Associate Program Director

Texas A&M University System · College Station

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Why work for Texas A&M Engineering?

Engineering has been part of Texas A&M University since its opening in 1876 as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. Today, the College of Engineering is the largest college on the College Station campus with more than 25,000 engineering students enrolled in 15 departments. Its mission is to serve Texas, the nation and the global community by providing engineering graduates who are well-founded in engineering fundamentals, instilled with the highest standards of professional and ethical behavior, and prepared to meet the complex technical challenges of society.

As the research arm of Engineering, the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is a state agency within the Texas A&M University System with a mission to improve lives through basic and applied engineering research, workforce development and technology transition. Our collaborations with industry, academia and government provide cutting-edge solutions to global technical challenges.

We are deeply committed to recruiting and retaining a talented workforce that embraces our core values of Respect, Excellence, Leadership, Loyalty, Integrity, and Service, by offering competitive salaries, an array of benefits, an extensive support network, and above all, an enriching and highly collaborative working community that is deeply passionate about our vision for higher education, research, and public service.

Job Description

Purpose:

The Associate Director of Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach serves as the Director's principal operational deputy and assists in providing leadership, strategic direction, and day-to-day management for initiatives that expand high-quality PK-12 engineering education and workforce pathways throughout Texas. The position helps translate Spark!'s strategic priorities into measurable objectives, implementation plans, staff assignments, partnerships, and sustainable programs. The Associate Director provides leadership across Spark!'s portfolio while maintaining a special emphasis on developing, implementing, evaluating, and scaling workforce-development opportunities for high school students. The role supports Spark!'s alignment with the Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station's focus on research, workforce development, and industry and innovation by connecting PK-12 students and educators with Texas A&M Engineering, industry, and research opportunities.

Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach Mission Statement

Spark! expands access to high-quality engineering learning and workforce pathways by connecting PK-12 students and educators with Texas A&M Engineering, industry, and research opportunities.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Operations

• Serve as the Director's principal operational deputy, providing leadership continuity, exercising delegated decision-making and approval authority, and representing the Director and Spark! with internal and external stakeholders when assigned.

• Assist in developing and executing short- and long-term strategic priorities by translating organizational goals into measurable objectives, implementation plans, staff assignments, timelines, and performance measures.

• Coordinate cross-program priorities, resolve operational issues, and recommend improvements that strengthen organizational effectiveness, communication, resource use, and service delivery.

• Provide oversight of PK-12 outreach programs, initiatives, and projects through effective planning, administration, coordination, and evaluation.

Workforce Development and Program Innovation

• Lead the development, implementation, evaluation, and scaling of PK-12 workforce development initiatives, including work-based learning, industry-aligned training, credentialing, certification, and career-readiness experiences.

• Use current and emerging Texas workforce needs, employer input, and relevant data to inform program priorities, content, skills, and competencies, with emphasis on industries aligned with TEES and state workforce priorities.

• Identify, pilot, evaluate, and scale programs and delivery models that move students from career awareness toward demonstrated technical skills and readiness for postsecondary education and employment.

• Integrate research, workforce development, entrepreneurship, industry, and innovation into outreach activities as appropriate to Spark!'s mission and TEES priorities.

Program Performance Evaluation and Growth

• Establish and monitor key performance indicators for Spark! programs, including student participation, geographic reach, program quality, skill attainment, workforce-readiness outcomes, and other measures aligned with organizational goals.

• Analyze program data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities and use findings to guide continuous improvement, strategic growth, resource allocation, and decision-making.
• Ensure accurate and timely collection, analysis, and communication of program outcomes to leadership, funders, partners, and other stakeholders.

Personnel Leadership and Team Development

• Supervise, coach, mentor, and develop assigned staff; establish performance expectations; monitor workload and program assignments; provide regular feedback; support professional development; and promote accountability for organizational goals.

• Foster a collaborative, innovative, service-oriented, and high-performing team culture.

Strategic Partnerships, Faculty Engagement and Business Development

• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with Texas A&M Engineering faculty, industry, school systems, workforce organizations, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and other partners that advance Spark!'s mission and priorities.

