Director, Special Programs

Santa Monica College; Santa Monica (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 174,000; Full time

Job summary

Santa Monica College seeks a Director of Special Programs to lead EOP&S, CARE, CalWORKs, Pico Partnership, Dream, and Rising programs. You will guide policy, ensure compliance, and support underrepresented students with strong budgeting, staffing, and cross‑department collaboration.

The role requires a Master’s degree, executive leadership, and experience in community college settings; emphasis on equity, inclusion, and program evaluation is central.

Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university.
• One year of formal training, internship or leadership experience reasonably related to the administrative assignment.
• Sensitivity to and understanding of diverse socio-economic, academic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students.

Responsibilities

• Monitor student progress and implement interventions to support academic success.
• Hire, train, and supervise faculty, staff, and student workers.
• Develop and manage program budgets and allocate resources.
• Oversee scheduling across all academic sessions.
• Ensure compliance with enrollment and service requirements from state, county, and federal agencies.
• Maintain documentation for student eligibility and service access.
• Oversee data entry and reporting for the programs.
• Communicate program needs to the college community.
• Collaborate with community agencies to support disadvantaged students.
• Attend meetings and trainings; participate in program evaluations.

Skills

Administrative leadership

Regulatory knowledge (EOP&S, CARE, Cal

Student equity & inclusion

Effective communication across diverse

Education

Master's degree

Job description

Director, Special Programs

Santa Monica College

Salary: $150,211.00 - $174,133.00 Annually

Job Type: Academic Administrator

Job Number: 00336

Location: 1900 Pico Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90405, CA

Closing: 10/5/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Job Duties

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND DIVERSITY

With the goal of ensuring the equal educational opportunity of all students, Santa Monica College embraces diversity among students, faculty, staff, and the communities we serve as an integral part of our history, a recognition of the complexity of our present state, and a call to action for a better future. Embracing diversity means that we must intentionally practice equity and respect toward one another, and understand that discrimination and prejudices create and sustain privileges for some while creating and sustaining barriers for others. In order to embrace diversity, we also acknowledge that institutional discrimination and implicit bias exist, and that our goal is to eradicate those vestiges from our system. Our commitment to diversity requires that we strive to eliminate those barriers to equity, and that we act deliberately to create a safe and positive environment where individual and group differences are valued and leveraged for our growth and understanding as an educational community. To advance the goals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice for the success of students and employees, we must honor that each individual is unique and that our individual differences contribute to the ability of the college to prepare students on their educational journeys. This requires that we develop and implement policies and procedures, encourage individual and systemic change, continually reflect on our efforts, and hold ourselves accountable for the results of our efforts in achieving our goals. We are invested as a community in cultivating and maintaining a climate where equity and mutual respect are both intrinsic and explicit by valuing individuals and groups from all backgrounds, demographics, and experiences. Individual and group differences can include, but are not limited to the following dimensions: race, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, immigration status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, religion, creed, military or veteran status, socioeconomic status, and any other basis protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance or regulation. We acknowledge that the concept of inclusion and diversity is ever-evolving, thus we create space to allow our understanding to grow through the periodic review of this statement. In service of these goals, Santa Monica College is committed to fostering an employment environment that offers equal employment opportunity for all and an educational environment that ensures the equal educational opportunity of all students.

Position Profile

Under the general direction of the Dean of Student Success and Counseling, the Director of Special Programs serves as the primary administrator responsible for the leadership, direction, and oversight of the following student support programs:

• Extended Opportunity Programs and Services (EOP&S)
• Cooperative Agencies Resources for Education (CARE)
• California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
• Pico Partnership - City Grant
• Dream Program (Supporting AB540 and Undocumented students)
• Rising Program (supporting previously incarcerated and system-impacted students)

The Director will guide policy development and implementation in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, while ensuring a high level of support for underrepresented and at-risk student populations.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

General

• Monitor student progress and implement appropriate interventions to support academic success.
• Hire, train, and supervise faculty, classified staff, and student workers.
• Develop and manage program budgets; assess staffing needs and allocate resources accordingly.
• Oversee scheduling to ensure adequate coverage across all academic sessions (fall, spring, winter intersession, and summer).
• Ensure compliance with enrollment and service requirements mandated by state, county, and federal agencies.
• Develop and maintain documentation systems for student eligibility, participation, and continued service access.
• Oversee data entry and Vision Aligned Report activities for each of the areas;
• Communicate program needs and updates to the broader college community.
• Stay informed about trends in EOPS/CARE, Dream, Rising, and CalWORKs programs to maintain professional expertise.
• Collaborate with community agencies to support educational success for disadvantaged populations.
• Participate in meetings and events relevant to assigned programs.
• Foster positive communication and collaboration with students, faculty, staff, and the public.
• Address and resolve conflicts involving students, faculty, staff, or administrators.
• Conduct program audits and oversee regular program evaluations and reviews.
• Attend local, county, and statewide trainings and meetings.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Program-Specific Responsibilities

EOP&S/CARE

• Oversee all services provided to EOP&S-eligible students.
• Develop, manage, and monitor program budgets.
• Prepare required reports and ensure compliance with federal and state mandates.
• Collaborate with compliance staff and support academic, career, and vocational counseling for program participants.

