The Director of Education & Academic Strategy is the chief academic and learning officer for the Acquisition Talent Base (ATB) and all future iterations of the ATB curriculum. The director provides vision, leadership, and strategic direction for the program’s educational ecosystem and oversees the design, development, and continuous improvement of multidisciplinary learning experiences that integrate national security, defense acquisition, digital transformation, leadership, workforce readiness, and employability skills.
Key ResponsibilitiesExecutive Leadership
- Develop and execute a long‑term academic vision, educational strategy, and learning innovation roadmap.
- Create and maintain a centralized library of content for all educational needs.
- Serve as the senior educational advisor to program leadership and federal government stakeholders.
- Establish academic priorities aligned with defense workforce needs, federal talent initiatives, and national security priorities.
- Lead educational transformation to position the program as a premier civilian defense talent development initiative.
- Translate workforce requirements into scalable educational solutions and learning pathways.
- Identify emerging trends in higher education, workforce development, defense education, learning science, and educational technology to inform program direction.
- Participate in conferences, advisory boards, academic forums, and strategic stakeholder engagements.
Academic Governance & Consortium Leadership
- Lead academic governance across participating universities and partner institutions.
- Establish standards, policies, and quality assurance processes that ensure consistency while supporting flexibility.
- Facilitate collaboration among military stakeholders, content SMEs, and program administrators.
- Chair curriculum councils, academic advisory groups, and educational working groups.
- Build alignment among diverse stakeholders with varying missions and operational requirements.
- Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with universities, government agencies, organizations, and industry leaders.
- Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement across the consortium.
Curriculum Strategy & Learning Architecture
- Oversee the design, implementation, and evolution of educational framework and curriculum architecture.
- Ensure alignment between program outcomes, competencies, courses, assessments, internships, and experiential learning opportunities.
- Lead the development of multidisciplinary learning experiences focused on national security, federal operations, systems thinking, defense acquisition, digital transformation, leadership development, workforce readiness, and employability skills.
- Guide the integration of active learning, project‑based learning, experiential education, simulations, and technology‑enhanced instruction.
- Establish competency frameworks and learning progression models that support learner growth across the program lifecycle.
- Ensure curriculum remains current, relevant, and responsive to changing workforce needs.
Stakeholder Strategy & Development
- Develop and implement a comprehensive stakeholder engagement and development strategy.
- Onboard and support stakeholders across participating institutions.
- Establish stakeholder standards and instructional expectations.
- Promote innovative teaching practices and evidence‑based instructional methods.
- Support communities of practice focused on continuous learning and educational excellence.
Assessment, Research & Continuous Improvement
- Establish and oversee a comprehensive assessment and evaluation framework.
- Define key performance indicators and success metrics aligned to program goals and stakeholder expectations.
- Lead the collection, analysis, and interpretation of educational data, learner outcomes, and workforce readiness indicators.
- Evaluate curriculum effectiveness and learner achievement to inform strategic decision‑making.
- Oversee educational research initiatives that demonstrate program impact and support continuous improvement.
- Develop executive‑level reports and recommendations for senior leaders and federal government stakeholders.
- Drive evidence‑based decision‑making across all educational initiatives.
Student Experience & Workforce Readiness
- Champion a learner‑centered experience that promotes engagement, belonging, and success.
- Ensure students develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies for future civilian defense careers.
- Integrate leadership development, self‑leadership, collaboration, adaptability, communication, and complex problem‑solving throughout the curriculum.
- Partner with internship and workforce stakeholders to strengthen connections between academic learning and real‑world application.
- Use student feedback, performance data, and workforce outcomes to enhance program effectiveness.
Educational Technology & Innovation
- Establish strategy for learning technologies, digital learning environments, and educational innovation.
- Evaluate and implement tools that enhance learner engagement, accessibility, and instructional effectiveness.
- Lead the development of scalable online, hybrid, and blended learning models.
- Ensure technology investments support educational goals and improve learner outcomes.
- Promote experimentation and innovation through pilot programs and emerging technologies.
Organizational Leadership
- Lead and develop teams responsible for curriculum development, instructional design, assessment, educational technology, faculty support, and learner success.
- Build organizational capability through coaching, mentoring, and talent development.
- Establish operational priorities, resource plans, and performance expectations.
- Manage budgets, contracts, timelines, and strategic initiatives.
- Promote a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and operational excellence.
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Education, Learning Sciences, Instructional Design, or Organizational Development.
- 12+ years of progressively responsible leadership experience in higher education, workforce development, talent development, instructional design, or educational strategy.
- Demonstrated experience leading complex educational programs, teams, or organizations.
- Demonstrated experience developing educational strategy and managing large‑scale curriculum initiatives.
- Experience leading cross‑functional and multi‑stakeholder partnerships.
- Strong understanding of assessment, evaluation, and learning analytics.
- Exceptional communication, facilitation, and executive‑level presentation skills.
- Preferred Doctorate (Ed.D., Ph.D., or equivalent).
- Experience working with the federal government, federal agencies, military organizations, or national security partners.
- Experience building competency‑based and workforce‑aligned education programs.
- Knowledge of defense workforce development priorities and talent pipeline initiatives.
Compensation
In compliance with the New Jersey Wage Transparency Act, the annual base range for this position is $175,000 – $205,000.
EEO Statement
Stevens Institute of Technology is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Accordingly, Stevens adheres to an employment policy that prohibits discriminatory practices or harassment against candidates or employees based on legally impermissible factors including, but not necessarily limited to, race, color, religion, creed, sex, national origin, nationality, citizenship status, age, ancestry, marital or domestic partnership or civil union status, familial status, affectional or sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, atypical cellular or blood trait, genetic information, pregnancy or pregnancy‑related medical conditions, disability, or any protected military or veteran status. Stevens is building a diverse faculty, staff, and student body and strongly encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. Stevens is a federal contractor under the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as well as other federal statutes. Stevens seeks candidates who will contribute to a welcoming and inclusive environment for all students, faculty and staff.