Director of Community Engagement and Outreach - Division of Access and Engagement

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville invites applications and nominations for a highly motivated, visionary leader in community engagement and engaged scholarship to fulfill the position of Director in the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach. Reporting to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Access and Engagement & Executive Director for Community Engagement and Outreach, the Director will play a vital role in providing high-level leadership and direction for community engagement, outreach, and community-engaged scholarship. The successful candidate will be a thought leader in developing and providing strategies to advance UT’s land-grant, R1 (very high research activity) status while building impactful and mutually beneficial partnerships in the local community, region, and across the state.

Job Functions/Responsibilities

1. Provide leadership and day-to-day supervision of the Office of Community Engagement and Outreach, including budget oversight and supervision of staff which includes two Assistant Directors, two Coordinators, a Graduate Research Assistant, and student workers.
2. Direct, develop, and oversee community engagement, outreach, and engaged scholarship initiatives that align with the University’s goals, while focusing on strategies that enhance and support the University’s commitment to access and engagement, based on best practices and emerging research on community engagement, outreach, and community-engaged scholarship.
3. Provide leadership for sustained multi-stakeholder relationships that promote UT’s community-engaged scholarship, innovation, and entrepreneurship on local communities and across the state.
4. Provide leadership for best practices and emerging research on community-engaged scholarship.
5. Engage faculty, staff, students, and community members to develop solutions to Grand Challenges while connecting stakeholders to university resources.
6. Collaborate with faculty and university leadership to uphold the collective understanding of the scholarship of engagement and shared governance.
7. Provide leadership and oversight for UT’s Carnegie Community Engagement Classification. Serve as chair of the Carnegie Community Engagement Committee.
8. Collaborate with and serve as an ex-officio member of the faculty-led Academic Engagement and Outreach Council.
9. Lead efforts to create and strengthen partnerships across campus, colleges, schools, departments, individuals, and groups of faculty and external stakeholders to develop collaborations while focusing on trust and shared governance.
10. Work with a variety of stakeholders, including faith-based organizations, schools, civic organizations, and other groups to create opportunities for open dialogue and engaged communities.
11. Provide advisement on capacity building across local communities and statewide.
12. Cultivate and enhance mutually beneficial partnerships with community groups and organizations across the state that may not frequently interact with UT.
13. Oversee special projects that advance UT’s R1 and land-grant status.
14. Maintain a competitive funding process to support faculty who engage with the community, have academic outreach initiatives and/or focus on community-engaged scholarship.
15. Represent the university and serve on behalf of the Vice Chancellor and/or Associate Vice Chancellor & Executive Director on local boards, work groups, and committees.
16. Cultivate relationships and connections to key national, state, and regional partners engaged with communities, while serving as the primary point of contact for the Engagement Scholarship Consortium.
17. Manage UT’s C. Peter Magrath Community Engagement Award process.
18. Partner with the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships to support student’s community-engaged discovery locally, statewide, nationally, and globally.
19. Partner with Teaching and Learning Innovation to leverage faculty’s research capacity and community-engaged teaching and learning.
20. Create, oversee, and manage communication as it relates to those who participate in community engagement and outreach programs, professional development, workshops, and seminars.
21. Develop and manage outreach and promotional materials for faculty, staff, current and prospective students, community partners, state, municipal and local elected officials.
22. Manage calendar of community engagement and outreach events.
23. Oversee, manage, and update community engagement resources and community-engaged scholarship materials.
24. Maintain website and promotional materials.
25. Provide leadership for the development of deliverables at the end of each fiscal year cataloging the outputs and outcomes of all projects.
26. Coordinate the distribution and collection of program evaluations in support of assessment initiatives.
27. Survey, analyze, and interpret data. Use assessment and evaluation data to help determine program direction.
28. Prepare annual reports and impact summaries.
29. Coordinate ongoing development and management of the tracking and records of engagement and outreach projects.
30. Provide project summaries and have tangible outputs and products at the end of the projects and initiatives.

Educational Qualifications

• Master’s degree required in Education, Social Sciences, Public Administration, or a related field. Doctorate preferred.

Required Experience/Skills/Competencies

• Five to seven years of community engagement and outreach experience.
• Demonstrated experience collaborating with a variety of leaders and stakeholders to develop and execute programs or activities involving the campus community and external organizations.
• Background in the development of mutually beneficial and collaborative partnerships with faculty, staff, students, and external groups and organizations that involve teaching, research, and service.
• Understanding and familiarity working with faculty while focusing on shared governance.
• Proven track record of effectively creating, managing, and leading programs involving partnerships with the community.
• Familiarity of, and experience with, the Carnegie Elective Community Engagement Classification.
• Full understanding, experience with, and commitment to community engagement, outreach, and community-engaged scholarship.
• Self-starter who has proven leadership skills and the ability to make sound decisions.
• Experience developing and advancing strategies, projects, and programs across multidisciplinary teams within the higher education and/or community setting.
• Demonstrated interpersonal, initiative, and self-motivation skills.
• Experience in progressively more complex roles within an organization.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to promoting and enhancing access, engagement, and equity.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work with minimum supervision and with individuals and groups from diverse backgrounds.

Preferred Experience/Skills/Competencies

• Seven to ten years of progressive experience in higher education.
• Teaching and/or research experience in higher education.
• Web management experience.

To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, and the contact information for three (3) professional references.