Job Summary
Reporting to the Dean, the Director of Strategic Initiatives is a
trusted thought-partner who provides a school-wide, integrative
perspective across Leeds, identifying and advancing connections
across units to achieve our strategic priorities.
The Director maintains a broad understanding of strategic
initiatives and activities across the School and works closely with
the Dean, Dean’s Cabinet and other school leaders to find
opportunities where greater coordination, alignment, and
collaboration can advance Leeds’ strategic objectives. In close
partnership with the Assistant Dean for Advancement and the Dean,
the Director also helps shape the agenda for Leeds Advisory Board
(LAB) meetings, ensuring the Board’s expertise and engagement are
strategically leveraged to support and advance the School’s
strategic priorities.
The Director provides leadership and project management for AACSB
accreditation in coordination with the Associate Dean for Research
and Academics, as well as campus-level accreditation reviews. This
includes close partnerships with faculty and various staff units to
collect, compile, and report data on the success of the Leeds
School, its programs and initiatives and coordination of
accreditation review visits.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all
applicable federal, state, and local laws governing
nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a
workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and
dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to
apply, including protected veterans and individuals with
disabilities.
Who We Are
At Leeds, we have an outstanding vantage point, and while we’re
located at the foot of the Rocky Mountains, we’re not talking about
the scenery. Set in the heart of Boulder, Colorado—one of the
nation’s most vibrant business communities—Leeds offers
unparalleled access to world-changing entrepreneurs, national
research institutions and award-winning faculty!
What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be
Strategic Plan Administration
- In partnership with the Dean, be responsible for administration
and ongoing execution of the Leeds strategic plan.
Manage regular check-ins with academic divisions and unit
leaders to ensure alignment and execution of initiatives, providing
ongoing support to move critical initiatives towards successful
completion.
Develop feedback mechanisms allowing faculty and staff to
provide input on strategic plan implementation in their respective
units. Use feedback to improve activation of the strategic plan
across the school.
Maintain records of unit-level strategic plans for each
academic division and program, ensuring they are regularly reviewed
and updated to track progress.
Manage the external review process for academic divisions, in
which visiting scholars travel to Leeds to provide their
perspectives on our academic divisions to support innovation and
improvement.
Track school-wide progress on the strategic plan, using a
dashboard of important measurements and other reporting tools to
support ongoing monitoring and assessment.
Maintain a broad, school-wide perspective on strategic
priorities, initiatives, and emerging opportunities in order to
identify connections, dependencies, gaps, and opportunities across
organizational boundaries.
Partner with the Dean to identify initiatives that would
benefit from strategic integration or cross-functional
coordination.
Serve as a strategic thought partner to the Dean and other
members of the Dean’s Cabinet on initiatives with significant
cross-school implications. The Director coordinates
cross-functional initiatives until clear ownership is established
and transitions sustained implementation to the appropriate
functional or portfolio leader.
Participate in Cabinet and other leadership/strategy meetings
to maintain current understanding of priorities, decisions,
emerging initiatives, and organizational context.
Maintain regular strategic touchpoints with Dean’s Cabinet
members and other school leaders to identify developments,
progress, and emerging priorities that should be reflected in
updates to the School’s strategic plan.
Accreditation & Institutional Review
- Lead the project management, coordination and overall process
for Leeds' AACSB accreditation process, in close partnership with
the Associate Dean for Research and Academics, who provides
academic leadership and content expertise.
- Establish accreditation timelines, achievements,
responsibilities, and documentation requirements.
- Manage the collection, organization, and maintenance of
required accreditation data and supporting evidence across units.
This includes coordination of a faculty and staff committee who
determine assessment plans and data sources.
- Partner with academic and administrative leaders to develop
required reports and manage the reporting process to ensure
submission by established due dates.
- Coordinate internal and external review processes and evaluator
visits.
- Maintain institutional knowledge and continuity between
accreditation cycles.
- Leverage accreditation findings and documentation, where
appropriate, as inputs to strategic planning and continuous
improvement.
- Serve as the primary Leeds contact and coordinator for
CU-campus level accreditation processes, including HLC and
ARPAC.
