Academic Initiatives Program Director

Baton Rouge Community College; Baton Rouge (LA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement benefits

Medical insurance options

Vacation and sick leave

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC) seeks an Academic Initiatives Program Director to provide strategic leadership for the Early College Academy, Dual Enrollment, and secondary partnership initiatives in Baton Rouge, LA. The role oversees pathway design, enrollment management, and continuous program improvement with a focus on student success and credential attainment.

The Director will liaise with school districts, state agencies, and community partners, ensuring alignment with Board of

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Education or a related field required.
• 2 years of related professional experience in a college or high school setting.
• Bachelor’s degree in Education or related field accepted with an additional 3 years of experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for BRCC's Early College Academy and Dual Enrollment initiatives.
• Lead development and expansion of Early College Academy models.
• Oversee operational management of the Dual Enrollment program serving thousands of students.
• Develop long-range plans, goals, metrics, and enrollment targets.
• Ensure compliance with state regulations and institutional policies.
• Oversee pathway design, curriculum sequencing, and credential mapping.

Skills

Strong listening

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Education

Master’s degree in Education or related field

Job description

Staff Full-Time

Baton Rouge, LA

Academic Initiatives Program Director

Baton Rouge Community College (BRCC)

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Advancing Academic Excellence, Inspiring Innovation, andEmpowering Student Success.

Under the direction of the Executive Director of AcademicPartnerships and Strategic Initiatives, the Director of AcademicPartnerships provides strategic leadership for Baton RougeCommunity College's Early College Academy (ECA), Dual Enrollment,and secondary partnership initiatives. The Director leads thedesign, implementation, expansion, and continuous improvement ofcomprehensive early college pathways that enable high schoolstudents to simultaneously earn associate degrees, technicaldiplomas, certificates, and industry-based credentials whilecompleting their high school diploma.

The Director serves as the College's primary liaison with localschool districts, charter schools, state agencies, and communitypartners to develop innovative educational partnerships that expandaccess to postsecondary education and strengthen workforce talentpipelines. The position is responsible for ensuring that academicpathways are strategically aligned with workforce priorities,transfer opportunities, Board of Regents requirements, LCTCpolicies, and institutional strategic goals.

The Director oversees all operational aspects of BRCC's EarlyCollege Academy and Dual Enrollment, including pathway development,enrollment management, student progression, academic quality, dataanalysis, partnership development,

compliance, and continuous improvement. The Director directlysupervises the Dual Enrollment Navigator team and ensures a highlycoordinated, student-centered support model that promotespersistence, credential attainment, and seamless transition topostsecondary education.

Key Responsibilities

40% Strategic Leadership and Early College Academy Administration

• Provides strategic leadership, vision, planning,implementation, and continuous improvement for BRCC's Early CollegeAcademy, Dual Enrollment, and secondary partnershipinitiatives.
• Leads the development and expansion of Early College Academymodels that support high school students in earning associatedegrees, technical diplomas, certificates, and industry-basedcredentials concurrent with high school graduation.
• Directs the operational management of one of the College'slargest enrollment initiatives, serving more than 2,000 dualenrollment and Early College students annually.
• Develops long-range strategic plans, annual goals, performancemetrics, and enrollment targets aligned with institutionalpriorities and regional workforce needs.
• Ensures compliance with Louisiana Board of Regents, LouisianaCommunity and Technical College System, accreditation standards,institutional policies, and applicable federal and stateregulations.
• Oversees pathway design, curriculum sequencing, coursescheduling, instructional capacity planning, and credential mappingto maximize student completion and efficient progression.
• Collaborates with Academic Affairs, Student Development,Enrollment Services, Institutional Effectiveness, Financial Aid,Workforce Development, and instructional divisions to ensureseamless student experiences.
• Develops and evaluates policies, procedures, operationalguidelines, and quality assurance measures supporting Early CollegeAcademy operations.
• Monitors enrollment, persistence, completion, associate degreeattainment, industry-based credential completion, transferoutcomes, and return-on-investment measures using institutionaldata to drive continuous improvement.

