Associate Director for Programs and Partnerships

This position is a full-time appointment in the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA). The Associate Director for Programs and Partnerships is a strategic leader responsible for articulating and communicating a compelling vision for programmatic work, fostering relationships with diverse stakeholders, and promoting fresh thinking to optimize the impact of CURA initiatives. The role involves providing leadership and support for program development, execution, and evaluation across all of CURA's programs. The Associate Director for Programs and Partnerships will lead efforts in evaluation and learning, creating systems for sharing insights, and representing CURA in external relationships. They must demonstrate expertise in racial equity and social justice, possess exceptional management skills, and have a passion for CURA's engagement mission. The Associate Director for Programs and Partnerships will play a key role in aligning program goals, strategies, and budgets, and work closely with the Director and program directors to design and execute organizational program strategy. The candidate must be adept at overseeing organizational success and fostering a collaborative culture.

The Associate Director for Programs and Partnerships reports directly to the Director. The Associate Director for Programs and Partnerships provides strategic leadership, management, and oversight for the program activities of CURA. Key responsibilities of this position include leadership of program teams, establishing and maintaining key relationships across the University, and with partners external to the University.
Success in this role will require someone who:

• Is a strategic leader able to inspire, mobilize, and galvanize programmatic staff and support the long-term impact of CURA's work.
• Is an exceptional relationship builder, increasing rapport, trust, and transparency across a diverse community of robust, passionate, talented staff, stakeholders, and partners.
• Is a strong listener, public communicator, and storyteller who can articulate and amplify the values, mission, and approach of CURA's work across diverse stakeholders and settings within and outside the University.
• Is committed to advancing the whole rather than yourself. You have an optimistic outlook and the humor, integrity, kindness, and patience necessary to work within a transformative environment. You are willing to set aside a personal agenda in favor of organizational and/or community goals and objectives.

Responsibilities

• Work with the director to develop and implement activities that further the mission and strategic goals of CURA.
  • Champion fresh, creative, and forward edge thinking about how CURA can maximize its resources to achieve its mission.
  • Serve as an active thought-partner to the director and to program directors, bringing best-in-field approaches and promoting learning, impact, and organizational effectiveness.
  • Together with the director;
    • Implement strategic direction,
    • Track key issues before the organization and plan appropriate responses,
    • Ensure staff leadership, team structures, strategies, and resources are in place to pursue CURA's mission and vision,
    • Foster an organizational culture of collaboration, learning, and inclusion where all staff feel safe, seen, and supported.
• Build and maintain relationships with external partners, including funders, public agencies, and non-profit organizations
  • Represent CURA in venues of local and regional importance and various community events, convenings, and collaborations.
  • Stay abreast of developments locally and regionally, including an ability to spot emerging gaps and opportunities for impact in advancing bold new approaches, and policies and ideas that advance CURA's mission.
  • Identify gaps and opportunities in the center's programmatic efforts relative to external conditions and leads internal efforts to respond.
  • Build on the long-term strategic vision of the center, including facilitating redesign or adjustment of programmatic strategies to respond to changing conditions, internal and external.
  • Integrate CURA's program ideas, issues, and narratives into the public discourse and policy arenas to connect the work to strategies that advance our mission.
  • Work closely with the director and program directors to design and execute overall program strategy.
• Provide strategic leadership for CURA's programs
  • Provide leadership to CURA programs to facilitate ongoing program development, execution, and evaluation
  • Help program directors to identify and act on opportunities for collaboration within CURA, within the University, and with external partners.
  • Bring creativity and a coherent approach to program strategy development, execution, and performance measurement. Prioritize ideas and needs and makes tough decisions to improve impact.
  • Strategically align the goals of the program areas, helping to identify the human, financial, and technical resources needed to achieve desired results.
• Build and maintain supportive relationships with other public engagement units within the University.
  • Lead collaboration across programs and with other units at the University to engage effectively across the University to advance its mission.
  • Represent CURA in other engagement initiatives at the University to help advance the University's broader public engagement agenda.
• Provide thoughtful leadership, meaningful direction, and support to further CURA's approach to program monitoring, evaluation, and learning.
  • Promote organization-wide learning and accountability by ensuring active engagement of program staff in the development of evaluation designs and performance measurement.
  • Collaborate with program directors to design a coherent program wide approach to learning and evaluation to include feedback and other input from community partners.
  • Coordinate with communication staff to share learnings publicly, for the benefit of external partners and the broader fields of interest within which CURA works.

