Assistant Director, Upward Bound Math Science

General Summary:

Founded in 1990, the University of Massachusetts Boston’s Upward Bound Math-Science Program (UBMS) is operated in collaboration with the independent Noble and Greenough School (Nobles) in Dedham, Massachusetts. UBMS annually serves 72 low-income and first-generation high school students attending Lawrence High School and/or residing in Lawrence, MA. Through an school-year component that includes monthly Saturday seminars and vacation week intensives and through an academically rigorous six-week residential summer component, Upward Bound Math-Science provides participants with the skills and motivation necessary for successful completion of high school and successful entry into and completion of postsecondary education. With an emphasis on Math and Science, program activities include challenging academic courses, tutoring, college and career awareness and advising activities, social-emotional skill-building, and cultural enrichment activities. The most intensive aspect of the program’s year-round programming is the six-week summer residential component. Program staff and students live on the residential campus of the Noble and Greenough School from Sunday to Friday afternoon and spend the final week of the program touring colleges. The summer program is preceded by one week of staff orientation, run by the program’s administrative staff and held at Nobles.

Core administrative staff who run the program include a part-time Director and a full-time Assistant Director; summer program instructors and tutor counselors are drawn from the Nobles and UMass Boston communities. The Director reports directly to the Senior Director of Programs & Initiatives at UMass Boston and works collaboratively with senior leaders at Nobles. The Director is responsible for the overall planning, development, and administration of the Upward Bound Math-Science program. During the six-week summer residential program, on-site supervision of program participants is provided by the Director and/or Assistant Director. The Director is expected to travel among the UMass Boston, Nobles, and Lawrence High School campuses.

The Director position is 50% time during the school year and full-time for eight weeks during the summer.

Examples of Duties:

