Director of Administration (Program Manager II) #2710

State of South Carolina; South Carolina; On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of South Carolina's Division of Economic Development seeks a Director of Administration who will lead daily operations supporting continuing education, apprenticeships, contract training, workforce development, and student engagement.

The role provides strategic leadership for administrative functions, data management, reporting compliance, customer service operations, workforce partnerships, and budgeting.

Qualifications

• Requires bachelor's degree and relevant program management experience.
• Experience in higher education, workforce development, or public-sector administration is preferred.
• Experience supervising professional and administrative staff and managing operational data.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight for administrative operations within the Division of Economic Development, aligning objectives with college goals.
• Supervise staff, set departmental goals and performance measures, and foster a culture of customer service excellence.

Skills

Project management

Leadership

Organizational skills

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Enterprise information systems

Job description

Reporting to the Vice President of Economic Development, the Director of Administration serves as the division's principal administrative leader, overseeing daily operations that support continuing education, apprenticeship, contract training, workforce development, and student engagement initiatives. The position provides strategic leadership for administrative functions, data management, reporting compliance, customer service operations, workforce partnerships, and departmental budgeting. The Director works collaboratively with college leadership, external agencies, community organizations, employers, and educational partners to ensure efficient operations, regulatory compliance, and exceptional service to students, employers, and stakeholders. Responsibilities include supervising staff, leading process improvement initiatives, supporting workforce development programs, analyzing operational data, and advancing the division's strategic goals.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight for administrative operations within the Division of Economic Development, ensuring alignment with departmental, divisional, and college objectives.

• Supervise and develop staff, establish departmental goals and performance measures, and foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, and customer service excellence.

• Direct registration and administrative processes supporting continuing education programs, apprenticeships, contract training initiatives, and other workforce development activities.

• Oversee division-wide data management and reporting functions, ensuring compliance with college, state, grant, apprenticeship, and workforce development reporting requirements, including CERS and WIOA-related reporting.

• Analyze operational and programmatic data to identify trends, improve effectiveness and efficiency, and provide recommendations to divisional leadership for strategic decision-making.

• Lead the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of policies, procedures, workflows, performance metrics, and staff training programs to enhance operational effectiveness and student service delivery.

• Serve as a primary liaison with workforce development agencies and community partners, including SC Works, Goodwill, Trident United Way, K-12 partners, employers, and other stakeholder groups, to strengthen workforce pathways and student engagement opportunities.

• Support grant implementation, workforce initiatives, and employer engagement efforts that advance the division's mission and strategic priorities.

• Manage departmental budgets and ensure compliance with institutional procurement, financial, and operational policies and procedures.

• Promote exceptional customer service through all communication channels, including in-person interactions, telephone, email, marketing, and outreach activities.

This position requires a bachelor's degree and relevant program management experience.

Preference will be given to candidates with:

• Experience in higher education, workforce development, continuing education, economic development, or public-sector administration.
• Experience supervising professional and administrative staff.
• Experience with state, federal, workforce development, apprenticeship, grant, or compliance reporting requirements.
• Experience managing operational data, conducting data analysis, and preparing reports for leadership and external agencies.
• Experience developing and implementing policies, procedures, process improvements, and performance metrics.
• Experience collaborating with employers, community organizations, workforce agencies, and educational partners.
• Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and enterprise information systems.
• Strong project management, organizational, communication, and leadership skills.

Occasional evening and extended hours may be required during peak operational periods. The position requires travel to all college campuses and other business-related sites, with occasional overnight travel.