• Expand Spark!'s faculty engagement and broader-impacts support strategy by identifying opportunities and collaborating with faculty and research teams to design PK-12 education, workforce development, and educator professional development components for research proposals.

• Contribute to proposal narratives, scopes of work, budgets, evaluation plans, partnership strategies, and implementation of funded activities.

• Leverage partner expertise, funding, facilities, equipment, mentors, and other resources to expand program reach, quality, and long-term sustainability.

Fiscal Management, Program Delivery and Compliance

• Assist with development and monitoring of annual program budgets and exercise delegated fiscal approval authority for assigned accounts.

• Lead, plan, or support workforce initiatives for students and educators and travel as required to support programs, partnerships, meetings, and events across the state or nation.

• Ensure adherence to applicable university policies, sponsor requirements, and state regulations.

• Because the position includes direct engagement with minors and youth, fully adhere to all university policies and state regulations pertaining to the safety and protection of minors.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

What We Need:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Eight years of related experience.

What is Helpful:

• Experience supervising, coaching, and developing professional staff.

• Experience in workforce development, career and technical education, PK-12 STEM education, or engineering education.

• Experience developing, piloting, evaluating, and scaling educational or workforce programs.

• Experience with grant or proposal development, sponsored projects, budgets, and external funding.

• Experience building partnerships with industry, educational institutions, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or university faculty.

• Experience using data and performance measures to guide decisions and program improvement.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strategic thinking and the ability to translate organizational priorities into measurable plans and results.

• Strong leadership, coaching, collaboration, and relationship-management skills.

• Excellent written, verbal, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.

• Strong project management, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities, exercise sound judgment, attend to detail, and adapt in a changing environment.

• Demonstrated growth mindset, accountability, professionalism, and commitment to serving students, educators, and partners.

Work Location:

• Main Campus – College Station, TX.

About Workforce Development:

The Workforce Development Division of Texas A&M Engineering will be the premier provider of programs, conferences, professional development, and educational opportunities to prepare experts, employees and advocates for STEM-related fields. The Workforce Development Division has six programs: Spark! PK-12 Engineering Education Outreach, ReCENT, Engineering Academies, TEES EDGE Professional Education, Regional Divisions, Conference and Events Planning Services. Through these programs, the division creates and coordinates opportunities worldwide to hone expertise among engineering professionals and train or retrain those interested in emerging engineering fields while concurrently engaging with PK-collegiate educators and students to encourage future engineers.

Texas A&M Engineering provides an outstanding benefits package including but not limited to:

• Competitive medical insurance benefits through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and Prescription coverage by Express Scripts.
• Options for Vision, Dental, Life, and Long-Term Disability insurance.
• A defined benefit retirement plan with the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) with 8.25% employer contribution.
• Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Deferred Account 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation Program 457(b).
• Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
• Generous paid time off with holidays, vacation and sick leave.
• Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional development opportunities.
• Tuition assistance and Educational release time to further your academic pursuits.
• Access to Engineer Your Wellness programs that provide opportunities for employees to engage in health and fitness.
• Wellness release time offered to employees to promote work/life balance.

Helpful Applicant Information

Required Materials for Application:

• Resume/CV
• Three work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor/former supervisor.
• Letter of interest

Applications received by Texas A&M Engineering must have all required job application data entered.

Failure to provide all job application data could result in an invalid submission and a rejected application.

Compensation Philosophy:

• Recruit and retain a high-performing workforce through competitive compensation and career development including career pathing, coaching and skills development.
• Recognize and reward exceptional performance based on individual and team contributions to the growth and success of Texas A&M Engineering.
• Offer total rewards through flexible benefits, professional development, and work-life balance. Maintain an equitable and transparent process for compensation decisions.
• Support, reinforce, and align compensation decisions with budgetary and financial strategies to ensure growth and sustainability.

Employment Eligibility Verification

• If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form.  You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States.  Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment.  Failure to do so will result in delay of start date.

All positions are security-sensitive. Applicants are subject to a criminal history investigation, and employment is contingent upon the institution’s verification of credentials and/or other information required by the institution’s procedures, including the completion of the criminal history check.

Equal Opportunity/Veterans/Disability Employer.

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