PEOPLE Precollege Program Associate Director - Madison

The Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) is seeking an individual for the role of Precollege Program Associate Director - Madison. This leadership position provides day-to-day administrative oversight and operations for precollege services located in our Madison precollege administrative office at UW-Madison and partnership high school sites in Madison. This position has direct oversight of staff managing several program areas including: program recruitment and admissions, orientation programming, after-school tutoring sites (Academic Centers for Excellence- ACE), college preparation, advising, academic support, and summer residential programming. This position is part of a team of leaders who support the educational aspirations of first generation and low-income students with the goal of college access and college degree completion. PEOPLE currently serves over 1,100 students across three distinct units: Madison Precollege, Milwaukee Precollege, and the College Success Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. We seek a passionate leader to guide and collaborate with our energetic precollege and college teams to continue our success as UW-Madison's leading college access program. This position reports to the PEOPLE Program Director.

Program Management

• Provide strategic oversight for precollege enrichment and college success services for PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison.

• Supports the successful execution and delivery of college readiness services (i.e., college preparation, academic enrichment, summer camp, college advising, and student support services).

• Collaborate with the PEOPLE Program Director to monitor and implement ongoing program assessment to meet targeted key performance indicators.

• Develop and implement stakeholder engagement and education strategies highlighting program services, expectations, policies, procedures, and program philosophy.

• Works with staff to maintain accurate and relevant program internal information (e.g., handbooks, manuals, policies, program literature) and public facing program communications (e.g. advertising, newsletters, social media).

• Assist the PEOPLE Program Director in crafting annual performance reports as requested, chronicling organizational success.

• Identify opportunities for improvement, allocating staff and financial resources based on defined strategic priorities.

Budget Oversight and Management

• Responsible for the program-level budget for PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison. This includes the plan, allocation, forecast, and reconciliation of expenses of mixed funding source budget (state dollars, grants, foundation funds, and donations)

• Ensures compliance with federal and state regulations in addition to campus and UW-system policies and procedures, ensuring expenditures are consistent with the organization's and division's financial priorities and strategies.

Personnel Management and Supervision

• Exercise supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of Administrative Office staff (PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison ), MMSD ACE Sites, and PEOPLE Summer University staff in Madison.

• Determines assignments to maximize short- and long-term results.

• Ensures that staff have current position descriptions and are given frequent feedback and coaching in their performance as well as annual performance evaluations.

• Creates and maintains an environment where high morale, cooperation, and employee satisfaction may be achieved in a dynamic and demanding academic environment, effectively supervising staff to achieve strategic priorities.

• Develop, promote, and facilitate staff training programs to ensure compliance with youth protection, FERPA, Clery Act, and Title IX policies.

Policy Development and Oversight

• Work closely with program leadership to develop and ensure program policies, procedures, and staffing are in alignment with appropriate federal, state, and institutional laws.

• Responsible for effective communication, training, and facilitation of changes in policies and procedures related to youth and minor protection, youth and pre-college programming, FERPA, Clery Act and Title IX.

• Ensure the program is operating in alignment with MOU guidelines and established grants, partnerships, or agreements.

Partnership Development and Fundraising

• Responsible for building, sustaining, and expanding partnerships among key constituencies who support academic programming for PEOPLE Precollege Program Madison, including but not limited to: UW-Campus, local school systems, and institutional and private entities who support academic programming.

• Work closely with PEOPLE Program Director to develop strategic development opportunities to achieve annual fundraising goals.

• Collaborates with program and divisional leadership, and UW Foundation to design and implement project campaigns to strengthen alumni and donor engagement.

Supporting Organizational Excellence

• Support and mentor staff to directly elevate the profile of the PEOPLE program through strategic communication efforts (e.g., internal/external presentations, publications, social media) aligned with a vision of becoming national leaders supporting student success.

• Serves on institutional, divisional, and university committees

• Has a key role establishing a strategic organizational direction and setting priorities that align with the directives of the program/unit/institution.

• Promotes respect and the practice of civility in the workplace, by promoting diversity of gender, ethnicity, race, ability, religion, sexual orientation, age, culture, position, job function, and years of service as crucial components in the pursuit of excellence.

• Serves on institutional and divisional committees, including the precollege council, and managers/directors meeting, as needed.

• Ensure program compliance and staff training on the policies and procedures set forth for minor protection and safety in alignment with UW-Madison Precollege Program Licensure, and State & Federal laws

• Implements and evaluates best practices in recruitment, retention, and engagement of students, leveraging data, assessment, and technology to drive outcomes.

