Director of Operations and Partnerships

Special Instructions to Applicants: All interested applicants must attach a cover letter and resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, in PDF format. Please note that the applicant tracking system does not convert attachments in Word format successfully.

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities. 

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:

Reporting to and in collaboration with the Executive Director, the Director of Operations and Partnerships manages administrative and operations functions for the Center for Civic Leadership, primarily in the areas of human resources, compliance and financial management, communication, assessment, and external relationships. The Director provides guidance to CCL staff on administrative operations and university policies. The Director supervises the administrative operations specialist, the associate director for assessment, and the communications specialist in the center. The Director leads center-wide operations that facilitate and sustain the capacity and networks of the CCL; oversees the development of resources to facilitate and sustain community and alumni partnerships consistent with principles of ethical engagement and co-education; advances CCL's position on campus, in the community, and in the higher ed community; and secures additional resources to support the CCL. 

Ideal Candidate Statement: 

The ideal candidate will have the experience and skills to oversee a complex budget with multiple funding streams, experience with higher education operating and finance systems, assessment design, and partner relationship building. The successful candidate will have successful experience in supervision and professional development of staff in a highly collaborative, mission-driven capacity. The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience in designing and implementing office administrative processes to support diverse program administrative needs. The candidate will be committed to the value of civic engagement and community-engaged experiential learning. 

Workplace Requirements: 

The Center for Civic Leadership provides year-round experiential learning opportunities and courses on and off Rice campus. Since all programming shares common outcomes and supports an academic certificate, the team depends upon highly collaborative efforts which include participation in events, meetings, and working sessions. Meetings with community partners are often scheduled at off-campus locations. There are occasional evening obligations; flexibility and opportunities for remote work are available.

Workplace Location: 

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range: $88,000 to $92,000 annually, contingent upon qualifications and experience.

Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements: 

• Bachelor’s degree
• Five or more (5+) years of experience in community-engaged learning, research, and scholarship, and/or public service/community leadership 

Skills: 

• Expert knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, email, and database software programs to either complete work assignments or direct the completion of work assignments
• Excellent data reporting skills
• Advanced verbal and written communication skills
• Advanced problem-solving and critical thinking skills
• Ability to work independently or supervise others, ensuring the timely completion of work
• Resource management skills
• Project management skills

Preferences:

• Master's or PhD in a relevant field
• Experience developing and maintaining partnerships with community organizations to support academic programming
• Experience and knowledge of ethical engagement in university - community partnerships
• Supervisory experience

Essential Functions:

• Responsible for the management of all Center for Civic Leadership staff involved in administrative operations and support to faculty, students and programs
• Manages the development, implementation, administration and evaluation of departmental operations, including, but not limited to: research administration, budget / finance, program administration, human resources, communications / outreach, and compliance
• Monitors trends and establishes goals for the department
• Provides guidance on the interpretation, implementation and compliance with policies and regulations
• Recommends actions to ensure compliance
• Represents the department or function at the school level
• Serves a primary role in the development & implementation of the annual budget 
• Participates in short term budget planning and supports long term budget planning 
• Manages budget monitoring, expenditure review and approval, processing payments, conducting analyses, creating forecasts and identifying trends
• Oversees the maintenance of financial records
• Creates, manages and implements outreach plans that may include relationship development, communications, and event management
• Manages the human resources function for department staff
• Administers the visa process for international faculty, staff and students
• Coordinates faculty searches and the promotion and tenure process
• Manages graduate and / or undergraduate program administration, including graduate student recruitment and admissions, student records, curriculum support, coordinates the accreditation process, manages scholarships and fellowships, advises students and monitors their progress
• Supervises support to faculty and provides guidance on university policies and procedures
• May manage pre- and post-award research administration
• Performs all other duties as assigned
   

Additional Functions:

• Collaborate with the executive director to identify priorities and represent the opportunities and challenges of centerwide operations
• Oversee design, implementation, and execution of assessment, communications, and administrative processes
• Facilitate collaboration and communication of CCL operations team with CCL academic team  to integrate and align objectives, identify opportunities and concerns, and foster an equitable, inclusive, and highly collaborative work environment
• Monitor budget expenses and reconciliations, including approval of expense reports, transfers, non-standard disbursements, labor distributions, and purchase orders, review of monthly reconciliations and quarterly reports
• Supervise center operations staff, holding them accountable for responsibilities, providing mentoring and resources for them to be successful in their roles, and facilitating their professional growth
• Design and implement centerwide vision, goals, and outcomes for ethical and effective community and alumni partnerships and collaborate with academic program leads to develop their capacity to work with community partners
• Develop, manage, and steward CCL alumni and community partnerships
• Create processes and systems for facilitating CCL-community partnerships, including, but not limited to, a database, events, and a call for proposals
• Leverage CCL community and alumni partnerships to support faculty engaged activities
• Convene civic engagement networks for relationship and partner development
• Recognize CCL community partners and alumni
• Support center research agenda that publishes the center's theories, practices, and outcomes
• Represent CCL to campus and external stakeholders to identify opportunities for center and raise awareness and understanding of the center's programs and resources
• Support applications for grants that support CCL, faculty, and partner engagement
• Support stewardship and cultivation of new donors
   

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits 
Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University 

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.