Associate Director of the Center for Civic Discourse and Debate

Job Summary

The Center for Civic Discourse & Debate is seeking a creative and strategic Associate Director to help implement and achieve its ambitious goals as operations begin on the University of Utah campus. Working closely with the Center's director and leadership team, this position will play a critical role in implementing the Center's strategic vision. The Associate Director will ensure that the Center's objectives are executed consistently and communicated clearly across a range of audiences. The successful candidate will be a highly capable, relationship-driven professional with a strong focus on advancing the Center's mission. This individual will support planning and management of internal operations and Center programming from initiation through delivery.

Responsibilities include gathering input and data from stakeholders to evaluate objectives, define project scope, and establish clear deliverables.

This position is well suited for a professional who finds deep satisfaction in strategic execution and organizational discipline. Candidates who excel at coordination and enjoy maintaining a clear organizational identity while navigating complex professional relationships are encouraged to apply.

The Center for Civic Discourse & Debate serves as a non-partisan hub dedicated to transforming disagreement into productive dialogue through a rigorous four-pillar approach. By combining academic research in argumentation with “Debate Across the Curriculum” teaching models, the Center equips students and faculty with portable skills in advocacy & deliberation. Furthermore, the Center provides professional conflict resolution training and extensive community programming to foster productive disagreement. Grounded in process expertise rather than ideological advocacy, the Center maintains strict nonpartisanship to ensure that academic rigor translates directly into practical community impact.

Beginning operations in summer of 2026, The Center for Civic Discourse & Debate is a program within the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS). LAS unites staff teams, strategy, operations and campus innovation across the Colleges of Humanities, Social and Behavioral Sciences, and Science. Established in 2025, LAS is increasing the impact of staff functions across campus as well as to meet the challenges and opportunities in higher education.

Responsibilities

The Associate Director will be responsible for the daily operations of the Center and will be integral to the success of this initiative. This will be both an internal-facing role as well as an external one - working with faculty and stakeholders within the University as well as community members and other debate centers in higher education to share models, vocalize successes, and adapt best practices. This role will serve as primary faculty support in implementing the DAC model in the classroom as well as assessing the impact of the DAC curriculum. While the Director will establish Center priorities, the Associate Director will play a central role implementing the Center's vision and building connections across campus. The role involves working closely with internal departments to coordinate efforts and support the successful completion of projects. Throughout the process, the Associate Director will keep leadership informed of key developments and any issues that could affect timelines, budgets, or outcomes.

• Strategic Execution & Project Management: Translate high-level organizational goals into actionable project plans, maintaining the flexibility to pivot resources and priorities rapidly in response to shifting circumstances without losing momentum.
• Message Discipline & Advocacy: Serve as a primary ambassador for the Center's activities. This requires the ability to advocate strongly for the Center's mission and unique framing to external stakeholders while remaining adept at correcting misconceptions and ensuring the Center's identity is consistently represented.
• Partnership & Relationship Cultivation: Establish and maintain high-value relationships with internal and external partners. Utilize these connections to advance the Center's goals, ensuring all collaborators feel supported and aligned with the University's trajectory. This includes the strategic outreach to and integration of student cohorts and faculty contributors into the Center's ongoing projects.
• Operational Agility: Maintain a high level of comfort with shifting priorities.

Minimum Qualifications

Requires a bachelor's (or equivalency) + 4 years or a master's (or equivalency) + 2 years of directly related work experience. Assumes work equivalency (1 year of higher education can be substituted for 1 year of directly related work experience).

• Proven experience in staff-based project management, business operations, or non-profit leadership.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills to ensure that stakeholders (faculty, university leadership, community partners) are consistently supported and that their experience with the Center is seamless.
• Communication skills and comfort with working within a defined brand/strategic framework.
• Understanding of approaches to argumentation, debate, dialogue, conflict resolution, etc.
• Ability to manage multiple work streams and address emergent organizational needs