Position Information
| Posting date |
05/21/2026 |
| Closing date |
|
| Open Until Filled |
Yes |
| Position Number |
1129599 |
| Position Title |
Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives |
| Hiring Range Minimum |
$182,300 |
| Hiring Range Maximum |
$225,000 |
| Union Type |
Not a Union Position |
| SEIU Level |
Not an SEIU Position |
| FLSA Status |
Exempt |
| Employment Category |
Regular Full Time |
| Scheduled Months per Year |
12 |
| Scheduled Hours per Week |
40 |
| Schedule |
|
| Location of Position |
Hanover, NH |
| Remote Work Eligibility? |
Onsite only |
| Is this a term position? |
No |
| If yes, length of term in months. |
n/a |
| Is this a grant funded position? |
No |
| Position Purpose |
Serves as the primary strategist and project leader for a portfolio of Dartmouth's strategic initiatives, including cross-institutional priorities that span operations, capital planning, governance, policy, planning, and crisis management. Simultaneously acts as a strategic liaison and coordinator across other operational initiatives-such as housing, childcare, and energy transition-that have designated owners but require cross-functional alignment. Reports directly to the Senior Vice President for Operations and Strategic Initiatives, translating senior leadership priorities into structured workplans, timelines, and deliverables. Prepares board-level materials, conducts policy research and financial analysis, and manages complex stakeholder processes that span academic, administrative, and governance constituencies. This role demands exceptional judgment, political acuity, and the ability to drive progress on sensitive institutional matters in a decentralized, consensus-oriented environment. |
| Description |
|
| Required Qualifications - Education and Yrs Exp |
Bachelors or equivalent combination of education and experience |
| Required Qualifications - Skills, Knowledge and Abilities |
- Bachelor's degree required.
- Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible experience in strategic planning, project management, policy analysis, or institutional administration, preferably in a complex organizational setting such as higher education, government, a large nonprofit, or as a consultant working on projects in those fields.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple concurrent projects with competing deadlines, translate ambiguous mandates into structured workplans, and drive initiatives to completion with minimal supervision.
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce board-quality presentations, policy briefs, and executive communications. Strong analytical skills with the capacity to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations. Proven ability to influence and collaborate across diverse constituencies in politically sensitive environments.
- Demonstrated experience managing budgets and conducting financial analysis, including the ability to build financial models, evaluate cost-benefit tradeoffs, and present data-driven recommendations to senior leadership.
|
| Preferred Qualifications |
|
| Department Contact for Recruitment Inquiries |
Campus Services HR |
| Department Contact Phone Number |
646-3323 |
| Department Contact for Cover Letter and Title |
Josh Keniston, SVP for Operations & Strategic Initiatives |
| Department Contact's Phone Number |
Josh.Keniston@dartmouth.edu |
| Equal Opportunity Employer |
Dartmouth College is an equal opportunity employer under federal law. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications are welcome from all. |
| Background Check |
Employment in this position is contingent upon consent to and successful completion of a pre-employment background check, which may include a criminal background check, reference checks, verification of work history, conduct review, and verification of any required academic credentials, licenses, and/or certifications, with results acceptable to Dartmouth College. A criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law. |
| Is driving a vehicle (e.g. Dartmouth vehicle or off road vehicle, rental car, personal car) an essential function of this job? |
Preferred, but not required |
| Special Instructions to Applicants |
Dartmouth College has a Tobacco-Free Policy. Smoking and the use of tobacco-based products (including smokeless tobacco) are prohibited in all facilities, grounds, vehicles or other areas owned, operated or occupied by Dartmouth College with no exceptions. For details, please see our policy.
https://policies.dartmouth.edu/policy/tobacco-free-policy
|
| Additional Instructions |
|
| Quick Link |
https://searchjobs.dartmouth.edu/postings/85785 |
Key Accountabilities
| Description |
Strategic Initiative Ownership and Execution
- Owns the day-to-day planning, execution, and delivery of strategic initiatives that lack a dedicated departmental owner, including cross-institutional priorities related to operations, capital planning, governance, institutional policy, investor responsibility, long-range planning, and crisis management.
- Develops and maintains structured workplans, timelines, and accountability frameworks for each initiative, ensuring consistent forward progress and clear reporting to the SVP and Board of Trustees as needed.
- Conducts research, analysis, and benchmarking to inform institutional decision-making on complex policy questions, producing white papers, briefing documents, and board-ready presentations.
- Advances Dartmouth's thought leadership positioning in higher education by identifying emerging trends, drafting institutional responses, and coordinating with communications and government relations as appropriate.
- Manages the crisis management planning cycle, including scenario development, tabletop exercises, and maintenance of institutional response frameworks in coordination with relevant campus partners.
- Staffs and supports advisory committees and working groups as assigned by the SVP, preparing agendas, managing follow-up, and ensuring that committee deliberations result in actionable recommendations.
- Tracks the broader landscape of strategic commitments across the division, identifying risks, interdependencies, and resource conflicts, and escalating issues to the SVP with recommended courses of action.
- Develops and manages initiative budgets, conducts financial analysis and modeling to support strategic decision-making, and monitors expenditures to ensure fiscal accountability across assigned projects and programs.
|
| Percentage Of Time |
45 |
| Description |
Operational Initiative Coordination and Liaison
- Serves as a strategic liaison to operational initiative owners (e.g., housing, childcare, energy transition), monitoring progress against institutional goals, identifying cross-cutting dependencies, and facilitating coordination where initiatives intersect or compete for resources.
- Maintains a consolidated view of the division's strategic initiative portfolio, including status dashboards, milestone tracking, and regular briefings for the SVP that synthesize progress across both owned and coordinated initiatives.
|
| Percentage Of Time |
25 |
| Description |
Stakeholder Engagement and Institutional Navigation
- Builds and sustains productive working relationships with senior administrators, faculty leaders, deans, trustees, and external partners whose engagement is essential to advancing strategic initiatives.
- Navigates the complex governance and decision-making structures of a research university, exercising political acuity and discretion when managing sensitive topics such as investment policy, institutional planning, and strategic positioning.
- Represents the SVP in meetings, committees, and working groups as delegated, ensuring continuity and consistent messaging across institutional conversations.
- Drafts executive communications, talking points, and briefing materials for the SVP in preparation for board meetings, senior leadership forums, and external engagements.
|
| Percentage Of Time |
20 |
| Description |
Culture and Employee Belonging
We are actively striving to make Campus Services a desired place to work in the Upper Valley, a place where people feel welcomed, where they can be their authentic selves, be heard, and feel accepted. We want this culture to be felt by those who receive our services. The way we treat one another should be the same way we treat our customers.
- Demonstrates a commitment to inclusion and cultural awareness through actions, interactions, and communications with others.
- Participates in division wide CEB initiatives and training, including promotion of the 7 Principles (Empathy, Fair, Dependable, Inclusive, Considerate, Vulnerability and Respect).
- Willingness to foster a growth mindset in the areas of belonging and inclusion across the division.
|
| Percentage Of Time |
10 |
-
| -- |
Demonstrates professionalism and collegiality through actions, interactions, and communications with others appropriate to an environment that is welcoming to all. |
| -- |
Performs other duties as assigned. |
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