The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) is seeking an Assistant Director of Training & Diversity with experience in curriculum development, program and curriculum assessment, program management, and research and publication in higher education. The successful candidate will be independent, curious, collaborative, and creative, with a knack for learning and understanding stakeholder needs, framing key questions, and a penchant for using evaluative methods for continuous improvement. A person with a deep commitment to developing programs that empower postdocs, especially those from underrepresented groups, to thrive in academia and beyond, for creating an inclusive and welcoming community, and for robust evaluation of new curriculum and programs will have the tools and context necessary to define and influence postdoctoral training at Stanford, and in turn to influence the future academic workforce.
OPA is uniquely poised to support the development of postdoctoral scholars at Stanford. We work to ensure that students from diverse backgrounds consider training at Stanford; that their onboarding and early engagement meets their specific needs and helps them find their community; that their professional and research development occur in parallel so that they are able to transition to their career; and that they are prepared to successfully step into their career of choice at the end of their training. OPA has launched multiple programs to achieve these goals and is now in need of an Assistant Director who can continue to develop, manage and assess new curriculum and programs. Program assessment includes identifying and implementing measures of success, and, together with OPA teammates, disseminating results through publication, national conferences, and grant applications.
The Assistant Director will manage existing training- and diversity-focused programs. For example, the new Postdoc Mentoring Certificate program and Postdoc Mentoring Coaches initiative include elements of curricular strategy, coaching postdoc facilitators, and process and resource development and improvement. The Assistant Director will also co-develop, implement, and iterate new projects and initiatives related to postdoctoral training and professional development, in collaboration with the Associate Vice Provost & Associate Dean and the Director of Postdoctoral Training.
The Assistant Director will develop and deliver professional development curriculum targeting transition into postdoc, early engagement, and career transition that will help postdocs thrive, and support an equitable, inclusive training environment for all postdocs. For example, early engagement could include career exploration and helping scholars maximize their postdoctoral training, while career transition could include finding new ways for postdocs to develop their exit strategies, and support specific to minoritized postdoctoral scholars may focus across all three training phases to foster their success and retention in academia.
The Assistant Director will serve as the lead for assessment across all OPA programs and initiatives. This role will serve as the subject matter expert on evaluation, integrating existing evaluation processes with new mechanisms to create a robust approach to assessment of our existing professional development curriculum, our recruitment and retention initiatives, our postdoctoral fellowships, and other programs and initiatives across the OPA team. In addition, they will support teammates in synthesizing assessment data, reporting on assessment outcomes, and developing recommendations for improvements and new opportunities.
The Assistant Director will engage in research, including data analysis, synthesizing the existing rich sources of postdoctoral training data available and the outcomes of programmatic assessments, to uncover new findings related to postdoctoral training and the impact of OPA’s work. They will contribute to writing for academic publications and national presentations in service of disseminating the groundbreaking work being done in OPA. This role requires experience in research in higher education, social psychology, or other research areas that entail qualitative and quantitative analysis and academic writing and publication in the social sciences.
The OPA programs team is fast-paced, highly mission-driven, and takes great pride in our competence, creativity, and our service-mindedness. Candidates should be highly organized self-starters, comfortable with autonomy, and embrace opportunities to tackle new problems and challenges as part of our dynamic, collaborative team. A commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging is fundamental to the role.
Core Duties
- Develop and manage research programs by conducting research activities, including outreach to varied stakeholders within the program, assigning resources and making program improvement recommendations that impact policies and programs.
- Identify, recommend and implement opportunities for new research.
- Source, collect and analyze data, create reports, review and explain trends; formulate and evaluate alternative solutions and/or recommendations to achieve the goals of the program or function.
- Teach and/or assist in the teaching and administration of courses. Develop curriculum. Develop curriculum-rating survey, detailed feedback on courses and make recommendations for preliminary overview and changes.
- Write and/or edit complex content for proposals, research grants, peer-reviewed publications, and other program activities.
- Contribute to and inform on strategic program/entity planning and related funding and financial sustainability.
- May advise students and/or coach/mentor clients. Write and/or edit complex content for proposals, research grants, peer-reviewed publications, and other program activities.
- Develop or contribute to outreach strategy related to program communications, development, partnerships, and fundraising/funding.
- Coach and mentor program staff.
Education & Experience (Required):
Bachelor’s degree and three years of relevant experience or combination of education, training, and relevant experience. Advanced degree may be required for some programs. For jobs with financial responsibilities, experience managing a budget and developing financial plans.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Required):
- Ability to develop program partnerships and funding sources.
- Excellent oral, written, and analytical skills, exhibiting fluency in area of specialization.
- Ability to oversee and direct staff.
- Basic knowledge of managing budgets and developing financial plans.
Desired Qualifications
Ph.D. or an Ed.D. preferred, or a combination of an M.Ed. and equivalent minimum experience.
Certifications & Licenses
- For teaching jobs, advanced degree or certification may be required for some programs.
Physical Requirements:
- Frequently stand/walk, sitting, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, perform desk-based computer tasks.
- Occasionally use a telephone, writing by hand, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 40 pounds.
- Rarely sort/file paperwork or parts, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh >40 pounds.
- Ability to use voice to present information/communicate with others.
- On-campus mobility.
Working Conditions:
- May work extended hours, evenings or weekends.
- May travel locally.
- Occasional overnight travel.
Work Standards:
- Interpersonal Skills: Demonstrates the ability to work well with Stanford colleagues and clients and with external organizations.
- Promote Culture of Safety: Demonstrates commitment to personal responsibility and value for safety; communicates safety concerns; uses and promotes safe behaviors based on training and lessons learned.
- Subject to and expected to comply with all applicable University policies and procedures, including but not limited to the personnel policies and other policies found in the University's Administrative Guide.
Why Stanford is for You
- Freedom to grow. We offer career development programs, tuition reimbursement, or audit a course. Join a TedTalk, film screening, or listen to a renowned author or global leader speak.
- A caring culture. We provide superb retirement plans, generous time-off, and family care resources.
- A healthier you. Climb our rock wall or choose from hundreds of health or fitness classes at our world-class exercise facilities. We also provide excellent health care benefits.
- Discovery and fun. Stroll through campus and enjoy various events.
