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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
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POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING |
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Position Number: 50703185 |
Description Activated On: 2/23/2026 8:28:02 AM |
Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. The Associate Director of Academic and Workforce Development serves as a member of the Pennsylvania’s State Board of Higher Education (SBHE) staff team and works closely with the Chief Postsecondary Officer of Economic and Workforce Development, the Executive Director and SBHE to inform strategies to address the Commonwealth’s workforce credential needs and examines higher education academic innovation practices to strengthen and accelerate student career success. |
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Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor. • Conduct policy analysis, research and information gathering to inform and support Board priorities and strategic plan implementation regarding workforce and economic development. • Provide staff support to Board committees (ex. Economic & Workforce Development Committee) including preparing agendas, reports, recommendations, and undertaking necessary activities and assignments. • Research and develop strategies to effectively align higher education academic programs and credentials with workforce demand and economic competitiveness. • Liaise across higher education institutions, workforce agencies, industry, and economic development partners to foster collaboration. • Lead and coordinate special projects and initiatives that strengthen student pathways to employment, including transfer, articulation, skills validation, prior learning assessments, dual enrollment, stackable credentials, career pathways, and experiential learning opportunities (ex. internships/externships, paid work experiences, apprenticeships) • Provide technical assistance and related expertise to the SBHE, state agencies, higher education, workforce and economic development partners, and related stakeholders as needed. • Manage or support grant-funded activities, including grant-writing, project administration, and reporting. • Provide guidance to institutions and others on program alignment, transfer pathways, and economic and workforce development partnership promising and proven practices. • Organize and facilitate meetings, convenings, and stakeholder engagement to advance shared priorities, including the preparation of agendas, materials and briefing documents. • Prepares and drafts reports, plan updates, policy briefs, white papers, technical documents, and related accessible materials for Board members, committees, senior leadership and external stakeholders • Provide executive-level staff support to the Board, Executive Director, and Chief Postsecondary Officer on Economic and Workforce Development • Review and evaluate proposals, applications, reports, and self studies to assess operational compliance with statutory, regulatory, and policy requirements. • Plan, coordinate, and direct the evaluation of reports, proposals, applications, and programs to ensure alignment with Board priorities, quality standards, and systemwide goals. • Performs other duties as assigned. |
Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature. • Ensure alignment of work activities with the Chief Officer and Executive Director in support of Board priorities • Carry out essential duties, exercising the ability to work independently and collaboratively in team settings to identify opportunities, apply expertise and execute assignments in a timely and qualitative manner. • Apply critical thinking and analytical skills to assigned and anticipated tasks. • Utilize professional judgment and problem solving to manage projects and assignments. • Navigate complex issues with professionalism, maintaining clear communication with leadership, and advancing SBHE priorities • Recommend actions and strategies to leadership and effectively implement approved initiatives and tasks |
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Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License Experience: • Deep expertise in higher education academic affairs and workforce development, including the development of short-term credentials and degrees aligned to workforce needs, curriculum, transfer, credit mobility, articulation, accreditation, and student support. • Demonstrated record of success in creating strong collaborative relationships across employers, workforce development professionals and higher education institutions that meet workforce needs. • Demonstrated experience or understanding in designing and supporting applied learning opportunities that connect higher education institutions and students with real-world workforce needs, including integrating competency-based education, experiential learning, and career pathways into academic programs. • Possess strong interpersonal and communication (written and verbal) skills translating complex policy and data • Commitment to advancing student success, career opportunities, and economic mobility • Skilled at collaborating with higher education institutions, accreditors, industry and employers, workforce agencies, and state government to create innovative programs and guide strategy and related technical assistance. • Ability to evaluate data, identify gaps, and recommend strategies. • Be a thoughtful representative of SBHE when engaging with internal and external stakeholders. Licenses, registrations, or certifications: 1. N/A 2. N/A 3. N/A 4. N/A 5. N/A 6. N/A |
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Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.
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