Required Qualifications

• Experience as a creative, collaborative, strategic leader. 10 years of work experience and record of progressively greater leadership roles and responsibilities. Experience leading and executing strategies for impact, ability and interest in creating new initiatives, and experience working in collaborative environments. Demonstrated organizational leadership skills in creating a clear vision for staff, taking responsibility for major decisions, and marshaling resources.
• Exceptional management skills. Experience leading people, building cohesive teams, and empowering managers to own their functional areas; project management experience that includes scoping, planning, and integration of people and resources, managing risk, prioritizing activities, and planning for contingencies; experience managing multiple, complex priorities within demanding timeframes.
• Appreciation for shared expertise and perspectives. Experience of success in environments of mutual expertise, acknowledging and leveraging the ideas and perspectives of community partners to build initiatives of mutual benefit. Experience working in a variety of community contexts building strong relationships and working on sensitive issues including strategic priorities, and ecosystem partner concerns.
• Research and writing skills. Excellent writing, editing, analytical and oral communication skills including the ability to collect, review, synthesize, and present information.
• Public speaking experience. Exemplary public communication skills and experience participating in local and regional convenings as a panelist or keynote speaker.
• Bachelor's degree in urban affairs or related field.
• Successful grant writing experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Five or more years of experience working for a CBO.
• Familiarity with the University's research, teaching, and outreach missions.
• Masters degree in urban affairs or related field.
• Experience with community-university partnerships.
• Drivers License
• Familiarity with CURA's mission and fluency with core issues.

The Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) connects the resources of the University of Minnesota with the interests and needs of urban communities and the region for the benefit of all. CURA pursues its urban and regional mission by facilitating and supporting connections between state and local governments, neighborhoods, and nonprofit organizations, and relevant resources at the University, including faculty and students from appropriate campuses, colleges, centers or departments.

CURA strives to be a nationally recognized model for university-community engagement. CURA is founded on the belief that partnership between the university and the community is mutually beneficial. Communities determine issues important to them, and provide an understanding of the context of these issues and the wisdom to shape how they can best be addressed to create vital places to live and work. The university contributes extensive knowledge and expertise to understand community issues and discover new approaches to address them. This model of engaged research leads to outcomes that strengthen the community and enrich academic research.

Pay Range: $122,000 to $130,000; depending on education/qualifications/experience

Time Appointment Category: 100% Appointment; 12 month; Annually Renewable

Position Type: P&A Staff

Please visit the Office of Human Resources website for more information regarding benefit eligibility.

The University offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• Competitive wages, paid holidays, and generous time off
• Continuous learning opportunities through professional training and degree-seeking programs supported by the Regents Tuition Benefit Program
• Low-cost medical, dental, and pharmacy plans
• Healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts
• University HSA contributions
• Disability and employer-paid life insurance
• Employee wellbeing program
• Excellent retirement plans with employer contribution
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) opportunity
• Financial counseling services
• Employee Assistance Program with eight sessions of counseling at no cost
• Employee Transit Pass with free or reduced rates in the Twin Cities metro area

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

A COMPLETE application will include:

1. Letter of application that explains your vision for this position and how your career goals, training and experience support your candidacy;
2. A complete resume;
3. Names and contact information of three individuals who can comment on your abilities and experience.

Review of applications will begin on May 27, 2025 and will remain open until the position is filled.

For questions about this position please email Ed Goetz: egoetz@umn.edu

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U: http://diversity.umn.edu

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America's Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).