Project Director - Developing Rural Educators Grant

Adams State University; United States; On-site; USD 52,000 - 63,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

medical

dental

vision

disability insurance

flexible spending accounts

life insurance

retirement savings plans

Job summary

Adams State University in Colorado invites visionary leaders to serve as Grant Project Director, guiding rural educator initiatives and advancing equity across the Rocky Mountain region. You will oversee grant operations, budget, compliance, and reporting to drive student success and community impact.

The role emphasizes regional partnerships, strong communication, and adaptable program management, with a focus on closing opportunity gaps in rural K-12 education and educator recruitment.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree required; terminal doctoral degree strongly preferred.
• Proven track record in grant project leadership, budget oversight, and compliance, with federal grant management experience strongly preferred.
• Experience leading regional initiatives with a demonstrated ability to cultivate strong relationships, trust, and buy-in across regional school districts and community partners.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with extensive experience in public speaking and designing strategic communication materials for diverse audiences.
• Superior organizational and prioritization skills to manage and oversee multiple complex initiatives simultaneously; high adaptability and flexibility in dynamic environments.
• Deep commitment to closing opportunity gaps and expanding college access pathways, particularly within rural K-12 education, first‑generation student empowerment, and educator recruitment and retention. Experience within postsecondary preferred.

Responsibilities

• Drive Strategic Initiatives: lead overall program operations, grant compliance, fiscal management, and reporting to meet department goals.
• Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration: build partnerships across campus and regional communities to maximize grant outreach and impact.
• Evaluate & Elevate Success: track performance metrics, optimize program activities, and advance institutional commitments to all people, places, and perspectives.

Skills

Grant leadership

Budget oversight

Stakeholder engagement

Public speaking

Program management

Strategic planning

Education

Master’s degree

Doctoral degree preferred

Job description

Position Summary

Shape the Future as Adams State University’s Next Developing Rural Educators Grant Project Director! Adams State University invites visionary, equity-minded leaders to serve as our next Grant Project Director. As a vital Grant Project Director, you will spearhead high-impact initiatives, champion student success, and foster community connections across the Rocky Mountain region.

What You Will Do

• Drive Strategic Initiatives: As Grant Project Director, you will lead overall program operations, grant compliance, fiscal management, and reporting to ensure key departmental goals are met.
• Foster Cross-Functional Collaboration: The Grant Project Director builds collaborative partnerships across campus departments and regional communities to maximize grant outreach and institutional impact.
• Evaluate & Elevate Success: Serving as Grant Project Director, you will track performance metrics, optimize program activities, and advance institutional commitments to all people, places, and perspectives.

What You Bring Education & Credentials

• Master’s degree required; terminal doctoral degree strongly preferred.
• Grant & Program Management: Proven track record in grant project leadership, budget oversight, and compliance, with federal grant management experience strongly preferred.
• Regional Leadership & Stakeholder Engagement: Experience leading regional initiatives with a demonstrated ability to cultivate strong relationships, trust, and buy-in across regional school districts and community partners.
• Communication & Public Relations: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with extensive experience in public speaking and designing strategic communication materials for diverse audiences.
• Project Execution & Adaptability: Superior organizational and prioritization skills to manage and oversee multiple complex initiatives simultaneously; high adaptability and flexibility in dynamic environments.
• Mission & Educational Impact: Deep commitment to closing opportunity gaps and expanding college access pathways, particularly within rural K-12 education, first‑generation student empowerment, and educator recruitment and retention. Experience within postsecondary preferred.

Why You’ll Love Working Here Campus & Location

Nestled in Colorado’s scenic San Luis Valley, Adams State offers unmatched outdoor access, vibrant regional culture, and a close‑knit campus community environment.

Compensation & Perks

Salary range is $52,200–62,600.

• medical
• dental
• vision
• disability insurance
• flexible spending accounts
• life insurance
• retirement savings plans

For detailed benefits information, please visit our Human Resources Benefits Page.

Inclusive Excellence

As Grant Project Director, you will embody our mission of equity, belonging, and community enrichment.

Application Priority Date: 11/16/2026

Full Job Description

Adams State University is committed to building and expanding the talent of its professional staff and actively seeks qualified applicants who bring unique perspectives, experiences, skills, and attributes that can augment the perspectives of our current faculty and staff and can contribute to serving and preparing our students to engage and thrive in their learning, leadership, and service. We strive to create a more representative workforce that mirrors the people who study, work, and lead our institution and welcome applications from candidates from all walks of life, especially members of communities who fall within state and federally protected classes such as: women, BIPOC, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, and people with disabilities. We value qualified candidates, with varied language skills, who have a record of successful experience with varied communities and student populations, and who have a deep understanding of and commitment to the unique geographical and historical characteristics of the place we are situated in and the intersecting perspectives that define our university being a low-income, first-generation, and Hispanic-serving, rural anchor university. Therefore, we seek individuals committed to intentionally supporting students and colleagues who possess these characteristics through their teaching, service, and scholarship. The successful candidate will join a campus that is dedicated to inclusive excellence and acknowledges Adams State’s purpose to foster the educational goals of its students and the well‑being of the surrounding community.

Additional information about the university and the academic mission may be found at www.adams.edu/academics/

Disclosures

In compliance with the Immigration Control Act of 1968 candidates for positions must provide proof of eligibility to work before an offer of employment can be made final. Adams State University is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for its students, faculty, staff and visitors, and to protecting its funds, property and other assets. Well-informed hiring decisions contribute to this effort. Therefore, Adams State University has adopted a policy on background screening for its prospective, continuing, and returning employees as well as students in certain circumstances. Offers of employment will be contingent upon the completion of an acceptable background check. The information received in response to a background check will be treated as confidential to the extent provided for by law.

Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and Part 106 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, including in admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and CFR 106 to Adams State University (ASU) may be directed to ASU's Office of Equal Opportunity, and/or to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights of the Department of Education. Support resources for sexual misconduct, ASU's sexual misconduct policies, contact information for the Adams State University's Office of Equal Opportunity & Title IX, as well as a detailed procedure for filing a grievance due to discrimination on the basis of sex may be found online at https://www.adams.edu/administration/oeo/reporting-sexual-harassment/. These procedures also describe the University's response to reports and/or complaints of sex discrimination or sexual harassment.

Adams State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Applications are sought from all qualified persons regardless of race, color, sex, disability, and, as covered by law, veteran status. In addition, University policies prohibit discrimination on the basis of religion, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation including transgender status and gender expression, marital status, and parental status.

Adams State University is a state-supported, regional comprehensive university located in the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado and the city of Alamosa. As the state’s premier Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and a Minority Serving Institution (MSI), over 50 percent of its undergraduate students represent racially diverse backgrounds. A high percentage of undergraduate students are first‑generation and Pell eligible. The university offers undergraduate programs in the arts and humanities, physical and natural sciences, mechanical engineering and computer science, social sciences, kinesiology, fine arts, business, and nursing, and specializes in educator preparation in several disciplines. Adams State also offers graduate degrees in cultural resource management, public administration, music education, kinesiology, higher education administration and leadership, history, business (MBA), and educator programs, including counselor education; the university also has a doctoral (PhD) program in counselor education. The university has an active athletic program. The Adams State Grizzlies athletic teams compete under the auspices of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).

Click here to learn more about Adams State and our surrounding areas.