TBR | The College System of Tennessee

Title: Senior Director of Academic Innovation

Employee Classification: Executive/Admin & Managerial

Institution: System Office

Department: Academic Affairs

Campus Location: Tennessee Board of Regents System Office

Job Summary

The Senior Director of Academic Innovation provides oversight of a variety of projects within the Office of Academic Affairs. The Senior Director’s main responsibility will be for the Center for Correctional Education, and he/she will coordinate all activities of the Center and its staff with outside constituencies, including but not limited to the Tennessee Department of Corrections, THEI, THEC, participating colleges, and other partners. This position plays a key external-facing role in ensuring program effectiveness, compliance, and smooth delivery across institutions while supporting the broader vision of the Governor’s Correctional Education Investment initiative. The Senior Director works closely with institutional staff, TBR leadership, and TPCC leadership to ensure the focus and direction of the Center aligns with state goals and objectives and provide leadership in areas such as state and national grants, coordination and collaboration, and evaluation and promotion of the Center for Correctional Education. This person will be required to visit correctional facility sites and complete the TDOC required training process.

This position may have the opportunity to work remotely within the state of Tennessee but with periodic visits to the TBR System Office (Nashville, TN) at the employee’s expense, and potential travel to Tennessee TBR colleges, TDOC correctional facilities, and other agency offices may be necessary.

Job Duties

• 35% - Provide leadership on selected projects within the Office of Academic Affairs. Act as a thought partner to others within the Office of Academic Affairs for a wide variety of academic issues and activities across the TBR system. - (Essential)
• 35% - Provide guidance and leadership for the Center for Correctional Education, including program approval, college relationships, and large-scale budget activities. Provide leadership in work with external partners, including colleges, TDOC, THEI, and THEC. Participate as system lead for all CEI activities in local, state, regional, and national forums - (Essential)
• 10% - Oversee and approve community college and technical college implementation at TDOC and DCS facilities. Interface with campus presidents and vice presidents within the TBR system for work within correctional education. Oversee development and dissemination of contracts, system budgets, communications, reports, and marketing materials for the Center for Correctional Education - (Essential)
• 5% - Lead faculty training sessions and the statewide pedagogy conference. - (Essential)
• 10% - Provide supervision of the Coordinator of Special Programs in Correctional Education, which will report to this position - (Essential)
• 5% - Other duties as assigned. - (Marginal)

Minimum Qualifications

• Master’s degree
• 5 years of experience in higher education, program coordination, or related field.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with faculty, staff, and agency partners.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Doctorate degree
• Experience working with correctional education programs.
• Experience with the supervision of staff.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex, large scale initiatives with multiple partners.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Knowledge of:
• Secondary and higher education structures
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Effective interpersonal skills.
• Excellent organizational skills.
• Strong ability to collect, aggregate, and disseminate data as needed.
• Understanding of higher education and institutional operations.
• Familiarity with the public policy landscape.

Skill with:
• Office software/technology such as Microsoft Office Suite, Google Drive, and Adobe Professional; computer skills
• interpersonal skills consistent with establishing and maintaining effective working relationships; strong communication, teaching, and training skills.
• Complex problem solving.
• Written and oral communication

Ability to:
• Present information clearly and concisely.
• Present data contextualized/customized for a target audience
• Use data to make effective decisions
• Take initiative and make independent decisions
• Identify and solve problems
• Work with a diverse population
• Manage large teams of various stakeholders using multiple communications and technology platforms
• Facilitate student, faculty, and stakeholder group meetings of all types
• Develop and maintain positive collaborative working partnerships
• Manage multiple projects both independently and in teams

Physical Demands / Working Conditions

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