Director of Early College

Job Description

The Education Secretariat is committed to equity and valuing the unique and diverse characteristics and experiences of every member of its workforce. We encourage an authentic workplace where colleagues show up as their full selves, where collaboration, innovation, and connections are key to realizing our mission that all children, youth, and families thrive socially, academically, and economically. We seek teammates who are committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive work environment, where everyone is valued and engaged. We encourage you to apply and identify your strengths in these areas.

The Massachusetts Public Higher Education System

The Massachusetts System of Public Higher Education ("System") enrolls approximately 260,000 students in credit-bearing programs annually. The System consists of 15 community colleges, 9 state universities and 5 University of Massachusetts ("UMass") campuses. The Board of Higher Education (BHE) has coordination and oversight responsibilities for the entire System, and the BHE, together with each respective Board of Trustees, expects all students, faculty, and staff to be held to exacting standards in the performance of their roles and responsibilities.

The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education ("Board" or "BHE") is the Commonwealth's higher education authority with coordinating and regulatory responsibility for all public and private higher education institutions operating in the Commonwealth that are authorized to grant degrees. The BHE is staffed by the Department of Higher Education (DHE), which is run by the Commissioner, who serves as the executive and administrative head of the department. Together, the BHE and DHE constitute the leading voice and advocate for postsecondary education in the Commonwealth.

In addition, the BHE and DHE's authority includes administering state financial aid and federal grant programs; managing and responding to consumer complaints; conducting financial assessments of institutions; managing employee relations and benefits for public higher education employees; managing collective bargaining contracts with state university and community colleges employees; and approving degree-granting authority for all public and most private higher education institutions operating within the Commonwealth. Currently, there are 80 private institutions of higher education operating in the Commonwealth and authorized to grant degrees.

The BHE is staffed by its executive agency, the Department of Higher Education (DHE), which is run by Commissioner Ortega. The Department of Higher Education is committed to the Values of Equity, Accountability, Community, Empowerment, Intentionality, and Teamwork, and seeks applicants who value the full diversity of Massachusetts students and who share a sensitivity to and understanding of the academic, socio-economic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds of the populations served. We employ a hybrid hoteling work model with a fixed weekly team day schedule.

• Overall

• Develop robust knowledge of all key aspects of Early College in Massachusetts.

• Develop a working knowledge of departmental strategy, policy, research, and operations, including but not limited to the areas of financial aid, academic policy, equity-minded policy development and data analysis, student success support, workforce development policy, legislative strategy and budget development, board of higher education partnership matters, and gubernatorial administration priorities.

• DHE Early College operations and management

• Ensure effective communication and collaboration with the Office of the Commissioner regarding Early College matters, preparation for events, policy priorities and positions, as well as preparation for Early College Joint Committee meetings and any relevant Board of Higher Education meetings and board support.

• Initiate and lead partnership and engagement with key DHE staff partners with direct impact on Early College and oversight over matters related to Early College, including leadership from the Legal team, Administration and Fiscal team, Research and Planning, Academic Affairs, Policy team, Legislative affairs, and Communications.

• Lead and manage core Early College fiscal processes for Early College higher education funding strategy and distribution of funds to Early College campuses (with support from the DHE Administration and Finance team).

• Serve as an active participant in the Early College Designation Application process.

• Review and provide DHE input and oversight regarding research and consulting arrangements for the Massachusetts Early College Initiative within EC partner agencies.

• Strategy development

• Build on and continue to formulate DHE's vision for Early College in service to DHE strategic goals, and in supporting the development of the commonwealth's overall approach to Early College, with particular focus on the postsecondary perspective and oversight over the evaluation and outcomes of existing programs and of Designation criteria as relates to programmatic and later postsecondary outcomes.

• Identify key priorities for Early College (focusing primarily on aspects that are chiefly or even solely related to higher education in nature) and develop roadmaps to deliver against them, including key milestones, relevant internal and external stakeholders to engage, and timelines.

