Dean of Workforce, Technical & Professional Education

Jackson College; Jackson (MI); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

The Dean at Jackson College provides academic and administrative leadership for assigned instructional pathways and departments. Responsibilities include program quality, planning, resource management, faculty leadership, and ensuring curriculum and assessment support student success aligned with TCSS.

The Dean collaborates with College leaders to advance access, retention, completion, and transfer/workforce outcomes, upholding the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS as operating expectations for

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required; earned doctorate preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years of leadership in higher education, including supervision of faculty and staff.
• Experience overseeing Trades programs (HVAC, electrician, welding, manufacturing) preferred.
• Experience in academic planning, budgeting, program evaluation, and outcomes assessment.

Responsibilities

• Provide academic leadership for assigned pathways and departments.
• Lead and evaluate faculty and staff; ensure alignment with Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS.
• Oversee budgeting, resource planning, and compliance across programs.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to advance student access, success, and transfer outcomes.
• Uphold accreditation, licensing, and regulatory expectations across assigned areas.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Data analysis

Communication

Equity

Project management

Instructional technology

Education

Master’s degree

Doctorate preferred

Tools

Instructional tech systems

Job description

POSITION SUMMARY

The Dean provides academic and administrative leadership for assigned instructional pathways and departments. Responsibilities include program quality and effectiveness, academic planning, resource management, faculty leadership and development, and ensuring that curriculum, assessment, and student success efforts align with the College’s strategic priorities. The Dean represents assigned areas internally and externally and collaborates with college colleagues to support student access, retention, completion, and transfer/workforce outcomes. The Dean sets and reinforces clear expectations that all instructional teams and related processes align with Jackson College’s Maroon & Gold Standards and the Total Commitment to Student Success (TCSS) principles.

Description

The Dean provides academic and administrative leadership for assigned instructional pathways and departments. Responsibilities include program quality and effectiveness, academic planning, resource management, faculty leadership and development, and ensuring that curriculum, assessment, and student success efforts align with the College’s strategic priorities. The Dean represents assigned areas internally and externally and collaborates with college colleagues to support student access, retention, completion, and transfer/workforce outcomes. The Dean sets and reinforces clear expectations that all instructional teams and related processes align with Jackson College’s Maroon & Gold Standards and the Total Commitment to Student Success (TCSS) principles.

Essential Functions

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Leadership and strategic direction
• Serve as a member of the Chief Academic Officer’s Academic Leadership Team and contribute to college-wide planning, policy development, and innovation.
• Provide leadership for assigned instructional pathways and related departments, supporting alignment with institutional goals and community needs.
• Collaborate with peer deans and campus leaders to ensure consistent academic standards, equitable student outcomes, and coordinated operations.
• Lead and/or support committees, task forces, and special projects as assigned.
• Maintain professional currency through ongoing development and appropriate regional/national engagement.
• Establish and reinforce the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS principles as the operating expectations for faculty and staff work, including course design, instruction, assessment, and improvement.
• Lead with a student-success-first mindset by ensuring department goals, meeting agendas, professional development plans, and resource decisions visibly connect to TCSS priorities and measurable student outcomes.
• Model and expect a culture of care and accountability: high expectations for students, timely support, clear communication, and consistent follow-through.
• Academic planning, program quality, and continuous improvement
• Provide oversight for program development, modification, and evaluation using transfer expectations, workforce/community needs, and student success data as appropriate.
• Lead and support curriculum development and review processes in collaboration with faculty, department chairs/program directors, and instructional support units.
• Ensure programs and courses meet applicable accreditation, licensing, certification, and regulatory expectations and that public-facing documentation is current and accurate.
• Participate in development, execution, and evaluation of the Academic Master Plan for assigned areas.
• Implement outcomes assessment practices that promote instructional effectiveness and continuous improvement.
• Ensure every program and course demonstrates alignment to the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS principles through documented practices (clear outcomes, intentional student engagement, and timely feedback).
• Set expectations that student learning outcomes assessment is routine, meaningful, and used for improvement (closing the loop), with results communicated and incorporated into curriculum and teaching refinements.
• Monitor course success, retention, completion, and equity gaps; require action plans to address barriers and improve outcomes in alignment with TCSS.
• Promote evidence-based instruction and assessment methods that emphasize application of learning, academic integrity, and authentic demonstrations of competency.
• Faculty and staff leadership
• Recruit, select, onboard, mentor, and support a highly qualified and diverse faculty and staff in collaboration with Human Resources and academic leadership processes.
• Supervise and evaluate assigned faculty and staff; promote a collaborative culture focused on teaching excellence, student success, and accountability.
• Ensure appropriate faculty evaluation, professional development, promotion/advancement processes, and compliance with applicable collective bargaining agreements and related procedures.
• Support faculty in curriculum implementation and outcomes assessment, including appropriate use of instructional technologies and evidence-based teaching practices.
• Communicate and operationalize common expectations for faculty performance grounded in the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS (engagement, responsiveness to students, academic rigor, inclusive practices, and consistent use of college systems).
• Ensure onboarding, mentoring, and professional development for full-time and adjunct faculty explicitly include the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS expectations, with coaching and follow-up to support consistent implementation.
• Incorporate Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS-aligned indicators into goal setting, observation feedback, and annual evaluation processes, consistent with contract and college procedures.
• Student success, engagement, and academic operations
• Partner with Student Services and other college units to strengthen student access, advising, retention, completion, and transfer/workforce outcomes across modalities and locations.
• Address student concerns and complaints in a timely, fair, and student-centered manner, collaborating with faculty and leaders as appropriate.
• Ensure adequate staffing and scheduling to deliver assigned courses and programs effectively each term, including planning for full-time/adjunct capacity.
• Coordinate admissions/program entry processes for restricted or selective programs as applicable.
• Partner with Student Services to ensure TCSS-aligned supports are integrated into the student experience (early alert, advising collaboration, tutoring, accessibility resources, and retention interventions).
• Expect predictable, student-centered instructional practices that reflect Maroon & Gold Standards (clear course structure, timely grading and feedback, and consistent communication).
• Use scheduling, modality planning, and staffing decisions to improve access and completion while maintaining instructional quality consistent with Maroon & Gold Standards.
• Ensure student concerns are addressed in a student-centered manner that reflects TCSS values while upholding academic standards and due process.
• Budget, resource, and compliance management
• Develop and manage the annual budget for assigned areas and ensure responsible stewardship of resources.
• Collaborate on budgeting, purchasing, facilities/equipment planning, and resource prioritization.
• Use data to support required reporting tied to grants or categorical funding when applicable.
• Support institutional compliance expectations relevant to assigned areas, including accreditation and applicable federal/state regulations.
• Prioritize resources that directly strengthen TCSS outcomes and Maroon & Gold instructional expectations (faculty development, instructional support, learning resources, tutoring integration, and teaching/learning technology).
• Use data to justify resource requests and evaluate whether investments improved student learning, course success, retention, and completion.
• Community and partnership engagement
• Represent assigned programs to external stakeholders, including employers, advisory bodies, transfer partners, K-12 partners, community organizations, and governmental/regulatory bodies.
• Develop and sustain partnerships that strengthen program relevance, work-based learning, transfer pathways, and community impact.
• Represent Jackson College’s commitment to the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS in external partnerships, reinforcing expectations for program relevance, quality, and student success outcomes.

