Executive Director, State Board of Higher Education

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; Harrisburg (Dauphin County); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's State Board of Higher Education seeks an energetic Executive Director to provide direction, coordination and support for Pennsylvania's postsecondary sector and drive the 2026 strategic plan, Driving a Prosperous Pennsylvania.

You will lead a team, serve as primary spokesperson, build relationships across higher education, workforce development, government, and K-12, and guide enrollment, attainment and affordability initiatives.

Qualifications

• The successful candidate will have a minimum of ten years of executive-level experience in roles related to higher education, including from a workforce or a state policy perspective, with expertise and direct experience in or sustained exposure to state higher education policy.

Responsibilities

• Lead the board's direction and coordination to strengthen Pennsylvania's postsecondary sector.
• Provide postsecondary expertise and guidance to the Board and stakeholders and ensure implementation of the 2026 strategic plan.
• Build and maintain relationships with leaders from higher education, workforce development, government, and K-12 sectors; communicate publicly as the board's spokesperson.

Job description

The Pennsylvania State Board of Higher Education is seeking an energetic and forward-thinking leader eager to provide the direction, coordination and support needed to strengthen the Commonwealth’s postsecondary sector and position it as a world-class engine of economic prosperity. As the Executive Director to a deeply engaged 21-member board, you will serve as its primary representative and spokesperson, provide postsecondary expertise and guidance to the Board and other stakeholders, and ensure the implementation of the Board’s 2026 higher education strategic plan, Driving a Prosperous Pennsylvania.

The Executive Director of this policy-focused coordinating board will support the board with a team of talented staff to provide robust data and analysis, lead cross-sector efforts to strengthen the connections between higher education and workforce development, and recommend strategies for improving postsecondary enrollment, attainment, and affordability, and transparency. Because higher education intersects with so many sectors of the Commonwealth, the Executive Director will need to create and maintain strong and effective relationships across a broad range of stakeholders, including leaders from every type of postsecondary institution in Pennsylvania, economic and workforce development, the employment sector, the administration and General Assembly, and the k-12 sector.

Work Schedule and Additional Information:

• Full-time employment
• Work hours are 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday - Friday, with a 60-minute lunch.
• Telework:You may have the opportunity to work from home (telework) part-time. You will report to Harrisburg 3 days per week. In order to telework, you must have a securely configured high-speed internet connection and work from an approved location inside Pennsylvania. If you are unable to telework, you will have the option to report to the headquarters office in Harrisburg. The ability to telework is subject to change at any time. Additional details may be provided during the interview.
• You will receive further communication regarding this position via email. Check your email, including spam/junk folders, for these notices.

QUALIFICATIONS

• The successful candidate will have a minimum of ten years of executive-level experience in roles related to higher education, including from a workforce or a state policy perspective, with expertise and direct experience in or sustained exposure to state higher education policy.

Additional Requirements:

• You must have the ability to anticipate and proactively develop strategies for responding to potential or emerging challenges or opportunities.
• You must demonstrate capacity to set and achieve complex goals.
• You must have excellent interpersonal skills.
• You must have the ability to work collaboratively across diverse stakeholder groups.
• You must have strong written and oral communication skills and the capacity to speak publicly to large groups.
• You must be able to perform essential job functions.

Preferred Qualifications (not required):

• An understanding of Pennsylvania’s postsecondary sector is beneficial but not required.

Veterans:

• Pennsylvania law (51 Pa. C.S. §7103) provides employment preference for qualified veterans for appointment to many state and local government jobs. To learn more about employment preferences for veterans, go to www.pa.gov/agencies/employment/how-to-apply.html and click on Veterans.

Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS):

• 711 (hearing and speech disabilities or other individuals).

If you are contacted for an interview and need accommodations due to a disability, please discuss your request for accommodations with the interviewer in advance of your interview date.

The Commonwealth is an equal employment opportunity employer and is committed to a diverse workforce. The Commonwealth values inclusion as we seek to recruit, develop, and retain the most qualified people to serve the citizens of Pennsylvania. The Commonwealth does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, ancestry, union membership, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, AIDS or HIV status, disability, or any other categories protected by applicable federal or state law. All diverse candidates are encouraged to apply.