Program Director

Department

PSD Computer Science: MSCAPP Staff Leadership

About the Department

The M.S. in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MS-CAPP) program at the University of Chicago is seeking a Program Director to run and guide the operation of its Masters-level educational program, recognized as a leading joint computer science, data science, and policy analysis degree. The Program Director is tasked with effectively leveraging and coordinating the extensive resources and activities of the Harris School of Public Policy and the Department of Computer Science for the benefit of the MS-CAPP program. This role includes providing a broad and diverse range of programmatic and administrative support. The Program Director will lead the MS-CAPP program in all of its core functions, including suggesting new courses, developing internal and external partnerships to create employment opportunities, reading and assessing student applications, and bringing prominent speakers from the field to UChicago. Competitive applicants will be passionate about some of the following (and interested in learning more about the rest): public policy, social impact, technology, computer science, and data science. The Program Director will oversee an Associate Program Director and an Assistant Program Director, also dedicated to the success of the MS-CAPP degree. The Program Director will report to the Faculty Director(s) of the MS-CAPP degree.

Job Summary

The Program Director is a member of the CAPP leadership team, along with the Faculty Directors, and is responsible for the overall performance, administration of the program and day-to-day operations, including program planning and execution, admissions, recruitment, student affairs, managing the program staff, and faculty support. The Program Director leads a team of four including the associate director, assistant director, and program coordinator. Works closely with the leadership, staff, students and faculty of the program and reports to the Academic Director of MSCAPP.

The purpose of the CAPP is to train and educate students in aspects of leveraging the power of computer science, data science, and technology within the field of public policy. As such, it aims to be innovative in its methods and to respond both to changes in technology and to changes in the needs of the world so that the students can embark on a career using modern tools to make a positive social impact. The Program Director will achieve this goal by partnering with the CAPP leadership team to maintain excellence in program planning and execution, and managing the program’s operations, students, faculty and staff. The Program Director is expected to function as an experienced administrator competently managing the multiple tasks associated with the position.

The Program Director also acts as liaison between staff, faculty, students, the department of Computer Science, the PSD divisional offices and other U of C administrative units, visitors and prospective students and employers.

Responsibilities

• Member of the CAPP Leadership team, along with the Faculty Directors and CAPP Associate and Assistant Program Director. Set the direction for the program, act on pending issues, develop and maintain program goals and standards in all dimensions of its work and across all lines of service.
• Manage the staff of the MSCAPP (team of four including the associate program director, assistant program director and program coordinator) including performance evaluations, hiring and job position review.
• Leads the day-to-day operations of the MSCAPP including all program planning and execution, admissions, recruitment, student affairs, faculty support and staff direction.
• Curriculum: Coordinate curriculum and works to support educational excellence for the MS-CAPP students. This part of the role may include suggesting new coursework or changes to existing purses and identifying issues in in-progress courses.
• Student Affairs: In conjunction with the Academic and Student Affairs team and the Career Development Office at Harris, provides academic and career guidance for MS-CAPP students.
• Recruitment: Speaks to prospective students and helps disseminate the goals and mission of the degree, works with the Harris Recruitment and Marketing teams. Reads and evaluates student applications and makes decisions (with the Faculty Directors) about acceptance, as well as scholarship allocation.
• Career Services: Works with Computer Science Career Services and the Harris Career Development Office to help create and identify internal and external employment opportunities. Helps students articulate their career goals and choose courses that fit those goals.
• Directs the support of Computer Science and MSCAPP faculty through course scheduling, room assignment, managing enrollment, technical classroom set-up, course evaluations, academic issues with students, payment and other support as needed. Oversee assigning of TAs and graders based on course needs. Participate in the faculty hiring process including application review, phone screening and interviewing.
• Responsible for providing leadership and direction as the team works towards our goals of increasing the quality and size of the applicant pool, increased student satisfaction and superior faculty support. Provide guidance with daily work, goals and longer-term career plans.
• Events: Invite speakers to events and weekly lectures during the academic year. Helps arrange extracurricular workshops on topics like working in technology teams and writing about technical projects.
• Manages employees by establishing annual performance goals, allocating resources, assessing annual performance, and determining individual merit, incentive and/or promotional increases.
• Manages the dissemination, interpretation and application of program policies and recommends or makes exceptions.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 7+ years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Public Policy, or a related field or additional work experience in a related field.

Experience:

• Prior experience and genuine interest in public policy, social impact, civic technology, data science, or related fields.
• Experience working with students in a university environment.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, and to compose effective and efficient reports and correspondence.
• Ability to take initiative and organize and complete projects, at times with minimal supervision.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Outlook and Office, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Preferred Competencies

• Ability to take initiative and a proactive approach to tasks and projects.
• Ability to handle multiple projects and deadlines while maintaining a high level of work quality.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal skills and character judgment.
• Adaptability in project prioritization.
• Ability to work independently, collaboratively, and in a supervisory role.
• Commitment to understanding and improving outcomes for students of all backgrounds and experiences.
• Engagement in academic interests.

Application Documents

• Resume/CV (required)
• Cover Letter (required)
• References (preferred)

When applying, the document(s) MUST be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Job Family

Administration & Management

Role Impact

People Manager

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

Drug Test Required

No

Health Screen Required

No

Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry Required

No

Pay Rate Type

Salary

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FLSA Status

Exempt

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Pay Range

$115,000.00 - $130,000.00

The included pay rate or range represents the University’s good faith estimate of the possible compensation offer for this role at the time of posting.

Benefits Eligible

Yes

The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in theBenefits Guidebook.

Posting Statement

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

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