Executive Director, Central Office for the Advancement of Black Student Success

Sacramento State • Sacramento, CA

3d

About The Position

Under the general direction of the Vice President for Inclusive Excellence/Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), with dual operational oversight provided by the CSU Chancellor’s Office (CSUCO) as established by the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between California State University, Sacramento (Sacramento State) and the CSU Chancellor's Office (CSUCO), the Executive Director (ED) of the CSU Statewide Central Office for the Advancement of Black Student Success serves as the senior leader responsible for all aspects of directing and administering a system-wide central office on behalf of the 22-campus California State University. Physically housed at Sacramento State within Inclusive Excellence, the Central Office operates under the authority of the CSUCO to allocate programmatic funding, support campus program development and capacity building, and cultivate a sustained network of practice across the CSU system to advance Black student success. The Executive Director provides visionary leadership and strategic direction to ensure the Central Office fulfills its mandate as an organizational catalyst for all 22 universities, identifying promising practices, investing in their growth, and amplifying their impact across the system and nationally. The ED is accountable to the CSUCO for annual reporting on activities, budget, and performance, and works in close partnership with the CDO and the BSSC Advisory Council to operationalize and continuously evolve the program in alignment with the goals established in the CSU Black Student Success Workgroup Report (2023). A central responsibility of this role is overseeing the implementation of SB 1348, which enables CSU campuses to pursue designation as Black Serving Institutions, a milestone requiring coordinated technical assistance, data support, and advocacy across the system. To preserve institutional integrity and avoid conflicts of interest, the Executive Director does not oversee Sacramento State's own campus-level Black Student Success efforts. In carrying out this work, the Executive Director (ED) leads all aspects of program development and implementation across the system, including managing the call-for-proposals process for sub-grant allocation, establishing cohort networks for peer learning among campus BSSCs, and delivering systemwide convenings, training, and technical assistance. The ED recruits, supervises, and develops all Central Office staff, and holds full fiscal and operational oversight of the office, ensuring compliance with CSUCO, federal, state, and campus policies, and working through Sacramento State's Budget Office to manage fund transfers and awards. Externally, the Executive Director actively pursues philanthropic and legislative support through state and federal earmarks, private grants, and coordination with the CSU's Office of Advocacy and State Relations, building the long-term financial sustainability of Black Student Success efforts across the system. Please visit the following for a full leadership profile: California State University

Requirements

• An earned doctorate degree, or an equivalent combination of leadership and/or management experience in higher education, public administration, or a closely related field.
• Five years of progressively responsible senior-level experience leading programs, departments, or offices with a focus on student programs, student success, educational equity, or related areas, including demonstrated fiscal accountability and budget management.
• Demonstrated professional experience working directly with Black student populations and/or Black-serving programs, centers, or initiatives in an institutional setting.
• Three years of experience managing a professional staff team, including hiring, coaching, evaluating, and developing employees; experience supervising managers or program leads.
• Experience developing new programs, offices, or organizational structures from concept through implementation, including designing policies, procedures, and operational frameworks in complex institutional environments.
• Experience with grant administration, sub-grant management, or oversight of externally funded programs, including responsibility for compliance, reporting, and stewardship of public or philanthropic funds.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the systemic and institutional barriers that affect the academic success, retention, and degree attainment of Black students in higher education, and a record of developing, implementing, and assessing programs or initiatives with measurable outcomes addressing those barriers.
• Knowledge of relevant federal, state, and local legislative and policy frameworks affecting Black student access and success in higher education, and experience engaging with legislative or advocacy processes in support of equity-focused programs.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships with a broad range of institutional and community stakeholders, including senior leadership, government agencies, community organizations, and philanthropic partners, to advance educational equity goals.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience preparing and delivering formal reports, presentations, and strategic communications for senior leadership, governing bodies, and external audiences.
• Demonstrated professional knowledge of culturally responsive program design, including familiarity with African American Studies, anti-racist pedagogy, or community-centered models for serving historically underrepresented student populations.
• Demonstrated skills in program evaluation and data-driven decision-making, including the use of disaggregated student outcome data to assess equity gaps and measure programmatic impact.
• Demonstrated emotional intelligence and political acumen in navigating high-visibility, politically complex institutional environments with diverse and sometimes competing stakeholder interests.
• Ability to work independently with minimal direction, prioritize across a complex and evolving portfolio, and consistently deliver results in a dynamic organizational context.
• Commitment to maintaining a welcoming and inclusive work environment with diverse colleagues and constituents, including students, faculty, staff, and community members.
• Ability to travel statewide and nationally as required.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as needed.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working within or alongside the California State University system, including familiarity with CSU governance structures, academic senates, collective bargaining environments, and system-wide policy processes.
• Experience working with or navigating a Chancellor's Office or system-level higher education governance body, including engagement with academic affairs, student affairs, advocacy, or budget functions.
• Experience administering multi-campus or system-wide programs, including building cross-institutional networks, communities of practice, or peer-learning structures across diverse campuses.
• Demonstrated experience pursuing and securing philanthropic support, including cultivating donor relationships, writing or overseeing grant proposals, and meeting funder reporting requirements.
• Experience engaging with state legislators, legislative staff, or higher education advocacy coalitions to advance equity-focused policy or secure public funding.
• Experience managing represented employees in a collective bargaining environment.
• Knowledge of the CSU Black Student Success Workgroup Report (2023), the barriers to Black student success it identifies, and/or direct experience implementing equity initiatives that address those findings at a campus or system level.
• Knowledge of SB 1348 and the Black Serving Institution (BSI) designation criteria, including experience with related legislative, policy, or institutional compliance frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Leads all aspects of program development and implementation across the system, including managing the call-for-proposals process for sub-grant allocation, establishing cohort networks for peer learning among campus BSSCs, and delivering systemwide convenings, training, and technical assistance.
• Recruits, supervises, and develops all Central Office staff, and holds full fiscal and operational oversight of the office, ensuring compliance with CSUCO, federal, state, and campus policies, and working through Sacramento State's Budget Office to manage fund transfers and awards.
• Actively pursues philanthropic and legislative support through state and federal earmarks, private grants, and coordination with the CSU's Office of Advocacy and State Relations, building the long-term financial sustainability of Black Student Success efforts across the system.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree