Senior Executive Director, Learning Innovation & Industry Engagement

University of California, Los Angeles; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) seeks a Senior Executive Director to lead the Master of Quantitative Economics (MQE) program. You will guide industry partnerships, experiential learning, and graduate career development while aligning academic priorities with external partnerships.

You will supervise staff, manage budgets, and coordinate with faculty, the Dean; Office, and employers to advance curriculum delivery and outcomes. A PhD and strong leadership are required.

Qualifications

• Minimum of ten years of professional experience managing academic or professional programs in higher education or comparable environment.
• Strong management and supervisory experience to hire, train, oversee and evaluate staff; provide guidance and leadership.
• Knowledge of industry sectors with established relationships to support student recruitment.
• Ability to design and implement engagement strategies and partnerships that support program priorities.
• Ability to cultivate and leverage alumni relationships to enhance program engagement.
• Excellent strategic planning, leadership and vision to achieve goals.
• Knowledge of trends in quantitative economics, AI, data science, and graduate education.
• Experience in project management including launching new projects and setting priorities.
• Strong verbal and written communication for persuasive presentations to senior leaders and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated skill in financial management to allocate resources effectively.
• Extensive experience in program development, student engagement, or career-oriented programming.
• Knowledge of learning design principles and user-centered design.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic leadership for the MQE program and related initiatives.
• Oversee planning, administration, and growth with supervision and staff.
• Manage budget, resources, and personnel for program success.
• Lead employer engagement, experiential learning, and career development.
• Develop partnerships with academia and industry to enhance opportunities.
• Represent the division to external partners and alumni networks.
• Ensure curriculum delivery and outcomes align with strategic goals.
• Coordinate with faculty leadership and campus partners to drive growth.
• Monitor program assessment and adapt initiatives for sustainability.

Skills

Program management

Supervisory leadership

Industry engagement

Alumni engagement

Strategic planning

Trend analysis

Communication

Financial management

Learning design

Project management

Data interpretation

Education

PhD Terminal degree in education, economics, business or related field

Tools

Salesforce

Slate CRM systems

Job description

Department Summary

UCLA’s Economics Department has two interlocking objectives. We conduct cutting edge research by developing new methodologies and applying them to understand society’s most critical issues. We also seek to train the next generation of economic leaders in the private sector, government and academia. UCLA is one of the top-ranked economics departments in the world. We have a young and active faculty whose research is shaping policy and informing the public on critical issues affecting the United States and the world. Our work covers a diversity of topics such as the origins and persistence of the Great Depression and its lessons for today’s economy, the relationship between education and health outcomes, cartels and antitrust policy, the economics of health care, and the impact of immigration on labor markets. Many of our faculty have received special recognition for their body of research by election to prestigious institutions such as the National Academy of Science, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, and the Econometric Society, or have received such celebrated awards such as the Guggenheim and Sloan Fellowships. Our undergraduates are equally impressive. They are among the brightest students on campus and consistently go on to find success in the job market and in graduate school. We have approximately 3300 majors at any one time making us the largest among major economics departments across the country and the largest major on campus. Our students come from over 60 countries around the world yet the majority call California their home. Many of our students are the first in their families to attend college and we are proud of them and their accomplishments. Our Alumni play important roles in business, entertainment, and academia. We are proud that many maintain strong ties with UCLA and with the Economics department. Our students attend business schools, law school, medical schools, and graduate schools in a variety of disciplines.

Position Summary

Under the general direction of the Dean of Social Sciences and the Faculty Director of the Master of Quantitative Economics (MQE) program, the Senior Executive Director, provides strategic leadership for the Master of Quantitative Economics (MQE) program and division-wide initiatives in industry engagement, experiential learning, and graduate career development. The incumbent independently leads the planning, administration, continuous improvement, and long-term growth of the MQE program through subordinate supervisors and professional staff, ensuring the successful integration of academic priorities, employer engagement, student success, operational excellence, and strategic partnerships. The Senior Executive Director is accountable for the strategic and operational success of the MQE program, including organizational leadership, budget and resource stewardship, personnel management, marketing and communications, technology systems, program assessment, and the development of collaborative partnerships that support innovation, program growth, and long-term sustainability. Working in close partnership with faculty leadership, the Dean's Office, campus partners, employers, alumni, advisory boards, and external stakeholders, the incumbent develops and implements initiatives that strengthen curriculum delivery, experiential learning, graduate career outcomes, and the program's reputation and competitiveness. The position exercises a high degree of independent judgment in establishing organizational priorities, directing subordinate supervisors and professional staff, allocating financial and human resources, developing strategic partnerships, and resolving complex administrative and operational issues. The incumbent serves as the principal liaison between the Division of Social Sciences and external organizations, cultivating relationships that expand internships, applied learning opportunities, industry collaborations, employer engagement, and career pathways

Salary & Compensation

UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.

Qualifications

• Program management Minimum of ten years of professional experience managing academic or professional programs in a higher education or comparable environment. (Required)
• Supervisory experience Strong management and supervisory experience to hire, train, oversee and evaluate staff; provide guidance and leadership. (Required)
• Industry engagement Knowledge of relevant industry sectors, with established relationships and demonstrated ability to build and sustain partnerships with employers and external organizations to support student recruitme (Required)
• Industry engagement Demonstrated ability to design and implement innovative programs and engagement strategies and success cultivating partnerships that generate support for programmatic and divisional priorities. (Required)
• Alumni engagement Demonstrated ability to cultivate, maintain, and strategically leverage alumni relationships to enhance program engagement, support student success, and expand career pathways. (Required)
• Strategic planning Excellent strategic planning, leadership and visionary skills to develop, implement, and attain short and long-term goals and objectives. (Required)
• Trend analysis Working knowledge of current trends in quantitative economics, artificial intelligence, data science, and graduate education, with the ability to apply this knowledge to inform program development and (Required)
• Project management Strong experience in project management including developing and launching new projects, setting priorities and goals, developing operation plans, analyzing problems, determining solutions, meeting de (Required)
• Communication Effective verbal communication and presentation skills for making persuasive oral presentations to senior leaders, internal and external constituencies, employers, donors, alumni as well as current an (Required)
• Financial management Demonstrated skill in financial management, budgeting, and control in order to allocate resources effectively. (Required)
• Career Development Extensive experience in program development, student engagement, or career-oriented programming (Required)
• Learning Design Demonstrated knowledge of or experience with learning design or human-centered design principles. (Required)
• Extensive knowledge of and/or ability to quickly and thoroughly understand the changing higher education landscape in relation to all aspects of the University’s mission, long-term objectives and key strategic plans. (Required)
• Advanced knowledge of academic program management, including curriculum coordination and student services. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain partnerships across academia and industry. (Required)
• Strong strategic thinking skills aligned with the ability to make decisions, be resourceful, implement and follow through. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to serve different audiences, including alumni, students, faculty, and staff and to work to build consensus among team members; ability to work with multiple constituents, including an understanding of navigating complex audiences. (Required)
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, Salesforce and Slate CRM systems, and data management tools, with demonstrated experience leveraging web and digital technologies to support program operations, stakeholder engagement, and strategic analysis. (Required)
• Well-developed interpersonal skills to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships, interact effectively and diplomatically with a wide variety of internal and external constituents. (Required)
• Ability to analyze data and use insights to inform decision-making and program improvements. (Required)
• Superior analytical abilities and critical thinking skills to define problems and meet objectives; identify relevant factors and concerns; and recognize alternatives and their implications. (Required)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; persuasive, influential and an active listener. (Required)
• Political acumen, tact and mature judgement; impeccable integrity with ability to handle confidential matters in a discreet manner. (Required)
• Detail-oriented, goal-oriented, well organized and focused, with a high level of initiative and energy. (Required)

Education, Licenses, Certifications & Personal Affiliations

• PhD Terminal degree in education, economics, business or related field and/or equivalent experience/training (Required)

Special Conditions for Employment

• Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.
• Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.
• Age Requirement: Candidate(s) must be 18 years or older to be eligible to be hired.
• Ability to work evenings and/or weekends as needed. (Required)
• 10% Represent the division and program at in-person external meetings, events, and professional forums required for industry engagement

Schedule

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m

Union/Policy Covered

99-Policy Covered

Complete Position Description

https://universityofcalifornia.marketpayjobs.com/ShowJob.aspx?EntityID=38&JDName=Academic%20Program%20Manager%201%20(TBD_941521)