Assistant Director of Strategic Programming

HOW TO APPLY

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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)

UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant's behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, .

The IRD for this job is: 11-16-2026

ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

UC Santa Cruz has an extraordinary history of excellence in the humanities and a promising future. In the Humanities Division, we are dedicated to producing interdisciplinary research, student learning, and public programming in ways that break new ground, address urgent questions, and speak to a diverse array of communities and concerns. Our division's nine departments and programs, with outstanding scholars and teachers who care deeply about our students, foster courses of study dedicated to global cultures, histories, languages, and literatures.

Our goals include:

Fostering research excellence
Creating career-ready humanities majors and providing meaningful humanities training for all UCSC students
Bringing the humanities to a broad range of public audiences

More information can be found at:

JOB SUMMARY

The Assistant Director of Strategic Programs is a member of the Humanities Student Achievement Team and will manage programming and initiatives that support undergraduate student retention and career outcomes, while working collaboratively to execute the broader team and divisional goals. The Assistant Director will leverage their creativity and project management skills to successfully design and implement a retention strategy for the Humanities Division and its undergraduate majors and minors. The Assistant Director should have a theoretical understanding of historical trends and contemporary issues in humanities-aligned professional pathways, undergraduate career readiness programming, experiential learning, and current issues in higher education and student success.

Under the general supervision of the Director of Student Engagement and in close collaboration with the Assistant Director of Experiential Learning, this individual is responsible for the development and administration of division-wide programming for undergraduate students. The incumbent will be uniquely positioned to enhance the undergraduate experience for our majors/minors beyond the classroom and make an impact on the lives of students after graduation. As a member of the Humanities Student Achievement team, the incumbent will also collaborate to enact a vision, strategic direction, and accountability for related programming in support of campus initiatives (e.g. sense of belonging, student time to degree, development of professional and personal competencies, students' academic success within the university, closing equity gaps for historically marginalized students, and students' readiness for post-university trajectories).

The Assistant Director of Strategic Programs is responsible for advancing Divisional goals of Humanities undergraduate major and minor retention through programming, initiatives, and research and analysis of student engagement patterns and career outcomes. The incumbent will foster a Divisional ecosystem of career education and meaningful alumni connections. This professional serves as a direct liaison to students, administrators, campus partners like UCSC IRAPS and Career Success, faculty, and staff and collaboratively cultivates relationships with companies, organizations, alumni, and those related to diversity and inclusion initiatives. The Assistant Director of Strategic Programs creates educational materials, connections, and programming to help students from Humanities majors articulate the value of their degree, discover and prepare for career pathways, and build a community that propels their post-graduation aspirations.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Budgeted Salary: $80,000 - $110,000/Annually. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.

Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits

Schedule Information:

• Full-time, Fixed
• Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
• Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
• Shift Includes: Day

Employee Classification: Career appointment with end date

Job End Date: 6/30/2028 with possibility of extension

Work Location: UC Santa Cruz Main Campus / Hybrid

Union Representation: SV - Student Services & Advising Professionals

Job Code Classification: STDT ACAD SPEC 3 SV (005145)

Travel: Never or Rarely

JOB DUTIES

35% - Program Development and Administration

• Develop programming to support Humanities major and minor retention
• Develop and deliver the HumLaunch shadowing and mentorship program targeting early-career Humanities students and other programs and initiatives within the Employing Humanities initiative
• Support the Assistant Director of Experiential Learning in delivering experiential learning programs by providing career education content, advising on high-level program planning, and helping to facilitate cohort meetings.
• In collaboration with the Humanities Student Achievement team, academic advisors, and faculty, establish meaningful connections between students, industry, and alumni by implementing educational opportunities, networking events, industry panels, and other programming initiatives.
• Design and create e-learning content (tutorials, asynchronous Canvas modules, worksheets/guides, blended learning toolkits, audio and video content, website/blog text, case studies, etc.) that showcase the value of humanistic training in professional and community settings.
• Collect and analyze participation and engagement data of programs to assure quality and improve student engagement; prepare quarterly and annual reports as requested by Divisional Leadership.

30% - Campus, Community, and Industry Relationship Development and Management

• Cultivate and manage strategic partnerships with alumni, employers, key organizations, and other external entities, in collaboration with colleagues internally and across UCSC.
• Initiate, promote, and steward these relationships to expand divisional programs, engagement opportunities, professional networks, mentoring, and recruitment of students.
• Collaborate with university partners including Institutional Research, Analytics, and Planning Support (IRAPS) to identify and collect relevant data for Divisional strategic planning.
• Cultivate and steward collaborative relationships with administrators, faculty, and staff as a consultant to the Division of Humanities, and other identified university partners such as UCSC Career Success.
• Facilitate strategic planning within and across the Division of Humanities to identify opportunities for programming and resources that support student retention.
• In collaboration with the Humanities Student Achievement team, develop and implement an annual strategic plan to support industry engagement, increasing alumni and employer participation within programs and recruiting efforts.

15% - Curricular Support

• Partner with Humanities faculty to support the development of curriculum that promotes the value of humanities training in career contexts.
• Partner with Humanities faculty and departments to support the development and offering of curriculum that promotes the career success of students through specialized, major-specific career pathways.
• Support the development of curricular experiential learning efforts in the division.

15% - Student Engagement and Career Outcomes

• Connect students to resources, industry, alumni, and experiential learning opportunities.
• Develop and execute targeted outreach plans to encourage student use of Career Success coaching and other resources.
• Provide career exploration support to help students identify relevant Employing Humanities opportunities
• Collect and analyze outcomes data to improve student retention and student engagement preparing quarterly and annual reports as requested
• Conduct survey analysis of Employing Humanities participants and Humanities undergraduates and report outcomes data to the Divisional leadership team.

5% - Continuous Benchmarking and University Representation

• Ensure continuous enhancements through local, regional, and national benchmarking.
• Update position-related skills by participating in appropriate professional development offerings throughout the year.
• Represent the Humanities Division and the Employing Humanities Initiative through active involvement and leadership in regional and national associations.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Advanced knowledge in theoretical concepts of adult learning and career development. Knowledge on methodologies to enhance undergraduate career readiness and student success.
• Knowledge of a broad academic discipline or learning needs of a broad student category.
• Knowledge of various software applications to include career engagement and student information systems, word processing, presentations, and spreadsheets and databases.
• Multicultural competencies, knowledge and experience working and interacting effectively with diverse groups of staff, faculty, and student populations.
• Solid interpersonal skills for effective collaboration and problem solving with all levels of academia and staff.
• Problem solving and organizational skills.
• Ability to implement best practices in academic development and support, as well as cultivation and maintenance of faculty partnerships.
• Ability to understand, interpret, and apply policies and regulations in specific situations to analyze and solve organizational and operating problems related to student success.
• Ability to perform moderately complex tasks involving independent judgment, and ability to plan, coordinate and initiate actions necessary to implement administrative or group decisions or recommendations.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and appropriately handle sensitive communications for students, staff, and external agencies.

PREFER