CalWORKs

• Lead and manage all aspects of the CalWORKs Program.
• Coordinate activities and services with internal and external stakeholders.
• Supervise CalWORKs counseling and support staff.
• Oversee budget preparation and community representation.
• Submit required local and state reports.
• Attend related professional development activities and trainings.

Pico Partnership (City Grant)

• Oversee all services provided to Pico Partnership-eligible students.
• Work with the Project Manager to coordinate program services and activities
• Prepare required reports and ensure compliance with local mandates.

Dream Program (AB540 & Undocumented Students)

• Coordinate services and resources for undocumented students.
• Manage and report on related grant activities and funding.
• Work with fiscal and Foundation offices to maintain program budgets.
• Partner with the Student Equity Center to provide Undocu‑Ally training and college-wide development initiatives.

Rising Program (Previously Incarcerated/System-Impacted Students)

• Manage services, programming, and support for Rising Program participants.
• Administer grant implementation and reporting requirements.
• Maintain program budget oversight in coordination with fiscal and Foundation offices.
• Collaborate with the EPI Center to offer staff/faculty training and development.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Strong administrative leadership skills and familiarity with community college environments.
• In-depth knowledge of California State regulations related to EOP&S, CARE, CalWORKs, Dream, and Rising programs.
• Deep understanding of issues affecting at-risk students and student success strategies.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills across diverse populations and stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university.
• One year of formal training, internship or leadership experience reasonably related to the administrative assignment.
• Must have sensitivity to and understanding of the diverse socio-economic, academic, cultural, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ethnic backgrounds of community college students, including those with physical and/or learning disabilities as these factors relate to differences in learning styles.

Preferred Qualifications

• Three (3) years of directly related administrative experience.

Additional Information

Academic Administrator Application Requirements

• Online District Application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Transcript

PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU ARE SELECTED FOR A FINAL INTERVIEW YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THREE (3) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION TO BE REVIEWED AS A PART OF THE FINAL PROCESS.

Diversity Statement

Recent experience working with African American, Latinx, Native American, and other racially minoritized students in the classroom; and a willingness to use culturally responsive instructional practices.

Demonstrated sensitivity to issues of diversity, and ability to motivate and teach community college students of diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, genders, cultures, and learning styles, as well as students with disabilities or varied levels of academic preparation.

Equity Statement

Santa Monica College encourages candidates that are equity-minded to apply. SMC is a minority-serving, Hispanic-serving institution. We actively seek to attract candidates from minority groups that value equity, diversity and inclusion. Equity, diversity and inclusion are built into the culture at SMC and are an essential component of the work that we do. SMC is committed to racial and socioeconomic diversity as it is a reflection of our student population and we strive to hire candidates that share this commitment.

Equal Employment Opportunity Disclosure

The Santa Monica Community College District is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity. All qualified applicants for employment, as well as District employees, shall have full and equal access to employment opportunity. No person shall be subjected to unlawful discrimination in any program or activity of the District.

The District's Board Policy 3420 (Equal Employment Opportunity) may be accessed at: http://www.smc.edu/ACG/Documents/Board_Policy_Manual/Updated%20Board%20Policies%202017/Board%20Policy%20Chapter%203.pdf (Download PDF reader)

Equivalency Statement

The Santa Monica Community College District, in its desire to select outstanding employees from the largest possible pool of qualified applicants, recognizes the fact that candidates may attain expertise in a discipline through a variety of means. Certain combinations of education, experience and other accomplishments in the field may be judged by the District as equal to the stated minimum qualifications for this position. Candidates who feel they possess such equivalent qualifications are encouraged to apply and provide appropriate documentation of their qualifications. If you are applying for the recruitment through equivalency based on work experience, you will be required to submit proof of your work history. For further details regarding equivalency criteria, please download the Equivalency Application Statement Form available at: https://www.smc.edu/administration/human-resources/employment/documents/equivalency-statement-for-application.pdf (Download PDF reader)

Conditions of Employment

Appointment is subject to verification of official transcripts, current or previous employment, tuberculosis and fingerprint clearance. Selected candidate must provide identification and work authorization. In response to significant budgetary pressures facing the institution, this position is subject to two furlough days each month.