Associate Program Director

Texas A&M•College Station, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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

Nice To Haves

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.
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.

Responsibilities

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Benefits

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.