30% Partnership Development, Program Expansion, and Stakeholder Engagement

• Serves as the College's senior representative for Early CollegeAcademy and Dual Enrollment partnerships with school districts,charter schools, private schools, state agencies, and communityorganizations.
• Develops and maintains executive-level relationships withsuperintendents, principals, counselors, district leadership, andother educational stakeholders.
• Leads negotiations and implementation of partnershipagreements, memoranda of understanding, and collaborativeinitiatives supporting student success.
• Identifies opportunities for expansion into new schooldistricts, career pathways, workforce sectors, and underservedpopulations.
• Collaborates with academic divisions to develop innovativedegree pathways aligned with transfer institutions and regionalworkforce demands.
• Works with Marketing and Public Relations to promote EarlyCollege Academy opportunities through strategic communications,recruitment events, presentations, publications, and digitalmedia.
• Represents BRCC at local, regional, and statewide meetingsrelated to dual enrollment, college access, career pathways, andworkforce development.

25% Leadership, Personnel Management, and Student Success

• Provides leadership, supervision, coaching, and performancemanagement for the Dual Enrollment Navigator team.
• Establishes performance expectations, monitors outcomes, andpromotes a culture of exceptional customer service, accountability,continuous improvement, and student success.
• Oversees implementation of BRCC's Navigator model within theEarly College Academy, ensuring proactive advising, pathwaycoaching, and personalized student support.
• Collaborates with Navigators to monitor student progressiontoward associate degrees, industry-based credentials, certificates,and technical diplomas.
• Reviews enrollment, retention, persistence, completion, andcredential attainment data to identify intervention opportunitiesand improve student outcomes.
• Coordinates professional development and ongoing training forNavigators, counselors, instructors, and school partners.
• Supports recruitment, onboarding, credential verification, andorientation of dual enrollment instructors.
• Develops reporting mechanisms and executive dashboards thatinform institutional leadership regarding program effectiveness andstrategic decision-making.

5% Other Duties as Assigned

• Help Performs other duties consistent with the responsibilitiesof the position.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

• Master’s degree in Education or a related field required.

Experience

• 2 years of related professional experience working in a collegeor high school setting.

Experience Substitution:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education or a related field accepted withan additional 3 years of the specified experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

Advanced:

• Strong listening, interpersonal, and communication (oral andwritten) skills
• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, setpriorities, and meet deadlines
• Knowledge of high school dual credit requirements andsecondary-post secondary articulation
• Understanding of the open-door admissions policy and philosophyof a comprehensive community college
• Knowledge of distance education and hybrid learningenvironments
• Knowledge of the educational needs of diverse populations
• Knowledge of state regulations for Dual Credit, DualEnrollment, and Early High School; Americans with Disabilities Act(ADA) compliance standards, and the Federal Education Right toPrivacy Act (FERPA)
• Knowledge of formulation of transfer and articulationagreements and MOUs within high school and collegeenvironments

Proficient:

• Computer skills
• Ability to stay abreast of current and developing trends(video, voice, data, and computing technologies)
• Enthusiasm and the ability to thrive in an atmosphere ofconstant change

Preferred Experience

• 5+ years of Dual Enrollment experience.

Benefits:As a member of the LouisianaCommunity and Technical College System,BRCC has an attractivebenefits package with a wide variety of benefit options. Benefitsoffered include retirement, multiple medical insurance options,supplemental insurances (dental, term life, disability, accident,vision, etc.), Tax Saver Flexible Benefits Plan (saves tax dollarson some childcare and medical expenses), holidays (14 per year,typically includes longer break at Christmas), generous annual(vacation) and sick leave benefits and Employee Assistance Program.Specific benefits depend on job category, percent effort, andlength of employment.

Why Join BRCC?

Baton Rouge Community College offers a collaborative workenvironment, a commitment to employee development, and theopportunity to support the mission of student success throughstrong institutional operations.

Passing pre-employment criminal background screen isrequired as a condition of employment.