• Exercises supervisory authority, including hiring, transferring, suspending, promoting, managing conduct and performance, discharging, assigning, rewarding, disciplining, and/or approving hours worked of at least 2.0 full-time equivalent (FTE) employees

• Develops organizational and operational policies and procedures and monitors performance to ensure alignment with strategic objectives

• Assists with developing and monitoring the budget

• Directs long-range and short-term strategic plans and initiatives to further the growth of the outreach program

• Serves as the unit liaison to internal and external stakeholder groups providing organizational information and representing the interests of the unit

In the Division for Teaching and Learning, the Precollege Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE) prepares Wisconsin students to succeed in college with an emphasis on enrollment at UW Madison. Our programming is offered in three distinct units: Madison Precollege, Milwaukee Precollege, and The College Success Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The program recruits students at the precollege level in Madison (8th grade) and Milwaukee School districts (9th grade). During the academic year, our precollege team advises students in Madison and Milwaukee public high schools, creating new pathways to higher education for low-income, and first-generation families. During the summer, our precollege team hosts our high school students in a robust residential program on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus, offering students an opportunity to experience college life and build community in their cohorts. Students who are admitted/enrolled at UW-Madison are eligible for a four-year tuition scholarship. Our college team offers one-on-one high-touch advising services, programming focused on student success, and other high impact practices to support students toward personal and professional development. PEOPLE provides a support infrastructure dedicated to achieving the goals of college attainment and degree completion. PEOPLE currently serves over 1,100 students (middle school to college) in the state of Wisconsin.

About the Student Engagement and Scholarship Portfolio (SESP)

The Student Engagement and Scholarship Portfolio (SESP) houses four student scholarship programs (PEOPLE Program, Posse Program, Mercile J. Lee, and First Wave/OMAI) with an infrastructure dedicated to support college attainment. Through intentional programming, personalized advising, and scholarship support, the SESP portfolio prioritizes student success, focusing on academic excellence, leadership, community building, and service. SESP prepares students to enact the Wisconsin Idea, growing as ethical and responsible leaders who can thrive in a world that is diverse, global, and interconnected.

• The starting salary for a candidate who may still be learning some aspects of the job and will work towards proficiency is expected to be $70.000.

• The starting salary for an experienced candidate who can fulfill most job responsibilities independently is expected to be between $75,000-$80,000.

• Actual pay is determined at hire and is based on experience and qualifications.

• This position offers a comprehensive benefits package, including generous paid time off, competitively priced health/dental/vision/life insurance, tax-advantaged savings accounts, and participation in the nationally recognized Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) pension fund. For a summary of benefits, please see https://www.wisconsin.edu/ohrwd/benefits/download/fasl.pdf.

• Minimum of 3 years of experience leading, developing and/or facilitating engagement, retention, and/or academic support programs for students and stakeholders in K-16 school system (with high preference for experience with K12 school system), government, or non-profit sectors

• Demonstrated experiences leading and/or facilitating academic support programs and services, preferably working directly with talented students from backgrounds where hardship and /or disadvantage have impacted their educational opportunities (first-generation, economically disadvantaged).

• Demonstrated skills in planning and implementing overall leadership, vision, and cohesiveness for an office/unit/organization

• Familiarity with mentoring practices to create a healthy work environment to achieve strategic priorities.

• Demonstrated experience creating and nurturing relationships with program, institutional, and community stakeholder groups.

• A record of developing and/or executing curricular and co-curricular programming and services supporting students (particularly students transitioning from K12 to post-secondary education).

• Experience coordinating and operating residential programs (e.g. university residential summer programs) with a focus on college preparation, access, and success.

• Familiarity with policies and practices governing youth development and protection.

• Experience supervising and leading a team/unit/office, with a particular focus on setting and assessing strategic priorities.

• Experience and knowledge of quantitative and qualitative measures for program assessment and evaluation.

• A highly motivated, self-starter, and enthusiastic personality with strong prioritization skills.

• Required: Master's degree preference for degree in higher education, student services, youth development or related field.

• To begin the application process, click the "Apply" button.

• Candidates will be required to upload a cover letter referring to related work experience and a resume/CV detailing educational and professional background.

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  Cover Letter Required Prompts: In your application materials, please include a cover letter (max. 3 pages) that specifically includes responses to the three required prompts/questions listed below. Reflecting upon the required and preferred qualifications listed for the Precollege Program Associate Director - Madison:

  
  
  
  

  • 1. Briefly describe a professional/leadership experience that has prepared you to support students (in particular when transitioning from K12 to post-secondary education)

  • 2. Share a professional experience that highlights your skills/leadership/familiarity working with youth (in particular with policies governing programming for youth development and protection.)

  • 3. Please share your experience/s supervising and leading a team/unit/office

  
  
  
  

• This position has been identified as a position of trust with access to vulnerable populations. The selected candidate will be required to pass an initial caregiver check to be eligible for employment under the Wisconsin Caregiver Law and then every two years.

• Please note that successful applicants are responsible for ensuring their eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without need of employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. UW-Madison is not an E-Verify employer, and therefore, is not eligible to employ F1 STEM OPT Extension participants.

• The application deadline is 11:59 pm on October 26, 2025.

Kayla Eckerty, kayla.eckerty@wisc.edu, 608-890-4609

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

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