Assistant Director - TRIO Upward Bound Programs East

Penn State University; State College (Centre County); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

Penn State University seeks an Assistant Director for the Upward Bound Programs in the Office of Educational Equity. The role focuses on planning, coordinating, assessing, and supervising academic programming for weekend academies and the six-week summer program, with oversight of full-time staff in Hazleton and Reading districts.

The position requires working independently within a framework of defined outcomes, building positive relations with staff, administrators, teachers, parents, and the

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to manage programs and staff effectively.
• Experience developing policy, procedures, and strategic plans.

Responsibilities

• Oversee hiring, training, supervision, and evaluation of Upward Bound staff.
• Develop and administer policy, procedures, and strategic planning for Upward Bound Programs.
• Formulate and manage budgets for grant projects and maintain documentation for audits.
• Coordinate with Sponsored Programs to prepare grant proposals and annual performance reports.
• Ensure compliance with federal regulations and reporting requirements.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Analytical thinking

Leadership

Grant writing

Project management

Attention to detail

Job description

POSITION SPECIFICS

Penn State's Upward Bound Programs (UBP) in the Office of Educational Equity is inviting applications for the position of Assistant Director - East . Upward Bound provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. The program provides opportunities for participants to succeed in their precollege performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits.

UBP Serves: High school students in the Hazleton, Mifflin County, Mount Union, Newport, Reading, and Steelton-Highspire School Districts who are from low-income families; and high school students from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor's degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of postsecondary education. Upward Bound Program (ed.gov)

The Assistant Director reports to the UBP Director and is responsible for the planning, coordination, assessment, and supervision of significant components of Upward Bound Programs including the academic programming for weekend academies and the residential component of the six-week summer academy. In addition, the Assistant Director has oversight responsibility for the UBP full-time staff working in the Hazleton and Reading School Districts. The Assistant Director is expected to living in or move to the Reading/Hazleton area. In addition, the Assistant Director will visit the schools weekly and work with students and UBP staff in the Hazleton and Reading School Districts.

The successful candidate works within a loosely structured framework consisting of several unique but interrelated programs with defined outcome objectives; considerable latitude is given in terms of how defined outcomes are met. Although the UBP Director sets priorities, the ideal candidate must be able to work independently and make critical decisions related to the scope of duties and responsibilities. The Assistant Director is responsible for establishing positive rapport and good lines of communication with program staff, university staff and faculty, target schoolteachers and administrators, parents, and members of the local community. This position will also take a leadership role in all areas of program assessment and evaluation including facilitating the collection of outcome results for several federal annual performance reports.

Competencies critical to success include:

• Outstanding interpersonal verbal and written communications
• Effective analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills
• Evidence of effective personnel management and leadership
• History of successful grant writing
• Accuracy and attention to detail
• The ability to handle multiple complex tasks and meet deadlines

Under the supervision of the UBP Director, the ideal candidate will have experience applicable to the following areas of responsibility covered by this position:

• Hiring, training, supervising, and evaluating UBP staff
• Developing and administering policy and procedures and directing strategic planning for Upward Bound Programs
• Formulating and administering the budget for grant projects
• Maintaining budget documentation independent of the University's against which managed budgets can be reconciled and upheld through an audit
• Ensuring managed federal projects operate in compliance with all governing legislation and regulations including: The Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008; The Code of Federal Regulations Title 34 Part 645; The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) 34 CFR Parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 86, 97, 98, 99, and the Office of Management and Budget OMB Uniform Guidance 2 CFR Part 200
• Coordinating with Penn State's Office of Sponsored Programs to prepare and submit competitive grant proposals for current and prospective funded projects
• Preparation and submission of annual performance reports to the U.S. Department of Education
• Ensuring proper collection and