Portfolio Director, Natural Sciences

University of Maryland Global Campus•Adelphi, MD

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Portfolio Director is a key academic and strategic leader within the Global Academic and Learning Enterprise (GALE) at UMGC. Responsible for setting the vision, direction, and priorities for a portfolio of learning experiences within a specific disciplinary and industry domain, the Portfolio Director ensures alignment to workforce trends, employer needs, and academic innovation. This role curates a full spectrum of learning experiences—including degrees, certificates, microcredentials, and workforce-based programs—and works in collaboration with cross-functional university teams to optimize learner outcomes, enhance access, and ensure career relevance. Positioned at the intersection of education and industry, the Portfolio Director is charged with ensuring high-quality, stackable, market-responsive learning experiences that support UMGC’s commitment to serving diverse, global learners throughout their lifelong learning journey. Success in this role is defined by the ability to lead a high-performing, data-informed portfolio that delivers stackable, market-relevant learning experiences; cultivates meaningful collaboration across academic and operational units; and drives measurable improvements in learner access, engagement, and outcomes.

Requirements

Terminal degree in Natural Sciences, Interdisciplinary Sciences, Integrated Physical Sciences or a relevant academic or industry-related field from an accredited institution is required.
At least 10 years of combined experience in higher education, workforce education, and related business, industry, or government roles.
Demonstrated success working across academic and operational teams, and with external partners to align education with labor market needs.
Industry-specific credentials and certifications may be required based on the discipline.

Nice To Haves

Experience in scientific research and development in academic, industrial, or government settings.
Experience in portfolio leadership across multiple credential types (degree and non-degree)
Experience with online and hybrid learning environments, including online teaching experience
Familiarity with workforce and adult education models
Evidence of commitment to equity and learner-centered design

Responsibilities

Establishes and leads the intellectual and strategic direction and priorities for a portfolio of learning experiences, maintaining strong awareness of and alignment to required and emergent employer/industry knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions.
Identifies and ensures stackability of the skills-based learning experiences in the portfolio, deliberately mapping pathways including non-credit, micro-credential, professional, and workforce development experiences through academic courses, certificates, and degrees.
Develops relationships with industry and community partners, including employers, professional organizations, certification bodies, and other universities and community colleges to ensure curriculum alignment and emerging relevance.
Remains connected to and conversant in national discussions about the post-secondary education landscape, learner outcomes, workforce needs, and educational innovations specifically in the disciplines and industries germane to their portfolio of learning experiences.
Identifies new technologies, theories, and approaches within the relevant field/discipline (e.g. GIS platforms, VoiceThread, Adobe Creative Cloud, uCertify, Dumpit, Oracle Crystal Ball, etc.) to enhance learner preparation for the workforce and the quality of the learning experience.
Innovates and collaborates with university stakeholders on ways to validate and credential diverse forms of prior learning and contributes to new credentialing models.
Works with Product Management to evolve the portfolio based on labor market and learner demand, ensuring stackable, scalable, and timely offerings.
Collaborates with departments and offices across the global university to deliver a best-inclass learner experience, including surrounding the learner in support from both academic and nonacademic vantage points, enhancing learner engagement, and resolving learner issues and grievances, leading to higher levels of learner success.
Working collaboratively across the university, optimizes the quality and performance of learning experiences through collaborative, data-driven activities and initiatives to ensure a high-quality portfolio of learning experiences, including measures of learner satisfaction, engagement, learning, and the learner experience as drivers of learner success, persistence, retention, and completion.
Monitors and assesses portfolio performance through data and analytics, identifying opportunities for improvement and innovation.
Uses market and audience research for Product Management to assess portfolio performance in terms of the national post-secondary and employer markets and identify appropriate learning experiences to start, stop, and continue.
With the support and collaboration of Student Affairs, identifies appropriate academic support services.
With the support and collaboration of the Office of Community Engagement and Opportunity and other teams across the institution, monitors learner satisfaction, engagement, learning, success, persistence, retention, and completion by learner demographic groups with an explicit focus on eliminating achievement gaps and improving outcomes for learners from historically marginalized communities.
Collaborates with key stakeholders (Integrative Learning Design (ILD) and the Center for Institutional Effectiveness (CIE)) in the use of assignment-, course-, faculty-, and program level data to identify and initiate targeted and deliberate improvements to both the design and delivery of learning experiences.
Partners with ILD to plan and convene Product Design Summits through which product vision, strategic direction, and alignment with employer/industry knowledge, skills, abilities, and dispositions are defined.
Approves appropriate, industry leading SMEs to develop learning and curriculum content and collaborates with ILD in the revision of learning experiences, including course and program content, selection of learning resources, and design of learning assessments.
Facilitates a global community of faculty, ensuring faculty are optimally prepared and supported to facilitate the learning experiences for which they are hired, to include maintaining fidelity to the curriculum while adding richness and value to the learning experience through the specific and deliberate inclusion of their applied, industry experiences
Partners with the Faculty Affairs and Scheduling Team (FAST) to monitor teaching performance, provide coaching support, ensure alignment with instructional standards, and ensures that adjunct faculty provide a learning experience that meets learner needs, to include identifying and effectively addressing individual learner needs and issues, connecting learners with appropriate academic and social-emotional support services, and delivering personalized, timely, and substantive feedback and responses to learner assessments and questions.
Convenes portfolio team meetings, maintains communications infrastructure (e.g., Program Hub, Course Announcements, SharePoint), and fosters a connected community of practice to ensure all faculty are abreast of changes in courses, program, and other learner experiences.
Serves as national and international university spokesperson and point person for highly effective learner experience practices that result in learner acquisition of the skills and areas of study in their portfolio.
May be required to teach, facilitate seminars, contribute to content and learning object development and curation, serve on committees, contribute to institutional initiatives, and perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Benefits

Generous Time Off: Enjoy 22 days of paid vacation, 15 days of sick leave, 3 personal days, and 15 paid holidays (16 during general election years).
Comprehensive Health Coverage: Access to health care, medical with vision, dental, and prescription plans for both individuals and families, effective from the 1st of the month following your hire date.
Insurance Options: Term Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance, and Long-Term Disability Insurance.
Flexible Spending Accounts: Available for medical and dependent care expenses.
Retirement Plans: Choose between the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) or the Maryland State Retirement and Pension System (MSRPS).
Supplemental Retirement Plans: include 401(k), 403(b), 457(b), and various Roth options. The university does not provide matching funds.
Tuition Remission: Immediate availability for Collegiate Faculty. Spouses and dependent children are eligible for undergraduate tuition remission after two years of service.

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