Executive Director, Program Administration

Position Summary

Reporting to the Senior Vice Dean for the School of Professional Studies, who also serves as the Academic Director of the Office of Environmental Professional Programs (OEPP), the Executive Director is the senior leader responsible for the strategic and operational management of OEPP. The role oversees and leads the planning, execution, and continuous improvement of program operations, including curriculum administration, faculty and student engagement, faculty affairs, program budgeting, marketing and events, communications, admissions operations, and curricular programming.

As the principal administrative partner to the Senior Vice Dean, the Executive Director ensures alignment across academic, operational, and student-facing functions while leading an interdisciplinary portfolio of programs. The role supervises 4 Directors responsible for the MS in Sustainability Management, Sustainability Science and Biodiversity Data Analytics programs and coordinates cross-functional collaboration with the Climate School and other University offices to ensure program effectiveness, compliance, and sustainable growth. The incumbent coordinates administrative support for the Academic Directors of OEPP.

The OEPP currently supports 500+ students, 90 Adjunct faculty and 5 full-time faculty and manages a budget in excess of $9M for OEPP programs (MS in Sustainability Management, Sustainability Science and Biodiversity Data Analytics).

Responsibilities

• Partner with the Senior Vice Dean to support strategic planning, operational management, and continuous improvement of the Environmental Professional Programs (Sustainability Management, Sustainability Science, and Biodiversity Data Analytics).
• Provide leadership and guidance to faculty and administrators by proactively managing and delivering clear, timely, and University-compliant solutions across a broad range of administrative and financial matters.
• Proactively coordinate with Faculty Affairs to develop and implement policy and process guidance for OEPP and resolve administrative issues related to faculty; partner with the Senior Vice Dean to execute the faculty review process. In collaboration with Faculty Affairs, support the onboarding and hiring of faculty for the Program.
• Partner with and advise Student Affairs with career and professional development opportunities, coordinate student resources, and identify and resolve student-related issues; provide guidance to students and faculty on administrative processes; and lead efforts to coordinate services across internal and external units (University offices, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, Faculty Affairs, Finance, HR, and External Affairs) to ensure effective resource allocation and support.
• Oversee and lead the development of the Program's operational calendar and key deadlines to ensure activities are completed within established timeframes; partner with the Senior Vice Dean to plan, manage, and facilitate co-curricular events; and collaborate with internal teams to ensure activities meet established standards, timelines, and goals.
• Provide administrative oversight of curriculum management and the course development pipeline, including Committee on Instruction reviews, administration of the Program's Curriculum Committee, Capstone workshops, and updates to all student-facing materials.
• Provide leadership for program-wide scheduling and communications, including coordination with faculty, students, and industry partners, as well as support for programmatic needs (e.g., grade submissions, course materials, scheduling, room requests, and events).
• Lead strategic financial planning and forecasting for the program's administrative budget; build and manage the budget within SPS policy guidelines; and maintain overall responsibility for program-related expenses.
• Provide strategic oversight and operational execution of marketing, recruitment, and outreach initiatives in support of admissions operations; partners with the Senior Vice Dean to develop and implement the program's overall marketing strategy, recruitment plan, and outreach activities to drive enrollment outcomes.
• Supervise all staff within the Office of Environmental Professional Programs.

Performs other duties and special projects as assigned or requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree is usually required or strongly desirable
• 7 years of related experience
• A resume and cover letter must be submitted to be considered for the position

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience managing an academic program
• Demonstrated professional experience in the environmental sciences
• Master's Degree or PhD

Other Requirements

• Strong attention to detail and organizational skills are required
• Strong customer service mentality
• Ability to be flexible in a changing environment
• Strong communication skills; ability to interface at all levels in the organization
• Ability to problem solve, establish priorities, and work under pressure without supervision required

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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