• Plan, develop and administer the Upward Bound Math-Science program; direct the implementation of all program activities to ensure the program objectives are being met and that the programs are in compliance with funder and university regulations and guidelines;
• Directly supervise program staff including the Assistant Director and the program’s summer instructors and tutor-counselors;
• Recruit, select, onboard, train, and supervise all instructional staff, working closely with the instructors to develop and implement the program’s curriculum and course offerings; ensure that the federally mandated core curriculum is implemented and that the participants are engaged in college preparatory courses and activities. Provide instructors with support in the form of orientation, one-on-one feedback, planning support, class observations, student evaluations and instructor meetings;
• In consultation with the Senior Director of Programs & Initiatives, manage the program budgets for Upward Bound Math-Science (currently nearly $400,000 annually) to ensure compliance with university, state, and funder regulations and policies;
• Maintain and strengthen the long-term partnership with the Noble and Greenough community, by being an active, visible member of the school community; market the UBMS program at Nobles to garner continued support and to enhance services for participants; negotiate and supervise contracts with Nobles for the use of classroom, athletics and other residential campus space for the summer residential component, program Saturdays and other events; work with the Nobles business office to ensure appropriate billing and financial record-keeping.
• During the summer, live in residence at the Upward Bound Math-Science summer site, providing support to the rest of the Upward Bound Math-Science summer residential staff;
• Supervise the recruitment, screening, and admission of program participants; screen applications based on eligibility requirements for the program and make student admission decisions based upon student’s need for program, academic performance, commitment to enrolling to post-secondary education and other decision-making factors;
• In collaboration with the Senior Director of Programs & Initiatives, regularly evaluate the programs and develop and implement systems for continuous improvement in the quality of program services and the attainment of program outcome objectives;
• Supervise the collection, maintenance of student and program records, the collection of extensive data and the maintenance of program databases for the purpose of federal/funder and unit reporting and for the purpose of program evaluation;
• Prepare and submit annual performance and other progress reports and continuation proposals for all agencies that have such requirements; Submit activity reports and regular program evaluation reports to unit leadership for the purpose of program management and improvement;
• Develop strong working relationships with UMass Boston departments, referral sources and community agencies, including Boston after School and Beyond; work closely with administrators, teachers, guidance, and other staff at Lawrence High School to ensure that programs and activities are integrated into each of the school’s overall improvement efforts; serve on school improvement committees and assist with the evaluation of improvement efforts;
• Work with the unit’s business center as well as with accounting, procurement, human resources, student employment and the like to ensure adherence to university policies and procedures and timely processing of paperwork;
• Counsel and advise students; meet regularly with a caseload of program participants to provide guidance regarding the students’ academic progress, college and career goals, secondary and post-secondary course selection, and to provide personal wellness counseling, as needed; inform parents on matters pertaining to college and financial aid application, financial literacy and school-related topics;
• Oversee the planning and implementation of parent, student and staff orientations; develop partnerships with families to support academic achievement and the successful pursuit of post-secondary education;
• Adjudicate student discipline and code of conduct matters;
• Maintain contact with Upward Bound Math-Science alumni, particularly during the freshman year of college, to ensure they are satisfactorily progressing through post-secondary education; develop and administer annual alumni follow-up survey and prepare report detailing the results; keep alumni informed of upcoming events through social media, direct mailings, and by phone, as appropriate; Track alumni progress in post-secondary education through the National Student Clearinghouse; develop, distribute and collect alumni surveys;
• In collaboration with the Senior Director of Programs & Initiatives at UMass Boston, develop funding proposals to the federal Department of Education in order to operate the program, as well as to state and local agencies for supplementary funding, as needed; prepare and submit performance reports to the Department of Education, the university, and other funding sources;
• Weekend and evening work will be required for the monthly Saturday seminars, after-school classes and field trips. During the six-week summer residential program, on site supervision of program participants is provided by the Director or Assistant Director, which will require overnight coverage by the Director;
• Chaperone college trips/tours and field trips, as needed;
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Master’s Degree in STEM, Education, Psychology, Sociology, Counseling, or a closely related field. A minimum of five-seven (5-7) years of administrative experience within an institution of higher education, a secondary school, or a related education setting, running programs with similar objectives is required. Educational counseling skills required. Technical skills in accounting, budgeting, procurement, and grant/program management required. Knowledge of and demonstrated proficiency in staff development and supervision Knowledge of the Lawrence Public School district or a similar urban district required. Knowledge of challenges facing low-income, first-generation, multilingual learners. Demonstrated experience in curriculum development and implementation required. Demonstrated experience in evaluating programs and developing systems for improvement; Demonstrated success in overcoming similar obstacles as those faced by target students Ability to work cooperatively and collaboratively with university and school personnel Weekend and evening work is required for the monthly Saturday seminars, after-school classes, and field trips.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Demonstrated ability to write effective grant proposals.
• Knowledge of MA Curriculum Frameworks and educational assessments, such as SAT and Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS); and ACT Skills Frameworks, preferred
• Knowledge of federal TRIO guidelines and requirements and of mandated reporting, preferred
• Fluency in Spanish, strongly preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Demonstrated proficiency with database software, including Microsoft Office;
• Knowledge of and demonstrated proficiency in financial management, staff development and supervision and organizational development and advancement;
• Knowledge of and experience in identifying and developing appropriate means of serving the educational, career and cultural needs of low-income, first generation, urban high school students;
• Knowledge of and experience with urban youth and with multi-ethnic, multi-racial populations, especially with the Latine population;
• Demonstrated educational philosophy and methods that encourage the development of active and independent learning habits;
• Demonstrated supervisory skills and experience;
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks and meet ongoing deadlines in a fast-paced environment;
• Ability to work independently and see tasks through to completion in a timely fashion;
• Ability to act with discretion and maintain confidentiality;
• Strong oral and written communication skills;
• Proficiency with office and database software, social media, and web conferencing platforms
• Strong interpersonal and organizational skills;
• Strong problem-solving skills;
• Strong commitment to customer service.

Application Instructions:

Please apply online with your resume, cover letter and list of three professional references.

Review of candidates will begin following the application closing date.

Only Internal candidates in the Professional Staff Bargaining Unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.

Salary Ranges for the appropriate Pay Grade can be found at the following link:

Grade: 33

Salary Ranges

This is an exempt union position. This is a grant funded position with a current end date of October 31, 2027, subject to renewal contingent on funding and university needs.

All official salary offers must be approved by Human Resources.

UMass Boston is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, we will ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations for the hiring process. If reasonable accommodation is needed, please contact HR@umb.edu or 617-287-5150.

Applications close: 12 Oct 2026 Eastern Daylight Time