Wake Forest University Looking for Associate Director, Program for Leadership and Character Full Time

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Job Description Summary

The Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University seeks a highly collaborative, responsible, inclusive, and strategically minded Associate Director of the Program for Leadership and Character, an innovative, dynamic, and values-driven program that inspires, educates, and empowers leaders of character to serve humanity. The Associate Director will work closely with the Executive Director and Director of the Leadership and Character in the Professional Schools to develop and oversee the implementation of the Program’s strategic plan and steward the Program’s resources and opportunities to advance its core mission. Toward these ends, the Associate Director will hire, supervise, and mentor key staff; manage special projects; develop strategic initiatives and partnerships; sustain a culture of creative collaboration among the team; communicate the Program’s values, vision, and initiatives to a variety of internal and external audiences; and assist with all aspects of program development and management. The ideal candidate will have a passion for management practices that support staff persons’ dignity and development, foster healthy, diverse, and equitable teams, and encourage organizational improvement. The ideal candidate will be purposeful, caring, organized, reliable, diligent, and detail-oriented, with a capacity to exercise wise judgment and build meaningful relationships and inclusive cultures.

Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational institution dedicated to academic excellence in liberal arts, graduate and professional education. Located in Winston-Salem, NC (“The City of Arts and Innovation”), the University is ranked among the top thirty national universities by U.S. News and World Report. The University has a deep institutional commitment to public service and engagement with the world, as indicated by the motto Pro Humanitate (for humanity), which encourages students to develop the qualities of human character needed to serve humanity. With the aim to educate the whole person, the University has established an innovative Program for Leadership and Character that plans creative, liberal arts-based programming to help students develop the virtues of character needed to lead in an increasingly complex world. The Program is based on cutting-edge academic research on leadership and character, including research conducted by Wake Forest faculty who are leading experts on the study of character. The Program has established a partnership with the Oxford Character Project and has been profiled as a model for how universities can educate character. The Program has received major gifts from individual donors and grants from the John Templeton Foundation, Kern Family Foundation, and Lilly Endowment, among others, to develop leaders of character at Wake Forest and support other colleges and universities who seek to infuse leadership and character at their campuses.

Wake Forest University and the Program for Leadership and Character welcomes and encourages diversity and inclusivity and seeks applicants with demonstrated success in working with diverse populations. Wake Forest University is an AA/EO employer and values an inclusive and diverse learning community and campus climate. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Please submit 1) a cover letter explaining your interest in the position, your experience managing or advising staff and/or building organizational cultures, and your commitment to leadership and character development; 2) a resume or curriculum vitae; and 3) three professional references (at least one of whom must be a current or former supervisor). Applications will be processed from February 2022 until the position is filled. This position will be in person at Wake Forest’s Winston-Salem campus.

Job Description

Essential Functions: 

• Assists the Executive Director and Director of Leadership and Character in the Professional Schools in developing and implementing a strategic plan, working with other staff in the Program to identify, clarify, and achieve strategic goals, and ensuring all team members understand their respective roles in accomplishing these goals.

• Leads strategic initiatives and special projects in collaboration and consultation with relevant staff.
• Manages, mentors, and empowers staff to effectively achieve the Program’s mission.
• Builds and sustains a warm and inclusive culture of collaboration, creativity, and support among the team and with relevant partners.
• Plans and leads team meetings, retreats, and workshops and provides professional development opportunities that strengthen the team and support individual staff.
• Works with the Assistant Director of Operations and Finance to develop budgets and spending practices that maintain alignment between the Program’s expenditures and its strategic goals.
• Approves staff spending requests in accordance with budgets and works with the Executive Director, Director of Leadership and Character in the Professional Schools, and Assistant Director of Finance and Operations to make major decisions related to the budget and finances.
• In collaboration with the Assistant Director of Finance and Operations, coordinates the process of hiring, on-boarding, and training of staff.
• In collaboration with the Assistant Director of Finance and Operations, designs and implements staff performance reviews and staff development programs.
• Collaborates with relevant staff to organize conferences, workshops, and programming.
• Creates and monitors project timelines, procedures, and resources to ensure successful and timely completion of projects and programming.  
• Serves as an ambassador for the Program and represents the Program at relevant events.
• Builds a warm and supportive team culture, including organizing team-building activities, supporting staff’s professional development, and working with the Administrative Assistant and Program and Events Coordinator to plan occasional socializing opportunities.
• Organizes conferences and workshops, in partnership with staff whose expertise supports the goals of the conferences and workshops.
• Drafts important communications.
• Assists with preparing annual reports, grant proposals, newsletters, and other internal and external communications. 
• Assists with developing, coordinating, and sustaining internal and external partnerships.
• Assists with fundraising and grant-writing to support the Program’s mission.
• Helps the Program maintain accountability to funders, partners, and stakeholders.
• Advises the Executive Director.
• Oversees iterative program evaluation.
• Performs other duties as needed.

