Program Director, Distinguished Fellows Program

Columbia University; New York (NY); On-site; USD 120,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University seeks a Program Director for the Distinguished Fellows Program. The role requires strong administrative leadership, operations oversight, and strategic program development within the Provost’s Office.

Lead program launch, manage budgets, and coordinate with faculty, A&S leadership, and external partners to ensure academic rigor and financial health while expanding executive education offerings.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide administrative leadership for the Distinguished Fellows Program.
• Oversee day-to-day operations, budgets, and staffing.
• Collaborate with faculty and university offices to ensure academic rigor and fiscal health.
• Manage stakeholder relationships with alumni, donors, and external partners.

Skills

Executive leadership

Program development

Stakeholder management

Budget management

Operations leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

CRM

Canvas LMS

Job description

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $120,000–$140,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Columbia University seeks a strong leader to serve as Program Director for an about-to-be-launched Distinguished Fellows Program under the offices of the Vice Provost for Campus Integration and the Faculty of Arts & Sciences. The Distinguished Fellows Program would recruit elite mid- to late-career executives who are at a career transition point, providing an opportunity for intentional pause and an environment to explore what is next.

Embedded within the Provost’s Office and with close ties to A&S, the Program Director will provide administrative leadership and operational oversight for the entire Distinguished Fellows program. This is a builder role, requiring a strategic leader with a demonstrated track record of successfully developing and scaling executive education, master’s degree, or other academic or professional learning programs, including responsibility for revenue growth and program expansion.

The Program Director will play a central administrative role in launching the program, executing long-term programmatic goals, managing day-to-day operations, setting and monitoring program budgets, and ensuring an exceptional learner experience. The Program Director will collaborate closely with faculty, Provost and A&S leadership, and external partners/vendors to maintain the program's academic rigor, fiscal health, regulatory/policy compliance, and alignment with Columbia’s mission and objectives.

Responsibilities

• Operational leadership
• Implement and evaluate the program’s long-term vision and operational/financial goals.
• Hire, supervise, mentor, and evaluate staff supporting the program and its participants.
• Set tone and level of professionalism in operations and staffing for the program to meet expectations of the elite fellows the program serves.
• Develop administrative policies, operating procedures, and workflows to support efficient program operations and ensure alignment with University policies and best practices.
• Manage the program’s annual operating budget, monitor expenditures, and allocate resources efficiently.
• Develop long-range financial plans and enrollment projections; monitor program financial performance and recommend operational adjustments to ensure long-term sustainability.
• Launch all operational and virtual systems to support the program including websites, admissions platforms, marketing materials, and operational tools.
• Organize high-profile program events, including orientations, graduation ceremonies, and weekly cohort series.
• Oversee contracts, procurement, vendor relationships, and other administrative operations required to support the program, working closely with University administrative offices.
• Programmatic collaboration
• Partner with a faculty director to design, review, and continuously improve the program curriculum, including potential overseas engagements.
• Serve serve as a resource to Fellows regarding course selection.
• Manage learning management systems (e.g., Canvas) and academic technology integration/support for the program.
• Facilitate administrative/leadership program meetings, document curricular changes, and shepherd approvals.
• Serve as the primary administrative liaison to faculty leadership and relevant University offices, coordinating implementation of program decisions and ensuring appropriate academic and administrative approvals.
• Program admissions & advising
• Collaborate with Faculty Director on the admissions process to establish enrollment targets, review applications, and participate in recruitment.
• Oversee academic advising structures, Fellow retention, and manage progress toward program completion.
• Serve as the primary point of escalation for complex Fellow issues, customer satisfaction issues, and policy exceptions.
• Monitor Fellow experience and satisfaction and provide regular feedback/progress reports to Program leadership.
• Develop and monitor key program metrics related to enrollment, retention, participant outcomes, and financial performance, using data to inform continuous program improvement.
• Stakeholder engagement & communications
• Establish and maintain Distinguished Fellow marketing initiatives and advertising budget, website content, and promotional materials to enhance program visibility and drive enrollment.
• Represent the program on University committees and in cross-functional initiatives, building strong partnerships with administrative and academic units across Columbia. (e.g., CUIT, OAD).
• Support the strategy for cultivating faculty director’s and relevant University leaders’ relationships with CU alumni and donors to support potential fundraising initiatives.
• Partner with Development and Alumni Relations to identify fundraising opportunities, steward donors, and support grant and gift activities as appropriate to support the primary donor relationships with the faculty director and University leaders associated with the program.
• Ensure alignment with University policies, processes, and norms, including compliance, contracting, and academic governance requirements.
• Operate effectively within a complex, matrixed environment to foster collaboration.
• Serve as the primary administrative contact for the Distinguished Fellows Program, exercising independent judgment in resolving complex operational, financial, and administrative issues.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred.
• 7 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in executive education, graduate education, professional education, consulting, corporate learning, career education, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling executive education, graduate degree, or other academic programs in a complex organization, including responsibility for revenue growth and program expansion.
• Proven ability to cultivate and manage senior-level relationships; development experience would be a plus.
• Operational and financial acumen, with experience managing budgets, program portfolios, online admissions, CRM, and other data analysis tools.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty and academic leaders in a research-intensive university environment.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Comfort operating in a fast-moving, ambiguous, and build-phase environment.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into execution in a matrixed organization.
• Demonstrated experience leading administrative operations, including finance, personnel management, and cross-functional program administration within a complex organization.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.