Chief Program Officer

Virginia Information Technologies Agency•Martinsville, VA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Chief Program Officer provides leadership and oversight of educational programs, partnerships, and outreach initiatives for the West Piedmont Higher Education Center (formerly New College Institute). This position is responsible for developing, coordinating, and evaluating programs and partnerships that expand access to academic degrees, credentials, and workforce-aligned learning opportunities. The role serves as the primary liaison to K–12 school systems, higher education institutions, workforce agencies, industry partners, and community organizations. West Piedmont Higher Education Center is a premier center of learning dedicated to expanding access to academic degrees, credentials, and professional learning experiences in high-quality educational environments that prepare individuals for regional and statewide workforce opportunities while supporting economic development and community transformation.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Education, Higher Education Administration, Public Administration, or a related field (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
Significant experience in post-secondary education, K–12 partnership development, workforce development, or related academic program leadership
Demonstrated experience leading or managing educational programs, preferably within a K–16 or higher education environment
Experience with grant development, grant management, and budget oversight
Experience working with K–12 schools, higher education institutions, industry partners, or statewide education initiatives
Experience in program planning, implementation, and evaluation using established goals and performance metrics
Experience supervising staff and/or coordinating cross-functional teams
Strong written and verbal communication skills
Experience working with diverse populations and stakeholder groups

Nice To Haves

AMERICORPS, PEACE CORPS, AND OTHER NATIONAL SERVICE ALUMNI ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY.

Responsibilities

Lead the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of educational and outreach programs.
Develop and manage K–12 student engagement initiatives, including campus visits, workshops, enrichment programs, and summer programs.
Coordinate educator professional development opportunities and student advancement programming.
Identify and implement new academic, credential, and workforce-aligned program opportunities.
Ensure programs are aligned with regional workforce needs, institutional goals, and community priorities.
Develop, maintain, and strengthen partnerships with K–12 school divisions, higher education institutions, workforce agencies, businesses, and community organizations.
Serve as primary liaison for educational and community partnerships.
Coordinate outreach activities including presentations, recruitment events, college fairs, tours, workshops, and community engagement activities.
Support development of collaborative programming and joint initiatives with institutional partners.
Develop and manage memoranda of understanding (MOUs) and partnership agreements.
Collect, analyze, and report data related to enrollment, participation, space utilization, and program outcomes.
Develop and distribute surveys and assessment tools to evaluate program effectiveness.
Prepare reports for internal leadership, board members, and external stakeholders, including state, federal, and grant reporting requirements.
Use data to inform program improvements, strategic planning, and decision-making.
Ensure accurate documentation of program outcomes and institutional effectiveness measures.
Coordinate recruitment and outreach strategies to increase awareness and participation in programs and services.
Support K–12 engagement initiatives and student pathway programs.
Collaborate with schools, community organizations, and workforce partners to expand access and participation.
Evaluate outreach efforts and recommend improvements to recruitment and engagement strategies.
Develop and manage budgets for outreach, K–12 programming, and summer initiatives.
Monitor program implementation to ensure quality, consistency, and continuous improvement.
Identify grant opportunities and support grant development to enhance program growth and sustainability.
Perform other duties as assigned.