Campus Democracy Programs Lead

WU Wesleyan University; United States; On-site; USD 63,000 - 74,000; Full time

Job summary

Wesleyan University, housed within the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life, seeks a Program Manager to launch and implement the DEMOCRACY250 initiative. The role focuses on preparing students to support democratic institutions during civic strain and to work with election administrators, civic organizations, and community partners.

The Program Manager will supervise the kickoff year, coordinate partnerships and student recruitment, and ensure nonpartisan civic engagement and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, public administration, higher education, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• Minimum of five years of program management and civic engagement experience.
• Experience planning, implementing, or evaluating programs with outcomes tracking.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with partner organizations and stakeholders.
• Strong communications skills for reports and program materials.

Responsibilities

• Lead the planning, design, and implementation of DEMOCRACY250 programming and student engagement initiatives.
• Develop and oversee the Democracy Stewards corps, including recruitment and onboarding.
• Collaborate with faculty leadership and external partners to design training modules on democratic institutions and civic participation.
• Oversee program timelines, communications, and campus/partner coordination; monitor expenditures and budgets.
• Cultivate and manage partnerships with universities and civic organizations.
• Coordinate student placements with civic/election-adjacent organizations; design training sessions and program events.
• Educate students on standards of nonpartisan engagement and professional conduct; supervise the Program Fellow.
• Prepare reports and evaluations for university leadership and external partners.

Skills

Program management

Stakeholder relations

Communication skills

Project coordination

Time management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in public policy/public administration/political science or related field

Master’s degree in related field (preferred)

Job description

Wesleyan University, housed within the Allbritton Center for the Study of Public Life, seeks a Program Manager to launch and implement the DEMOCRACY250 initiative. The role focuses on preparing students to support democratic institutions during civic strain and to work with election administrators, civic organizations, and community partners.

The Program Manager will supervise the kickoff year, coordinate partnerships and student recruitment, and ensure nonpartisan civic engagement and