Director of Precollege Outreach and Engagement
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Job Summary
The University of Colorado Boulder seeks an innovative and passionate leader to serve as the Director of Precollege Outreach and Engagement (OPCOE). This is a unique opportunity for a visionary leader to guide the office through a pivotal period of transformation, fostering collaboration and strengthening programs that empower first-generation, low-income, and underserved students. The Director will lead a dedicated team in establishing a cohesive vision, and advocating for the mission of preparing students for higher education. With over 40 years of impactful legacy, this role offers the chance to be strategic in serving students, families, and communities while cultivating a positive team environment. Key priorities include enhancing communication channels, creating a centralized leadership approach with regular engagement, and amplifying the visibility of OPCOE’s successes.
Joining the OPCOE offers a fulfilling opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of students, families, and communities. This role provides the chance to lead a passionate team, build on a legacy of successful programming, and drive innovation to shape the future of Precollege Outreach and Engagement at CU Boulder. It is a rare opportunity to create lasting change and contribute to a purposeful career that changes lives.
A successful candidate embodies core values of transparency, accountability, empathy, collaboration, and innovation, fostering trust and respect while driving impactful change. They demonstrate exemplary leadership by listening actively, valuing different perspectives, leading with integrity, and inspiring excellence. They navigate complex institutional environments with tact and diplomacy, effectively building relationships and aligning diverse collaborators toward shared goals. Through collaboration and innovation, they create a supportive environment that promotes professional growth. Additionally, they address conflicts with fairness and empathy, challenge the status quo, and motivate teams to achieve excellence with creativity and purpose.
Who We Are
The Office of Precollege Outreach and Engagement (OPCOE) has a rich history of providing educational opportunities to first-generation, low-income, and underserved students across Colorado. Its mission is to build pathways to higher education through programs that inspire and empower students to achieve their academic and career goals. Programs include hands-on learning experiences, mentorship opportunities, and workshops designed to prepare students for college success.
Working closely with K-12 schools, community organizations, and university departments, OPCOE fosters a strong network of support for students and their families. Signature initiatives include college preparation workshops, FAFSA support, campus visits, and leadership development activities, which are designed to equip students with the tools and confidence to navigate the higher education system.
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
Administrative Management:
Oversight and management of precollege programming (50% Precollege; 35% Bridge; 15% System Relationships), including providing leadership and management for development and implementation of all operations; Ensures Upward Bound, a federally funded TRiO program that supports low-income and first-generation U.S. citizens or residents, meets grant requirements of serving a population of 2/3 low-income and first generation students and 1/3 either low-income or first generation; Develop strategic plans to meet short-term and long-term goals and objectives; Maintain relationships and collaborate with individuals and various educational groups and ensure that the programs meet reporting and funding regulations. Develops, assesses, and communicates the vision, goals and achievements of the precollege programs, and ensures programs are integrated into the wider array of services and programs offered by the university, including the CU-LEAD Alliance, Norlin Scholars and other organizations, departments and individuals seeking to recruit precollege alumni or conduct outreach to high school students as part of their operations or research. Manages the daily operations of the Office of Precollege Outreach and Engagement. Leads the annual planning process with program directors to develop and implement strategic goals, to identify new partnerships, and to set forth resource needs to enhance or expand programming.
Collaborates with assistant and associate directors to adjust program design to ensure the operation of an effective and efficient department that best meets the needs of participants. Leads the Boulder campus' efforts to provide sustained and enhanced precollege outreach programs. Oversees the operation of the summer residential component of these programs. Responsible for expansion of the precollege programs into other rural areas of the state; for example, southwestern and northeastern Colorado. Partners with campus and community program directors to develop programming designed for the family members of program participants. Supports programs and activities that introduce family members to the raised expectations of university life and assists them in meeting those expectations as their student transitions to the school of their choice.