Communicate with Leeds Advisory Board (LAB)
- Along with the Assistant Dean of Advancement and the Dean,
contribute to the development of the Leeds Advisory Board (LAB)
agenda, positioning the Board as a resource for advancing the
School’s strategic priorities and supporting the implementation of
2035 Leeds.
- Partner with the Assistant Dean of Advancement and the Dean to
develop the Board’s meeting agendas and opportunities for
involvement in alignment with the School’s strategic plan and
emerging institutional needs.
- Maintain regular coordination with the advancement office to
track the progress of Leeds Advisory Board working groups, ensuring
their efforts remain aligned with the School’s strategic
priorities.
Coordination of the Portfolio of the Office of the
Dean
- Coordinate with the Dean’s Cabinet, ensuring alignment among
members around Leeds’ strategic priorities.
- Track key strategic priorities and follow-up items across the
Dean’s Cabinet, helping maintain insight into progress,
dependencies, and areas requiring the Dean’s attention or
decision.
- In coordination with the Associate Dean for Administration and
Finance, supervise the Dean’s Office Assistants, providing
direction on administrative priorities and workflow to ensure the
effective execution of the ongoing needs of the Dean’s Office and
facilitate coordination across the portfolio of the Dean’s
Office.
What You Should Know
- This position offers a hybrid work modality with at least 3
days in the office and up to 5 depending on meeting schedule. Work
hours are Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm plus evenings and weekends as
needed for events, conferences and activities.
What We Can Offer
- The hiring range for this position is $99,700-$115,000.
Relocation is available for eligible candidates within department
guidelines.
Benefits
At the
University of Colorado Boulder , we are
committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our
employees. Our comprehensive
benefits package includes medical,
dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition
assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local
transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder
offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class
outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of
Forbes' America's Best
Large Employers , ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado
and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and
programs through the
CU Advantage program.
Be Statements
Be engaged. Be impactful. Be Boulder.
What We Require
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and
experience may substitute.
- 5+ years of professional experience including: working for an
institution of higher education, supporting/advising executive or
senior level staff, and supervisory experience.
What You Will Need
- Requires a highly motivated individual with integrity, tact,
discretion, a proven track record, and exceptional organizational
skills.
- Ability to work across a variety of projects among diverse
constituencies.
- Ability to problem-solve and effectively operate within a
large, dynamic environment with experience in senior level
administrative management in an academic environment. Experience
with strategic planning processes and procedures.
- Management experience and skill, including the ability to be
responsible for a complex and fast paced office in a manner that
combines speed, precision, and thoroughness.
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills with the
ability to interact with a diverse group of internal and external
constituents. Proven ability to engage effectively with high-level
business leaders, scholars, alumni, school, and university
administrators, faculty, and students.
- Ability to handle complex, multiple, concurrent tasks including
excellent organizational skills and proficiency in prioritizing
assignments to complete work accurately and in a timely manner.
Anticipate, interpret, and respond to a variety of issues with
minimum direction and the highest level of discretion and
judgment.
- Process confidential matters and either resolve or refer
questions to appropriate personnel.
- Must possess initiative and ability to anticipate executive
needs for information and support.
- Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, coordinate, and direct
multiple projects and activities with varied timelines, use sound
judgment, and be a strategic problem solver.
- Ability to work with confidentiality and discretion when
handling sensitive information.
- Promotes creating an inclusive environment to reflect our
values and vision at Leeds.
What We Would Like You to Have
- 5+ years of experience working for an institution of higher
education.
- 5+ years of experience supporting/advising executive or senior
level staff.
- 3+ years of supervisory experience.
- Experience working in a business school.
Special Instructions
To apply, please submit the following materials:
- A current resume.
- A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background
and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and
responsibilities of the position.
We may request references at a later time.
Please apply by
October 1, 2026 for
consideration.
Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For
consideration, please apply through
CU Boulder Jobs
In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in
any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying
information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school
attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting
or removing this information.
Posting Contact Information
Posting Contact Name: Boulder Campus Human Resources
Posting Contact Email: Recruiting@colorado.edu