• Engage closely and on a consistent basis with Institutions of Higher Education (IHE's) to inform priority and policy development and implementation.

• Policy evaluation and development

• Serve as key thought partner to the Commissioner and key senior staff at DHE to review, evaluate, and develop policies related to Early College - as related to the Early College designation process and beyond, and as aligned with DHE's broader strategic priorities and priorities specific to Early College.

• Communicate and advocate for key higher education policy priorities in interagency Early College collaboration and working groups.

• Research and data analysis

• Partner closely with the DHE Research and Planning team, the data and research team at DESE, as well as the statewide interagency longitudinal data system team to ensure continued and well-supported data analysis to understand outcomes of designated early college programs and the efficacy of the initiative.

• Review Early College data dashboards to understand whether and how the initiative is meeting necessary benchmarks, as well as identify corresponding actions.

• Review the broader Early College national landscape on a recurring basis to ensure Massachusetts remains a leader in Early College, leveraging learnings from best practices across the country to inform strategy and policy decision-making.

• Campus partnership and engagement

• Organize and lead regular convenings of Early College higher education designated partners.

• Provide ongoing guidance, support, and partnership to higher education institutions with existing Early College-designated programs and work closely with those institutions as thought partners.

• Provide guidance and support to higher education institutions looking to start or expand early college programs.

• Actively engage and serve as primary staff responsible for coordination and collaboration with the Office of Early College at DESE and related leadership staff to ensure partnership, engagement, collaboration, shared policy development, and utilization of shared resources housed at DESE for the joint Early College Initiative.

• Partner closely with leadership and staff at the Executive Office of Education on matters related to Early College to ensure alignment with gubernatorial and secretariat policy and priorities as relate to Early College, and maintain the existing strong, collaborative, and supportive partnership with Healey administration colleagues.

• Actively engage and collaborate with Early College advocates, stakeholders, and program representatives statewide.

• Demonstrated experience developing (and delivering against) thoughtful strategy and policy priorities.

• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex and multilayered environments.

• Understanding of the complexities of systems of government, higher education, and education more broadly.

• Ability to take initiative, use sound judgment to seek input and make decisions, resolve problems, and work collaboratively and effectively with all levels of staff and constituents to build consensus.

• Superior writing, communications, analytical, and presentation skills.

• Superior project management skills.

• Ability to understand, apply, and interpret the provisions of the policies and procedures relating to Early College in Massachusetts.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity-minded practice.

• Ability to plan, organize, and track work using core project-management principles, including defining scope, milestones, and deliverables aligned with agency priorities.

• Demonstrated skill in managing tasks and timelines in a structured, transparent way, with comfort coordinating across teams to keep projects on track.

• Familiarity with common project-management tools and digital work platforms (e.g., Asana, Trello, Smartsheet, MS365 tools and the ability to adopt new tools as needed.

• Aspires to lead by and practice DHE Values and Behaviors and commits to embodying them through continued learning and personal growth.

• Experience working with diverse teams and leveraging their unique perspectives to achieve positive outcomes.

• Demonstrated experience in creating or working in an inclusive work environment where everyone feels valued.

• At least 5 years of experience in a strategic and/or policy-oriented leadership role.

• At least 2 years of supervisory or major program/project management experience.

• Experience working within government and/or a higher education institution.

• Demonstrated commitment to public higher education.

• Significant experience working at either a state or campus level with Early College in Massachusetts or in another state with a comprehensive state-level Early College program.

• Demonstrated familiarity with Massachusetts educational agency structures, executive branch functioning, and legislative and budgetary processes.

• Program management experience.

• Substantial knowledge of operational and fiscal strategy.

• Resume

• Cover letter outlining your relevant experience and interest in the position

• One Ashburton Place, Boston, Massachusetts

• In-state hybrid work

• Periodic in-state and out-of-state travel may be necessary