with Common Ground Education Officer, oversees Common Ground subject offerings, from proposal stage to steady state, including annual Institute-wide call for proposals. 
• Manage Common Ground committee meetings, including the Standing Committee, Steering Committee, and sub-committees. Staff multiple meetings per month and work with chairs to set agendas and manage workflow of new class proposals and review of existing courses.
• Manage Common Ground budgets which involves allocating funds to appropriate departments to support classes. Requires knowledge of academic department structures and communication channels.
• Facilitate collaboration between faculty, TAs, and educational staff during course creation
  • Creating and execute onboarding strategies and deliver appropriate training to relevant parties
  • Monitor, guide, and provide oversight and feedback during course development
• Collaborate with the faculty to assess and make recommendations regarding the hiring, assessment and performance analysis of lecturers, TAs, Postdocs, and hourly student workers.
• Help shape program strategy and direction by participating in the development of course assessment plan, identification of entry courses, drafting proposal of the new elective.
• Manage broadening common ground offerings beyond MIT, support hybrid (online and in-person) content development in collaboration with faculty, instructors, TAs and Open Learning.

Fellowships

• Run the College Fellowship calls from start to finish including recruiting faculty review committees, running call for nominations, committee meetings, etc. Fellowships are both internal and external, so awareness of deadlines is key.
• Manage PhD fellowships, such as Apple, Google, Amazon Science Hub, MBZUAI, etc.

Custom Education Programs

• Serve as the primary liaison between academic programs and Sloan Executive Education and Open Learning offices to ensure alignment with SCC mission and resource planning.
• Collaborate with program directors and faculty to support the development, coordination, and delivery of executive and online learning initiatives consistent with SCC goals.
• Facilitate communication and process integration, streamlining administrative workflows and ensuring a cohesive approach to the management of academic program offerings across in-person, executive and online modalities.

Special Projects

• Manage all aspects of multiple related projects to ensure the overall program is aligned to and directly supports the achievement of strategic direction.
• Create, implement, and update project plans, defining scope, objectives, challenges, and deliverable timeline, including production schedules, ensuring that program is proceeding according to scope, scheduled budget and quality standards while ensuring strategic value.
• Develop and implement effective communication strategies with stakeholders across the program to ensure the programmatic objectives are met.
• Handles complex situations and multiple responsibilities simultaneously, mixing long-term projects with the urgency of immediate demands. 
• Serves as a generalist performing complex administrative duties including composing correspondence independently on a wide variety of matters, including material of a sensitive and confidential nature.  Will prepare materials for meetings and presentations.    
• Tracks progress of complex initiatives, projects and events involving the SCC and MIT and provides regular analysis of the progress of strategic plans by providing verbal and written summary briefs to the Deputy Dean and Dean. 
• Participates in key constituent meetings to ensure appropriate and responsive follow-up and accountability.
• Facilitates resolution of matters requiring the Deputy Dean’s/Dean’s attention.
• Performs other related duties as required and deemed appropriate in support of the Deputy Dean and Dean to accomplish assigned responsibilities and functions of the office.

Development and Communications (20%)

• Development Communications: Collaborates with the Assistant Dean for Development and the SCC Communications team to develop collateral materials to promote fundraising opportunities.
• Contributes to communication plans and implements change management strategies.
• With input from Deputy Dean, write, edit, develop complex original content for internal and external audiences and website.
• Conceptualizes and maintains academic information published on the College website. Work to increase presence, accessibility, and reach of academic information
• Coordinate marketing strategies to support recruitment and outreach efforts for workshops, bootcamps and other joint events
• Participate in establishing practices, templates, policies, workflow plans to maintain, expand, and improve the existing educational partnership relations.
• Other duties may apply

Supervision Received

Receives limited supervision. Deputy Dean and Dean provides broad guidance and overall direction.

Supervision Exercised

Responsible for supervising the Program Manager

Qualifications/Technical Competencies

• A Bachelor’s degree required and at least five years of administration related experience. Preference for experience in academic administration or student services.
• Experience with SAP, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and on-line calendar software.  Must have a willingness to adapt to and learn new systems as needed.
• Working knowledge of data science and statistics terms and understanding value of these topics to both academic and business worlds
• In-depth familiarity, knowledge and applied experience in higher education, partnerships, student value and successful management of virtual learning environments
• Requires strong organizational and interpersonal skills and ability to handle a pressured, multi-task work environment with changing priorities and limited supervision.
• Prior experience providing management support to a high-level executive that involved overseeing commitments and ensuring priorities were met and logistics were efficiently addressed in an intense, dynamic environment.
• Accuracy, unflappability, and an eye for detail are essential, as is the ability to problem solve and work independently and cross-functionally.
• Requires comprehensive skill and knowledge of organization policies and practices in order to interpret and determine appropriate course of conduct effectively and appropriately within the institution.
• Strong oral and written communication and organization skills with the proven ability to problem-solve is required.
• Demonstrated leadership and administrative skills with analytical ability and experience with strategic planning processes.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, coordinate and direct multiple projects and activities with varied deadlines; utilize sound judgment, be a strategic thinker and effective in moving strategic agendas; be politically savvy and ensure the utmost discretion and confidentiality in all matters.
• Ability to set priorities and work well with all levels of personnel.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to interact with diverse internal and external constituents.

Employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background check.

** To comply with regulations by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA), the principal duties in job descriptions must be essential to the job. To identify essential functions, focus on the purpose and the result of the duties rather than the manner in which they are performed. The following definition applies: a job function is essential if removal of that function would fundamentally change the job.