Required Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities: 

• Masters degree in a relevant field, and/or the equivalent level of experience managing teams, programs, or strategic initiatives, especially in a higher education or non-profit context.
• Two to four years of experience managing and mentoring staff and/or helping teams to develop collaborative cultures and practices that support individual growth and organizational flourishing.
• Experience developing, implementing, and assessing the execution of a strategic plan.
• Excellent organizational and interpersonal skills. 
• Excellent writing and communication skills across a wide variety of formats: emails, public presentations, grant reports, one-on-one meetings, etc. 
• Detail-oriented with the ability to develop, coordinate, and execute careful, comprehensive, and complex plans.
• Ability to effectively manage multiple and diverse priorities, programs, and projects at once.
• Experience with, and sensitivity to, diverse populations and the ability to build inclusive and equitable communities where differences are appreciated and engaged. 
• Commitment to supporting the professional and personal development of staff.
• Commitment to the mission of the Program for Leadership and Character.
• Willingness to learn more about leadership and character development.
• Good character, wise judgment, and a strong work ethic. 
• Demonstrated ability to:
  • Work independently with minimal supervision.
  • Think strategically.
  • Solve problems creatively.
  • Set priorities and effectively manage time and resources. 
  • Be a constructive and cooperative leader of a team.
  • Navigate complex relational dynamics with a variety of stakeholders.
  • Positively influence colleagues and develop collaborative relationships with a wide range of people.
  • Manage conflict in healthy and constructive ways.
• Openness to feedback and a commitment to personal and professional growth. 
• Ability to represent the Program and the University in a professional manner. 
• Ability to work occasional weekend or evening hours as needed.

Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

• Familiarity with iterative program evaluation theories and best practices.
• Advanced study in organizational management or leadership.
• Certification or training in project management.
• Knowledge of leadership theories and best practices.
• Knowledge of character education, character interventions, and/or character assessment.
• Familiarity with the university context and/or Wake Forest University.
• Deep understanding of academic cultures, rules, and regulations.

Accountabilities

• Reports to the Executive Director of the Program for Leadership and Character.
• Responsible for own work.
• Supervisory responsibilities.

Additional Job Description

In furtherance of the University’s commitment to resuming operations in a manner consistent with or similar to how those operations were conducted prior to the pandemic, and in an effort to protect the health and safety of the campus community, all faculty and staff are required to be fully vaccinated with an FDA approved or authorized COVID-19 vaccine and an influenza vaccine.  Faculty and staff with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs that preclude vaccination should contact Human Resources to request a reasonable accommodation. 

Time Type Requirement

Full time
Note to Applicant:

This position profile identifies the key responsibilities and expectations for performance. It cannot encompass all specific job tasks that an employee may be required to perform. Employees are required to follow any other job-related instructions and perform job-related duties as may be reasonably assigned by his/her supervisor.

In order to provide a safe and productive learning and living community, Wake Forest University conducts background investigations and drug screens for all final staff candidates being considered for employment.

Wake Forest seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce while promoting an inclusive work environment committed to excellence in the spirit of Pro Humanitate. In adherence with applicable laws and as provided by University policies, the University prohibits discrimination in its employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, disability and veteran status and encourages qualified candidates across all group demographics to apply.