Provides expertise and insight to other campus departments in the design and implementation of their own precollege outreach programs to assist in the delivery of quality programming and ensure compliance with university protocol and procedures. Establishes successful collaborative relationships with school districts and community-based organizations who work with first generation and low-income students, including but not limited to Denver Public Schools, Denver Scholarship Foundation, Mapleton Education Foundation, Adams County Education Consortium, INSPiRE, Colorado GEAR UP, Pueblo Hispanic Education Foundation, and Boulder County's I Have a Dream Foundation. Provides vision for program development efforts to provide precollege bridge summer experience for students matriculating to the university.
Oversees execution of precollege bridge summer programming. Connects precollege programming to campus academic units and their public/private partnerships, including but not limited to the Leeds School of Business and the College of Engineering and Applied Science. In collaboration with Associate and Assistant Directors, assesses programs to ascertain their effectiveness and strategizes with EM leadership, campus directors, and community partners to improve upon them.
Fiscal Management:
Participates in the Enrollment Management annual budget and reserve request process. Collaboratively leads the annual and/or monthly review of the budget and assessment of the unit's resource needs to enhance or expand programming. Creates and manages annual operating budgets. Monitors and approves fiscal resources for all program activities. Secures and sustains program resources and participates in fund development and fundraising. Develops a comprehensive working knowledge of the University of Colorado's fiscal policies and compliance as it relates to the funding, expenditure of resources, and program activities, as well as any federal regulations that impact upon the delivery of services to students participating in the federal TRIO Upward Bound program. Provides online backup support on reviewing and authorizing expenditures for precollege staff. Oversees coordination and disbursement of internal university and external scholarships targeted specifically at graduates of the precollege programs. The scholarships include, but are not limited to, those from the Office of Admissions, Wells Fargo, Pioneer, Elevations, Levy & Levy, and the Shea Family Foundation.
Unit Supervision:
Leads the precollege team, including those in the Precollege Development Program, University of Colorado Upward Bound Program, and rural outreach initiatives, along with student employees and other precollege outreach personnel. Fosters a culture of leadership and empowers team members to develop and apply leadership skills within their roles. Identifies and addresses professional development needs, facilitating access to training, seminars, and leadership development opportunities. Provides strategic guidance and mentoring to build a cohesive, high-performing team. Oversees human resources management functions, including but not limited to: recruitment, hiring, and performance evaluations. Follows and enforces university policies.
What You Should Know
Hybrid work modality offered.
What We Can Offer
The starting salary range for this position is $115,500 - $125,000 annually. Bonus and relocation offered per department guidelines.
Benefits
Be Statements
What We Require
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university; an equivalent combination of education and experience may substitute on a year-for-year basis.
- Five (5) plus years of successfully leading programs that serve underrepresented, low income, or first generation college students.
- Demonstrated budget and resource management experience.
- Proven experience working collaboratively with colleagues at a large, complex institution, as well as with diverse external constituents, to facilitate programs and initiatives with measurable objectives.
- Experience supervising, coaching, and leading professional, paraprofessional and student staff.
What You Will Need
- Adept at navigating organizational dynamics with strong relationship management skills across all levels, including leadership, peers, and team members.
- Cultural competence.
- Strong communication skills to foster transparency, trust, and collaboration.
- Ability to manage change, navigate complexity, and get results.
- Ability to develop and implement effective institutional practices that support and advance CU Boulder’s overarching campus goals.
- Knowledge in using data-driven strategies to evaluate and assess programs and services.
- Visionary leadership with the ability to inspire and energize the team.
- Ability to work independently and make independent decisions.
- Proficiency in data-driven decision-making and program assessment.
What We Would Like You to Have
- A Master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning.
- Ten (10) years of job-related experience, including supervision with a minimum of seven (7) years of progressively more responsible and independent management experience in community engagement programs.
- Spanish speaking.
- Significant experience working with first-generation, low-income, and underserved students.
- Proven leadership and team management experience.
- History of fostering inclusion and providing opportunities for prospective students and families.
- Background in higher education, nonprofit, or community-based organizations.
- Expertise in program development, strategizing, and grant writing.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
- A current resume.
- A cover letter that describes how your background and experience align with this position.
We may ask for references at a later time.
Please apply by March 2, 2025 for consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications should be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.
Posting Contact Information
Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources
Posting Contact Email: Recruiting@colorado.edu