Supervisory Responsibilities

Supervises assigned faculty, department chairs/program directors (as applicable), and support staff. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with College policy and applicable laws, including hiring recommendations, training, work assignment, performance evaluation, coaching, and progressive discipline as appropriate.

CONTACTS AND PURPOSE OF CONTACTS

Internal: Students, faculty, department chairs/program directors, staff, and administrators to coordinate academic operations, student success, compliance, and continuous improvement.

External: Employers, advisory committee members, transfer partners, K-12 partners, community organizations, governmental/regulatory bodies, and accrediting agencies to support program quality, alignment, and partnership outcomes.

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATIONS

• Demonstrates consistent leadership behaviors that advance the Maroon & Gold Standards and TCSS across assigned areas.
• Uses student success and learning data to drive decisions and holds teams accountable for improvement plans and results.
• Ensures instructional quality is consistent across sections, modalities, and locations (including adjunct-delivered sections).
• Promotes a culture where student engagement, academic integrity, and high-quality feedback are standard practice.
• Actively reduces barriers and addresses equity gaps through targeted, measurable interventions.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Education And Experience

• Master’s degree required; earned doctorate preferred.
• Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible leadership experience in higher education, including supervision of faculty and/or academic staff.
• Experience overseeing Trades programs. Experience with building construction programs like HVAC, electrician, welding and manufacturing strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in academic planning, budgeting, program evaluation, and outcomes assessment.
• Demonstrated ability to lead academic teams using institution-wide expectations and student success frameworks, translating them into measurable practices, coaching, and outcomes.

Skills And Attributes

• Demonstrated leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills; ability to build trust and maintain productive working relationships.
• Ability to analyze data, set priorities, and manage multiple projects to completion.
• Commitment to a culture of continuous improvement, equity, and student-centered decision-making.
• Proficiency with common administrative and instructional technology systems and the ability to support effective technology adoption.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Ability to perform essential functions with or without reasonable accommodation, including occasional lifting of light materials and the ability to move across campus locations.
• Ability to work at a computer for extended periods and participate in meetings, presentations, and events.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Work is primarily performed in an office and instructional environment with regular interaction with students, employees, and community partners.
• Occasional evening and weekend work and local/regional travel may be required.

Supplemental Information

The Jackson College Nepotism policy prohibits hiring of a relative or someone with a familial relationship to work in the same instructional department, office or administrative unit of the College including spouse, child, stepchild, parent, stepparent or sibling of the employee or spouse, aunt, uncle, niece/nephew, grandparent, grandchild, and members of the same household including domestic partner.

The College reserves the right to request proof of degree or certification at a later date, if these documents are required as part of the qualifications for the position.

Final candidates will be subject to a criminal background as part of the employment process.

If selected you will be required to complete the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Employment Eligibility Verification form I-9 and provide documentation verifying identity and eligibility to work in the United States. Jackson College is NOT able to support Visa applications for employment at the college. Applicants must already be eligible to work in the United States to be considered.

Applicants with disabilities may request accommodation to complete the application and interview process. Please notify Human Resources at least three (3) working days prior to the date of need.

A copy of Jackson College's Annual Security Report and Annual Fire Safety Report is available on the JC Campus Safety & Security website. The security report contains crime statistics for the previous three years for all of our campus locations and the annual fire safety report, which contains statistics for any reported fires in campus housing units and fire safety systems. Additionally, the report contains policies, available resources and information concerning personal safety, fire safety and reporting procedures for both crimes and fires.

Applicants have rights under Federal employment laws . Jackson College is an Equal Opportunity Employer that actively supports workforce diversity.